Dear American Voters,

Hon. Senator McCain and Obama, besides each having many attributes and characteristics. The critical differences in my professional, political, and personal opinion are as under:

1. Presidential “Temperament and Composer”.
2. Little Washington “insider Versus outsider” connectedness.
3. Vision and mission for our nation future rather than past.
4. American policies first USA centric than other countries centric.

In my professional opinion one senator has it and the other does not. We need one for our Greatgrand Nation to address our all these challenges with a fresh, clean and new slate.

God Bless America. its diverse people, and our Greatgrand Nation.

Yours truly,

COL. [retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic psychiatrist, Las Vegas NV

Christians don’t go around deciding for themselves who is and who is not a Christian.

Isn’t anyone who believes in Jesus Christ a Christian? The whole bible was re-written by the Romans anyway. Only One knows if we are Christians or not, and He asks we leave that up to Him and not men. I’ll be the guy who wrote this thinks Bush is a Christain. Funny stuff.

Only God knows who a Christain is and isn’t.

Thanks for making us aware of the words that Obama has said, and for pointing out the scriptures that tell us just what is involved in becoming a true Christian. This term “Christian” is used by many to describe anyone who believes in God, and belief in God is a starting point, but without following what the Scriptures say, it is not the final word! It is not what man believes, but what God in His word says that determines the outcome for anyone who says they are a Christian.

How can someone be a member of the body of Christ and deny that he is the (only) head? Or is he saying Christ is the head but is a liar?

Note, Obama also derives his Christian beliefs from Black Liberation Theology. BLT is definitively NOT from God and is NOT of Christ.

BRAVO, BRAVO…this is definately an article that hits the truth right on the head!! Any person can understand the law of non-contradiction that states: When a statement is made and found to be true..the polar opposite of that statement is false. Jesus claimed to be the only way to God, so it is either true and the polar opposite false..or he was false and the polar opposite is true. It CANNOT be both. As Dr Zacharias states..no matter which side of the world you are on..if you step out in front of a bus that is going 80 mph, it is EITHER you OR the bus..not BOTH.
Jesus is the 80mph bus of truth…..and everthing else is false!!

Barak is a fake..standing for nothing, if he was a Christian he would know..boy sitting in church for 20years…maybe he was asleep!!

Thank you

I think you would be surprised how many of the people who attend christian churches would agree with obama on these points. the strict dogmas of the church establishments don’t often translate down to what their members do and believe. its like saying anyone who believes abortion should be legal isn’t a catholic.

As so many journalist do, the power of the pen( writings) is their means to influnence people down a path to their thinking. All Christians are supposed to have a personal relation with God, first. We hope that all will be in God’s kingdom. It is not unrealist for a growing Christian to believe God surely has many ways to His kingdom. None of us are close to perfection. Did any one ask Mr. Obama if he reads the Bible daily? If not, why? By the way , when was the last time either of these journalists read the bible to its entirety?

It is true that only God can know our hearts and be the judge, not man. HOWEVER, to call yourself a Christian is one thing that many people do in this country, and many of them don’t truly understand that to be a Christian in the truest sense of the word simply means to have a relationship with Christ.

Someone who claims to have that, but can not accept the truth of the black and white justification of heaven/hell… or just dismisses it with political speak… shows the claim is unlikely to be true

Jesus assures us that when we come to know Him and accept him that we will have our eternal destination decided, so if Obama knows Him (which he may or may not, I cannot say) then why would he not know what will happen when he dies?

-ESR

Jesus: “They will know you by how you love one another.” Cal?
John’s 2nd Letter: “Whoever claims to abide in Jesus aught to live just like Jesus lived.” Cal?
Jesus: “Your faith has saved you.” Cal?

Cal, you fool, Obama is not a PAGAN you mean, a Constasntinian - one who in fact renounces Jesus in favor of the state cHURCH.

Cal, Jesus just might recognize Obama, DOES recognize Wright; recognize you Cal? Repent Cal before it is too late for you, and us.

Start Loving

It is true that only God knows our hearts but it also says you will know them by their fruits. He isn’t necessarily saying that he isn’t a Christian but that Christians believe certain things and it doesn’t seem like Obama believes those things. This is probably further backed up by the fact that he spent twenty years of his life going to a church and dropped it like it was nothing when it became a political liability. He doesn’t seem to be judging Obama but is merely stating that his perceived beliefs fall more inline with Universalism rather than Protestant Christianity.

Based on his final statements of what defines a Christian Cal Thomas and other mainstream Christians would also not believe Mitt Romney to be a Christian since he is of the LDS.

To Kenny: I have doubts that GW was indeed a Christian as well and that he didn’t just use it for political reasons.

