At Barack Obama | Change We Can Believe In they are looking for some "American values" voters. My God, is it just me, or does this seem too close to what the republicans were doing for the last 30 years? I can understand the desire to appeal to people of faith, but can't we find something a bit more original to say?
From LJWorld.com / Obama fails Christianity test:
Obama can call himself anything he likes, but there is a clear requirement for one to qualify as a Christian and Obama doesn’t meet that requirement. One cannot deny central tenets of the Christian faith, including the deity and uniqueness of Christ as the sole mediator between God and Man and be a Christian. Such people do have a label applied to them in Scripture. They are called “false prophets.”
Why are conservative Christians so ready to question Obama's claim that he is a Christian? I think it is not so much a concern about Christian orthodoxy, but a more worldly concern that Obama is disrupting and redirecting the political power that conservative Christians have been used to for the last 30 years.
From Daily Kos: "Matthew 25 Network" Christians for Obama:
I realize that many folks here are uncomfortable about religion and candidates dealing with those who profess faith, but IMHO for too long the faith community has been viewed as a bastion of the right wing, which is a false perception, since much of the Civil Rights Movement was spearheaded by Christian pastors and Jewish rabbis.
It appears that Obama is very serious about reaching out to faith communities. What's uncomfortable is the possibility that Obama's effort could be as badly managed as Bush's Christian outreach in 2000 and 2004. Is is indeed true that Christian communities have as much reason or more to support Obama this year over McCain, but who and how will make this case? How can one make this case while still being sensitive to our secular traditions of church and state separation?
"The Joshua Generation project will be the Obama campaign's outreach to young people of faith. There's unprecedented energy and excitement for Obama among young evangelicals and Catholics. The Joshua Generation project will tap into that excitement and provide young people of faith opportunities to stand up for their values and move the campaign forward." The official rollout won't be for another two weeks or so, but The Brody File has been told the activities will include house parties, blogging, concerts and more. [ ]
Yes, the Obama campaign understands that the issue of abortion is a problem for some voters of faith. They respect that and understand if some just simply can't come on board because of that. However, they look at this project as a way of broadening the values discussion. Poverty, Darfur, Climate Change and yes, even the war are issues younger Evangelicals may be able to see eye to eye on with the Obama campaign.
Whatever you think of the "Joshua Generation Project," you have to give the campaign their due because they are making concerted efforts to NOT ignore faith voters. In my reporting, I can tell you this is not a contrived effort.
The folks behind this believe in not only the mission of winning over faith voters to Obama but the larger mission of not ignoring faith voters when it comes to politics.
The assumption is that the younger evangelicals will be easier to win over to the Obama camp. This could be true, but I think other age groups should be in play too. But the larger, more unsettling question is how and to what extent should Obama make his case to conservative Christian voters. At what point will concerns about church and state separation enter in and be discussed?
Obama touches me. He has a prophetic authenticity that reminds me of W.E.B. Du Bois' prayers that Du Bois sometimes wrote for his students. Obama also brings a touch of Billy Graham with him to the podium. His is a deeply spiritual call. And his critics that have dismissed Obama's ability to inspire as "mere words" are dead wrong.
Fascinating to see the son of Francis Schaeffer so enthusiastic about Obama. It will be interesting to see how persuasive he will be in convincing his quite large evangelical tribe to vote for Obama.
From Evangelicals Are Still Wary Despite McCain’s Outreach - NYTimes.com:
Nevertheless, the Obama campaign plans to add a full-time evangelical-focused staff member to its existing religious outreach team and is rolling out an effort over the summer to organize over a thousand house parties built around an hour-and-a-half-long curriculum on faith and politics. With the broadening of the evangelical agenda to include issues like poverty, global warming and AIDS, Mr. Obama’s advisers hope to peel off more moderate evangelical voters. David Brody, a political correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, said he believed Mr. Obama’s comments had hurt his chances among evangelicals, but he added, “I think Obama has a great opportunity still, with the Jeremiah Wright controversy behind him, to re-introduce himself with the American people, especially with his spiritual walk.”
A curriculum on faith and politics? Is this a good development, or is it just depressing to see Obama copy the Republican success in manipulating evangelical voters? It is hard to see the positive exactly because the republican efforts have been so dubious. Maybe Obama can elevate the dialogue where it will at least sound more authentic and not so crassly manipulative.
From Baptist Press - History with a heavy heart - News with a Christian Perspective:
And now here was Barack Obama -- one step away from the presidency of the United States. So, why do I also have a heavy heart? Because I know that I cannot in good conscience vote for Obama for president. When I look beyond the historic nature of candidacy, beyond what his success reveals about how far race relations have advanced in this country, beyond the emotions stirred by his oratory -- Barack Obama, unfortunately, stands for everything to which I am opposed.
He stands for the taking of innocent human life in the womb almost without restriction. He stands for redefining marriage as no longer between one man and one woman. He stands for a no-choice educational system that traps kids in failing schools. Most importantly, despite his post-racial rhetoric, he stands for a theology that emphasizes racial identity over Gospel witness. As an African-American, I am proud of Barack Obama's success. As an African-American evangelical, that pride is tempered by a heavy heart.
This is sad to see. Racial identity over Gospel witness? What narrow sense of "Gospel witness" is the author talking about? Does the author not concern himself with the more central Gospel imperative for us to care for the least, last and lost amongst us? Why is it that the war in Iraq does not seem to bother our author's conscience?
A quote from Archbishop Tutu at Nelson Ministry Services Product Detail : The Faith of Barack Obama:
"You must read this perceptive and well written book. Then you will know why Barack Obama has such a passion for justice and equity, such a gift for filling people of different generations with a newfound hope that things can and will change for the better. His inspiration comes from his faith; he is an ardent believer. Yes, he is a Christian and proud of it."
It is interesting that not even a conservative Christian press like Thomas Nelson can resist trying to make a little money off of Obama. What is surprising though is that this book may even be a somewhat positive portrayal of Obama's faith.
A poll by LifeWay Research showed that 80 percent of Southern Baptist pastors support McCain and 1 percent back Obama. Fifteen percent were undecided.
I'm hoping that by November, 30 percent of Southern Baptist pastors will support Obama. Maybe even up to 50 percent of Southern Baptists in the pews could support Obama. How can we help persuade Southern Baptists to vote for Obama?
A church in South Carolina recently had a sign up that said: Obama, Osama: Are they brothers? The pastor apparently thought it was a good idea:
Pastor Byrd said the sign was not meant to be racial or political but rather to make people think. "His name is so close to Osama I feeling might be Islamic therefore he doesn't recognize Christ," Pastor Byrd said.
Yes, this makes me think that some people in this country are not shy about publically announcing their political and religious ignorance. Why are people so incapable of reading even the most basic biography of Sen. Barack Obama? Why are people so quick to make judgements based on their superficial knowledge of Obama? Let's hope there can be something positive to come from this. Perhaps more people will learn more about Obama in a less prejudiced way.
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