Obama Shows How to Defang the Christian Right in a Week
Reader Comments
obama and evangelicals
Obama is trying to play both sides of the fence.
He clearly has no true Biblical beliefs.
He attended Wright's 'hate - black supremacy church' for over 20 years
He believes Gays can have a civil union
He believes in abortion (murder of babies in utero)
His mother was an atheist and father was a muslim so I don't think he had any firm foundation from his parents.
In case you didn't know - Allah is not the same God that the Judeo Christians believe in
He will be accountable before God for not standing for the Truth in the Bible
Gay Rights
Responding to Whitefield of CT, none of those quotes are by Jesus. The first two are from Paul, the second the Old Testament. Leviticus 18 is part of the Holiness Code (chapters 17-26), which was designed to call Israel to live differently than her neighbors. This code, which also requires all farmers to leave a portion of their fields to the poor (19:9-10), states anyone who plants fruit trees, may not eat of them until the fifth year (19:23-25), anyone who curses mother or father shall be put to death (20:9); anyone who commits adultery (both the man and woman) shall be put to death (20:10). No priest shall go where there is a dead body, even if it is his own mother or father (21:11). (You could argue that you cannot keep leftovers beyond the second day! 19:5-8)
The point of all this is that you cannot take a verse here and there; you take them all, or you take none. And for Christians, the words of Jesus trump the OT texts (at the least, they require restatement and reinterpretation in light of the cross), and Jesus did not say anything about homosexuality.
In the two texts cited, by Paul, the Corinthians texts points out a whole list of those who will be condemned, including the greedy! It behooves all of us to mend our ways, lest we be included in that list! And the Romans text points out that all who turn from God are condemned. The text probably discusses the current perversions of all types which were found in the Greek society of Paul's time. The point of the text is that all who turn from God are destroyed through their own actions; not just those who practice homosexual actions (this text says nothing about homosexuality as an orientation, but only as action)
As a last comment, from one who is not gay, the understanding of what it means to be homosexual is changing. The biblical view, that homosexuality is the willful, sinful actions of heterosexual people, (ie, what went on in Sodom and Gomorrah), which is reflective of its time, is no longer the only understanding of homosexuality, and there is developing homosexuality understood as something at least latent in people, much like left- or right-handedness is. Science (which is also a gift of God!) is beginning to understand the biological involvement of genetics in homosexuality.
Jesus on homosexuality
Whitefield of CT says it is "wrong, wrong, wrong" to claim Jesus said nothing about homosexuality. He then quotes I Corinthians, Romans, and Leviticus. These are written by Paul the Apostle and (it is believed) by Moses. Not by Jesus. Nor do they quote Jesus.
Whatever the other books of the Bible may say, it remains true that Jesus never spoke about homosexuality - at least not in any canonical text.
Dan Gilgoff Responds
MBC of IL writes:
"If the Christian Right had any fangs, Obama would not have been elected President. In fact, the Christian Right has never had any real power. It was all the invention of the media."
Gotta disagree here. The Christian Right has real power. Remember the Terri Schiavo congressional intervnetion? The reelection of George W. Bush with the help of 78-percent evangelical support? The recent passage of dozens of same-sex marriage bans across the country, including in liberal California? The passage of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003? The Supeme Court's lurch to the right under Bush, which led to it upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act? The list goes on. This movement had real power, even if its foe is about to occupy the Oval Office.