To Peter: Saying “Christians don’t go around deciding for themselves who is and who is not a Christian.” doesn’t make much sense because A: you are a Christian and you are being hypocritical since your statement declares Cal not to be a Christian or B: You have no authority to make that statement since you are not a Christian.

Even though I declare myself a Christian I still don’t know my own fate fully until I receive God’s judgment. I am fully dependent upon Him having mercy upon me when I die since I am a selfish hypocritical worm and all I can do is believe the Bible, trust and serve Jesus, and pray that His sacrifice covers me fully since I have not and can not do enough on my own to earn my way to Heaven.

This stance on Christianity is unfortunately, very popular among people who like the “goodness” of Christianity but reject it’s very core beliefs. Oprah Winfrey and several other public figures have publicly taken the same secular stance on Christianity as Obama has. There should not be so much confusion. The Bible is very clear on these issues (listed below with Obama’s statements highlighted afterwards)

Salvation: Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God”. Really? The people of these faith’s don’t believe that.

On the Price of Salvation: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” Really? Christ stated that He was the only way to the Father. Doesn’t this type of theology negate the importance or necessity of the cross?

Hell: “Obama doesn’t believe he, or anyone else, will go to hell. But he’s not sure he’ll be going to heaven, either.” The Bible references hell many times and Christ was very straight forward on this subject. The New Testament is full of references to hell.

Heaven: “I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people, and they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of heaven.” The Bible is very clear on what happens to folks who reject the free gift of salvation made available by the sacrifice of the cross and to those who accept it.

If Obama actually studied or even read the Bible he would be a little more informed on these basic Christian beliefs. He is free to either accept them or reject them, but calling yourself a Christian and then manipulating the theology to meet your own belief system is not Christianity at all.

Obama seems to have an issue with really understanding what is being stated in areas or arenas that he claims to be a part of. He claims that he was a member of a church for over 20 years and then stated that he was not aware of what was being taught in that church by his pastor. He claims his father was a part of the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp and doesn’t realize that the Americans did not liberate that specific camp. I could go on but the more I listen and read, the more Obama sounds like a regular politician to me.

Who cares whether Obama is a Christian or not? This isn’t Iran where they have a religious test. I guess we all should have voted against Joe Liberman in 2000 because he’s also not a Christian, and I guess all Jews would be barred from public office. Sorry Cal but the founding fathers were far far smarter than you and erected barriers to the type of religious state you apparently covet.

Will Obama or McCain be a good President? That is the question. Everything else is spin and diversion.It is hypocritical make this observation without asking it of any other public figure who calls himself Christian. While Obama’s views don’t jive with Christianity’s fundaments, I’d suspect may a politician (and American) has an underdeveloped theology. Furthermore, in the eyes of God, I’m sure all of our theology is off…but that is the beauty of grace.

One of the things I see mentioned here by some is the idea that if we claim Christ is the only way to the Father that we are somehow being judgemental and being a biggot. The problem lies not with the claims of Christ but with the fact that people would rather believe a lie instead of the truth. I know it makes people of other religious faiths uncomfortable but truth is truth and no amount of denial and name calling changes that. The problem is when you accept Christ as Savior your life changes. Your eyes are opened to other truthes of the Bible that are equally disconcerting to those who do not believe. People of the world will not get it until they surrender their lives to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Is Obama a true believer? No he is not simply because he denies that Christ is the only way to the Father. Soem will say that is being judgemental. No it is the truth and the truth hurts. Not all who call Jesus Lord Lord is going to be saved. Only those who accpt Him as Lord and live in obedience to God are going to be saved. Truth is truth no matter who tries to say otherwise.

Isn’t Obama’s faith or lack of faith between him and the maker?? You people talk like this country has so much tolerance but the reality is we only have tolerance when its convenient. The sad fact is that Islam is the largest religion in the world which in this country seems to imply that you have to be a terrorist just to read from the book of Koran. I don’t believe what Church Obama goes to has any baring on the issues. President Bush is a Christian and he’s managed to create more hate for this country than any one I can think of. I think the real problem is that this country in spite of its “advances” is still primitive in race and religious issues.

When did Cal Thomas become Jesus Christ? Only he know what is in a man’s heart. Who is Cal Thomas to judge a man and his faith? You need to read Luke chapter 6.

If he’s not a Christian (and I agree, he’s not. No person who supports the savage abortion stance he does can be a Christian), then what is he? I submit he is a secular humanist, who went to church for political purposes, and now deserts the beliefs he is supposed to have held (They aren’t Christian either) for the same thing. Political expediency. His hands are dirty. So, I suspect, is his heart.

