Barack Obama's Church of Choice

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My Indian friends tell me that "madrassa" simply means school in Urdu and Arabic. To suggest that a Pakistani Madrassa is a place to avoid sending children to is like saying we should not send our children to school! Pakistani Madraasas teach reading, writing, arithmetic, physics, biology, history, geography, English, etc.

Learn the meaning of words before you use them. Radical extremist schools should be called just that. Calling them madrassas is an offense to all regular schools, teachers and pupils.

Bruce of CO 1:47PM December 01, 2008

"It is important to understand that God is Absolute and Eternal Truth, Morality and Justice. He is not 'progressive'... His will is not subjective or relative. He is the bedrock of this created dimension of time, space and matter ."

And he DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MASTURBATE!

jeebus of MO 3:05AM November 29, 2008

Don't you hate getting interrupted when you're on a roll? Let's pick it up...

So, if you’re not a closed minded Dawkins/Hitchens, atheist type, here are a couple of steps you should take - I’m not gonna do the heavy lifting for you - Just nailin’ up a few signposts;

1. God is real and not subject to your personal ideas or perceptions. His reality exists apart from your perception of it.

2. God wants you to know Him.

3. God needs an interface system with humanity.

4. Needed to send someone who understands us and what it means to be human (pain, love, anger, loss - all that), but also needs to be aware and in sync with Him.

5. He has to let us know what He expects of us, yet still allow us our free will.

6. This messenger would need to establish a Church - Not write a book - and give unto it the Keys to the Kingdom.

7. The members of the Church willingly and peacefully died horrible deaths in order to plant the seeds of His Truth which eventually toppled the greatest power on earth. Not through the martyrdom of killing others, but through the martyrdom of dying a holy and purposeful death. And, all this before the bible existed.

8. Find the religion/theology founded by the only being who ever claimed to be the Son of God. Stay with the roots and traditions of the Church he founded.

9. Accept that the Church is made of men and so is not perfect in some matters that do not pertain to the words and truth of God.

10. Do not accept the proposition that we can not know the mind or will of God or that all theology , all religions are equal - Therefore relative, subjective, and so, ultimately meaningless. Impenetrable skepticism is your enemy - Accept the existence of Absolute Truth and that it is knowable... Then discipline your mind to begin the real work of conforming your will to His.

One final thought - It’s not about having faith who your father is - It’s about knowing who your Father is...

R.L. Schaefer of CA 4:16PM November 27, 2008

Religion is man made. Christianity is a relationship with GOD.

Man has failed to realize that he was put on this earth to worship HIM and HIM alone. Instead man has created his own god,something without eyes to see and without ears to hear.Next stop the fiery PIT

Shorty of CA 5:23PM November 26, 2008

Just what is that supposed to mean? If some church/religion has a “theology” you agree with and has nice BBQ’s after services on Sunday you’re on board?

This sort of, “Reformed New Age Attitude” is, sadly, prevalent.

Throwing up our hands and essentially saying. “Hey, what’s the diff? No one can know the mind or purpose of God. So let’s just go to a church that welcomes everyone, is not judgmental, is tolerant of anyones views and beliefs, and where everyone gets a ticket to the promised land no matter what they think, say or do.”

Well, if you’re one of the millions who think that way then you have reduced God’s Reality to conform to your personal lights and perceptions - You have made God in your image - a false creation of your beliefs and ideals.

It is important to understand that God is Absolute and Eternal Truth, Morality and Justice. He is not “progressive”... His will is not subjective or relative. He is the bedrock of this created dimension of time, space and matter .

This is where most folks say, “But we can’t understand the will or mind of God. So we have to steer by our own ideals and beliefs and if that means joining a church or religion where our friends go or that’s conveniently located that’s OK.”

Somehow I think God wants you to put a little more mental effort into finding and understanding His will... At least as much as say, deciding on an investment strategy, buying a home or picking out a puppy.

Now, only continue reading if you have at least gotten to the point where you don’t buy the idea of a self creating rock which is, auto detonating, organizing through happenstance and spontaneously animating into the complex web of life. I mean, if you returned to your car in a parking lot and instead found a fireman standing over a smoking hole where you left your car, and said, “Hey, what happened to my car?”

Fireman looks up from his report and says, “Big Bang,”

Are you buyin’ it? And, if you’re not buyin’ it as an explanation for your missing Chevy, I wouldn’t suppose you’d buy it for the creation of the universe - But I could be wrong.

Besides, God could use a Big Bang to create as well as a self creating rock could.

So, if you’re not a closed minded Dawkins/Hitchens, atheist type, here are a couple of steps you should take - I’m not gonna do the heavy lifting for you - Just nailin’ up a couple of signposts;

1. God is real and not subject to your personal ideas or perceptions.

2. God wants you to know Him.

3. God needs an interface system.

4. Needed to send someone who understands us and what it means to be human (pain, love, anger, loss - all that), but also needs to be aware and in sync with Him.

5. He has to let us know what He expects of us, yet still allow us our free will.

6. This messenger would need to establish a Church and give unto it the Keys to the Kingdom.

7. The members of the Church willingly and peacefully died horrible deaths in order to plant the seeds of His Truth w

R.L. Schaefer of CA 4:00PM November 26, 2008

Sorry, but we can't "butt out" on the church curiosity. Conservatives MUST know so they can make it a political issue for the "base".

Wouldn't it be fun if the Obama's went to some "conservative" church? They might.

of 3:06PM November 26, 2008

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Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger is managing editor for opinion at U.S. News and World Report, overseeing all opinion editorial content. He is the author of White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters. E-mail him at rschlesinger@usnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rschles.

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