homosexuality
gay by websters definition means " joyous, lively, merry, bright and brilliant'". it does not mean perverted sexual behavior dr. william tanner of ca. which leads not only to the intolerant childish tantrum throwing behavior of your cohorts over prop 8. it leads to depression (obviously) as you can clearly see by above said behavior it leads to destruction in so very manny obvious ways. 35 years ago there were 5 sdts world wide today over 30 one third incurrable. our poor children assaulted every day by decadence and lies. suicide up by 400% and i can go on but do i need to? Yes Jesus has a lot to say about unhealthy behaviors not to hurt us but to allow us to live to the BEST of our abilities. BUT WHO IS LISTENING
Obama Defangs The Christian Right
The Left and Right waste tremendous amounts of time and energy screaming at each other,and very little time listening. Last I checked we are a democracy and everyone has the right to their opinions. We will never agree on everything (nor should we), this being true in even the best of marriages. The concept of "acceptance" is something both the left and right might want to consider. We as a country can accomplish so many things just by coming together on common ground issues. Barack Obama, in choosing Rick Warren to participate in his inauguration is doing what he said he was going to do (was the left not listening?), which is to be inclusive. I do not agree with Rick Warren on his views of homosexuality, but we have common ground when it comes to climate change and focus on dealing with AIDS. We should focus the combined energy on those two problems instead of wasting energy throwing rocks at each other regarding issues we do not agree on. "Acceptance" does not require one to give up on one's beliefs. Disagreeing on issues does not mean we cannot work together of common issues, assuming we can manage to take time out from our rock throwing. Barack Obama is displaying what we have been lacking in this country, LEADERSHIP. Rick Warren did the same thing when he invited Obama to speak at his church on the topic of AIDS. Rick Warren understood that it wasn't necessary that he and Barack Obama agree on all issues in order to tackle the world wide problem of AIDS. Just screaming and demanding that the other side change on a particular issue is a bridge to nowhere. Finding common ground and working on common issues is a bridge to somewhere,
The Christian Right? Wrong
Oh, and by the way, we need to remember that it wasn't the so-called Christian Right who defeated homosexual marriage in California--70% of African Americans voted for traditional marriage.
Black Voters Helped Prop 8 Passage
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1378391.html
Defang the Christian Right?
If the Christian Right had any fangs, Obama would not have been elected President. In fact, the Christian Right has never had any real power. It was all the invention of the media. Sure, some people thought they had power to turn the government in one direction or another, but it was all smoke and mirrors. If the Christian Right had any meaningful power, the Bush presidency wouldn't have been such a huge failure and a person would have been elected to follow him who shared traditional values. Instead, well, now we know the rest of the story . . .
Obama's "charm" and Gay rights
I am a Christian, a true Christian and have a wonderful, truth-filled relationship with Jesus, the Almighty! This is a dangerous time for true believers to be "sucked in" to believing that Mr. Obama is a Christian or that gays have the right to marry. NO I don't hate, and I am not a "homophobe." God loves all but will not tolerate sin, even if we as sinners decieve ourselves into thinking they are okay. They are not okay because God is holy, righeous and blameless, and because His laws are for our eternal good. We are only in this world the way it has become because of our disobedience. It is the harvest we have sewn over the last 6000 years (not millions or billions) that we are reaping. The Word of God plainly tells us (warns us) that if it were possible, even the elect will be deceived in these last days. I am SO glad God opened my eyes even when I thought I was already a believer. I believed what I had been taught, but I didn't read the Word and THAT is what changes a man's heart- Jesus is the Word (JOHN 1:1)! God save us all in His infinite mercy!
the comment from Whitefield CT
you are the reason people don't like the Christian right...
you are actually the wrong one...Jesus never said anything about homosexuality...
besides the fact that you all seem to avoid the overwhelming facts on the ground...
as he may have been one himself.
Not syaing he is...but you are totally wrong...the homosexual question did not come from him directly...duh.
You see along the way the bible has been reinterpreted numerous times...and if you think it hasn't been manipulated a little here ...a little there...
then you didn't get Christs teachings...which are great because they are in between the words that men rewrote...
and all the true words and teachigns have to do with the balance of "trying to be happy and trying not to hurt other people"
if it is outside those teachings...the son of God probably didn't say it... and some King or self empowering pharisee (like the Rick Warrens and James Dobson's of today) reinterpreted to empower their own wants and needs to be more correct than others.