Interesting article. Anyone who professes a faith should be judged by that faith’s standard whether they are a “true believer” or not. If a Muslim man stated that there are many ways to God or that observing Ramadan was optional, he would be quickly labelled a heretic. Claiming to be a Christian, but publically holding beliefs that contradict basic Christian tenets, should receive the same response.

Sadly, too many of today’s christians don’t know the tenets of their faith, have not read the Bible, and try to merge other beliefs into their personal faith. The Church has failed miserably in recent years in discipling and teaching the flock, and it is now socially acceptable to try to dilute the Christian faith with all kinds of outrageous ideas.

Christianity is Christianity. The Bible is very clear on the basic tenets of the faith. There is a lot of room for adapting the Christian faith to today’s culture, but right & wrong don’t adapt. Once you start deciding to follow part of a faith and ignore other parts, you throw away everything. Just admit that you’re making it up as you go, and stop trying to redefine the Absolute to meet relative individual beliefs.

Reread the article. His conclusions are correct. The Old Testiment directs us to the savior, the messiah - Jesus. A true Christian knows that you must believe in Jesus and knows that he is the only way (by his own words).
Jesus is all this or he is a madman (but he is not both). A true Christian is filled with love. We are all sinful and only Jesus can bridge the gap between God and sinful man.
Read the Book of John in an easily understandable version such as the New International Version.

Comment by nick
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I think you would be surprised how many of the people who attend christian churches would agree with obama on these points. the strict dogmas of the church establishments don’t often translate down to what their members do and believe. its like saying anyone who believes abortion should be legal isn’t a catholic.

Nick,

Anybody who believes that abortion should be legal is by default against Catholice doctrine. They cannot stay a Catholic in good standing if they believe it is legal or if they promote it in any way. Those that believe in abortion and attend Mass are not Catholic, but just going through the motions for other motives. Obama is not a Christian as C. Thomas states. Its pretty obvious to Christians of all denominations that he is not, ONCE they read up on his beliefs. Do you really think that a Christian would oppose legislation that would allow medical staff to provide intensive care to babies that survived abortion? Does Obama have the guts to stand near the table as the baby dies of lack of care due to him? We are not talking one-month into a pregnancy here, but a baby that survived attempted murder. Obama helped to make sure nobody would reach out to the baby to save them. And what about the mother, who really has no choice except to cave in and kill the child and then be told that it was nothing? He is not a Christian. I suspect it isn’t even close. He is what is called new-age or touchy-feely.

Cal: Judge not, lest you be judged

This discussion has no place in an open forum. Paul (or was it Peter) said that if you see that a brother is in sin and has wandered from the truth, go to him in private and chastise him with gentleness and love. If he still doesn’t turn from sin, but is unrepentant, then go to him with 2 or 3 witnesses, again with gentleness and love first, condemnation last. If he still, after those steps is unrepentant, then bring the situation before the elders of the church. I guess I missed the part where we can use the internet to gossip about what we believe to be someone’s spiritual standing before God. I will admit there are things that make me wonder about Obama, but since I can’t ask him about them because I have no access to him, then I simply pray for my brother, and for my own understanding if I am judging him falsly. Have you done any of the above steps?

Start Loving: Better an open rebuke than silent love

I don’t appreciate you calling a brother a fool. Where is the love in that? Don’t you know that sometimes love must be tough? Sometimes the best love you can give to a brother who is in sin is to rebuke them in their sin, so that they can repent and turn from it. I’m not saying Obama is in sin for sure, but the premise of one believer rebuking another who is in sin is not wrong on its face. If done correctly, it is sometimes the best form of love, as it saves your brother from eternal torment. How many loved ones of drug addicts weep over graves because they didn’t get tough with intervening… probably because they were afraid of being judgemental. How sad.

Cal, perhaps your next article will address the blatant hypocrisy of Bush, lying to invade a country and killing tens of thousands of innocent people; stealing an election, etc.?

Cal Thomas is now so wise and omnipotent that he can decide who is a Christian and who is not?! My guess is that Cal would say that all Democrats are not Christians! Jesus MY Savior said “Love your enemy” - I love you Cal!

Obama and Oprah share the same beliefs; New Age theology. Christian = Christ-ian
You cannot call yourself a christian unless you are a follower of Christ. All churches have
members that think they are christians but are deceived. A true believer KNOWS that the
ONLY way is through Jesus the Christ. All you have to do is read the scriptures to learn.
Either you believe the Bible or you Don’t.
Thank you Cal Thomas.

Yeah! He’s a FALSE prophet!

