I'm still holding to my guns regarding the selective hermeneutics of the Religious Right, but a deeper examination of Barack Obama's statements on his personal faith should stimulate evangelicals to critical thought on the lowest common denominators of biblical faith. Please note that, by scrutinizing Obama's statements of faith, I am not suggesting that McCain's, Bush's or any other political figure's faith is authentic--or that biblical orthodoxy is a prerequisite for political office.
Authentic Christianity ultimately comes down to a debate about who Jesus is. Additional layers would include a basic understanding of sin, salvation, etc. After reading a 2004 interview with Obama, it is clear that, while he grasps many of the social implications of the Christian faith, he is apparently unaware of the basic biblical antecedents of that faith. After reading a few of his quotes below, the question I'm asking is not "Is Barack Obama a Christian?" but "What is a Christian?" The problem is not that the statements below are entirely false, but that they are incomplete--and miss key points of who Jesus is, what sin is and how salvation works.
“Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”
"I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup.”
“What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.”
Sin: “Being out of alignment with my values.”
The beliefs above are probably not far from those of other political candidates with religious leanings--both conservatives and liberals. But it certainly reinforces the thought that biblical orthodoxy should probably not be a litmus test for getting my vote.
Authentic Christianity ultimately comes down to a debate about who Jesus is. Additional layers would include a basic understanding of sin, salvation, etc. After reading a 2004 interview with Obama, it is clear that, while he grasps many of the social implications of the Christian faith, he is apparently unaware of the basic biblical antecedents of that faith. After reading a few of his quotes below, the question I'm asking is not "Is Barack Obama a Christian?" but "What is a Christian?" The problem is not that the statements below are entirely false, but that they are incomplete--and miss key points of who Jesus is, what sin is and how salvation works.
“Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”
"I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That’s just not part of my religious makeup.”
“What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.”
Sin: “Being out of alignment with my values.”
The beliefs above are probably not far from those of other political candidates with religious leanings--both conservatives and liberals. But it certainly reinforces the thought that biblical orthodoxy should probably not be a litmus test for getting my vote.
No comments:
Post a Comment