Actually, I don’t recall Obama ever claiming to be a prophet of any kind.
But that’s a really clever way you’ve framed the argument.
Now we can all argue over just what KIND of prophet (profit?) Obama really is.

John 14:6 has been explained to me as being understood by main stream christains is that Jeaus is the judge. He will judge the life of all men, past, present and future. This is how Jesus is the way to God. It is possible to never hear of Jesus or his message and still be judged as good. Other places in the bible say things like ‘beieve in me and be saved’. It is not clear to me if different statements in the bible are logical AND or OR. As can you get to heaven either by living a good life and being judged good by Jesus OR by believing that Jesus is the son of God. As far as I can tell from reading the bible it’s an OR case.

Who are you to judge a person’s faith? Jesus said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” You accuse Obama of “works salvation.” Does that mean you think your God doesn’t value a parent’s love for his children? Would your God rather Save an ax murderer who believes all he needs to go to Heaven is the belief that Jesus died for his sins, than a loving father who does good in the community AND believes Jesus died for his sins?

It’s people like this who cause others to have the opinion that Christianity is a religion of hatred. If you embrace only those who share EXACTLY your theological beliefs, you do not love thy neighbor. If you believe that only the path to salvation that YOU prefer is right, you do not love thy neigbhor. Barack Obama is more Christian than you are, because he does not practice the Christianity of hatred and exclusion. Instead, like Jesus, he accepts and loves others.

I think this article is an example of why conservative christians get a bad name. There seems to be some notion that either you “believe” or not, and the people who do get to join some kind of special club called Christianity, Islam, etc. Well, my friends, if that is the case then there are very few christians out there. I actually know a lot of people (myself included) who agree 100% with Obama’s statements. What this article really should have been about, and this is my main point here, is a piece about whether or not Obama actually feels this way or not. My guess would be that this was a carefully calculated, generalized political statement to attract as many people as possible.

Don’t be mistaken, I have the exact same issue with athiests. They also think that they know everything, and everyone else is just a lost soul (although they wouldn’t use these words, heh heh).

This article was written to polarize FOX’s religous fan base even further. Fox is actively campaigning against all democrats and casting light on Obama’s beliefs is a way of galvanizing rural republicans to come out against the senator from Illinois. Fox has cast their ballot and now they’re trying to cast one for every american that welcomes the netowork into their homes.

Start Loving:

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father except through me.”

If Obama knows Christ he does not speak it. His equation of Jesus to other paths of salvation IS denying Christ, because Christ spoke the words above.

Perfect love is not afraid to speak the truth. Cal Thomas has spoken the truth which is far more than any of your words have done…

I see that Mr. Obama claims that his former pastor helped bring him to Christianity.
Mr. Obama is currently 46 years old and will be 47 in August of this year.
Since he attended his former church for only about 20 years, what was his belief before?
I don’t think that we are getting the entire story from him, or the news media.
I really get nervous thinking about the future of our country with him at the lead.
We don’t know enough about Mr. Obama.

Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God.” (her words)
********************************************************
It would be a step in the right direction if we could all think like this. Lately we argue over who has the best God, then the best religion, then the best pastor, then………. how about……

MAY THE GOD OF YOUR CHOICE BRING YOU PEACE

Cal- you help give christians a bad name
*******************************************************

“My religion is better than yours. The way I practice my religion is better than yours. If you don’t believe the same way I believe, you’re going to hell”

Just come out and say it, you’re an intolerant relic of a bygone era.

You fools! Christ is not about what scriptures you can quote or even what ideals you believe. It’s in your actions. Bush killed a million people in the last 8 years through his actions and failure to act. Bush is not a Christian. The Catholics in Ireland mowed down Protestant children with machine guns (and vice versa). They are not Christians.

Obama converted and has been a better Christian than most people I know. Split hairs if you must, but know now that you are the one being judged. Choose wisely. Choose Obama.

I recall in 2000, republicans insisted that religion was good and experience was bad.

Now in 2008, their requirements have done a complete 180.

I can’t believe people still believe in all this christian stuff, and think it’s important. Fairy tales. It is absolutely possible to have just as moral a compass, just as possible to firmly know right from wrong, without all the bickering among people of differing (or even the same) faith. You should all be ashamed. Better to spend the time becoming better people and embodying the point of Jesus’ mission: love one another. Who needs church? How many times do you have to hear thou shalt not kill before you get the message?

What about the 10 commandments? Anyone who loves to take and look at photographs regularly breaks #2. Anyone have family pictures? A TV? Yet people still think the scripture is literally divine word.

I grew up in a church community and I can tell you church is not about love, it is mostly about judging others and feeling sanctimonious. Church is where charlatans literally sell a message of prosperity wherein only they become wildly prosperous, because they took your money, and leave the believer wondering what sin still keeps him or her from prospering. Oh yeah, its because they don’t believe!

I think we should be judging our candidates on how they support or don’t support policies that help the people that Jesus would help. The poor. The sick (and uninsured). The less fortunate. Not people who needed a break on capital gains. Jesus had the most agitated things to say about the rich.

So, as a Jew, I guess I am going to hell for not believing in Jesus Christ, right? Well, as a Mcain supporter, I guess I finally found one thing I like about Obama. If you are unable to accept the fact that your’s is not the only belief on this planet, and then try to justify your feelings and actions with scriptures from your holy book, I guess I should just be thankful that their is seperation of religion from state in this country where there is an overwhelming Christian majority. I mean c’mon, so you’re critical of Obama because he doesn’t follow every word of The New Testament? What then would your feelings be of someone who doesn’t even believe in The New Testament? Would you act on these feelings? Do you feel that your beliefs should be made into laws? Today there is a movement towards Islamist-Facism. Would it be o.k. to you if it was Christian-Facism (never-again)? After all, in your words, how can anyone go against the words of Jesus Christ? The statements that Obama made, that you are referring to, should actually help him at this day and age in America. If you believe that he is not a Christian due to his (Obama’s) statements, it makes me wonder what the hell world you are living in, where there is no tolerance of other’s beliefs, and only your’s is the path to salvation. It makes me think, how many people you know or associate with that don’t share your beliefs? I am sure there are some in this country. As a leader of this country, understanding that their are other faiths other than your own will only make you that much more of a leader that inspires people, all people, living in the FREE world. Besides, I’m sure you can find something that Mcain said or did that goes against a scripture in The New Testament. I mean, there has got to be a lot of Christians who have done or said something that goes against the scriptures. How many then would you consider not “real Christians”? Maybe we should look into your history Cal Thomas, and don’t tell me you’ve never sinned.

-Jewboy

P.S. - If republicans and conservatives try and go down this road in attacking Obama, it is only going to hurt them. Showing to the public what appears to be their close-minded, midevil ways of doing things, and lack of tolerance for beliefs other than their own will hurt them.

All of this nonsense about Christianity in the US is just downright creepy at this point. So many scumbags out there using “faith” to manipulate people. Like this Cal Thomas jackass. Or those mega-church preacher/millionaires. Jesus, how do people allow themselves to be suckered by snake oil salesmen like that?

Time to get the religion out of politics (it was never supposed to be there in the first place). And, Christ, someone needs to go down to Texas and all of these other places where mega-church sheep are being brainwashed and smack those fools. Thinking for yourself isn’t as difficult as it seems, lemmings.

this article shows only one thing.
how narrow-minded people can be.
why do we talk about a person and his or her religion.?
religion is a link between a person and god.
no one comes in between these two.
religion is for me.and only for me.
you have no right to say whether im a christian or muslim or buddhist or hindu.
i don’t have to prove anything to you.
i can say that you are not a human.
i can say you are not a man.
i can say you are not a journalist.
can you disprove the above?
if obama is not christian, can you prove that macain is christian?

Your judgmental holier-than-thou ridiculousness is clouding your brain. Get another job.

Mr. Thomas — Some idiot wrote this ridiculous article and gave you the by-line. Please investigate.

>But then he adds something that most Christians will see as universalism: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”

>Falsani correctly brings up John 14:6 (and how many journalists would know such a verse, much less ask a question based on it?) in which Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That sounds pretty exclusive, but Obama says it depends on how this verse is heard. According to Falsani, Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God.” (her words)

This is my biggest problem with Christianity or any other religion with same teachings. If God is saying he/she is the only one then he is an arrogant prick. I don’t want to do anything with it. When I hear this argument in defense of a religion, I feel really hopeless if there can be any sanity in the world with these religions around.

Sure there are quite a few Christians who respect other religions but then they defy their own religion’s teaching, and then they are not Christians. Huh.

Also my respect for Obama grew by several orders of magnitude by reading this article. He is one of the few with a balanced view of religion.

This is getting rediculous - first, i dont care if he is a christian first of all because everything he has said is aligned with my morals, so regardless of what religion he is, he is a good man. Second, how many different Christians do you know? I know too many to count, and everyone of them are different in their own way with their religion, am i supposed to be telling them that they are not Christian because they do not worship the same way as the next person? This type of argument doesnt fly anywhere else but in the mind of people like Cal, get over yourselves.

Please tell me where this type of argument takes place in the Christian world:

Catholic v. Protestant

Are these two not debateable as one or the other not being “Christian” (the answer is yes) the same way as you debate weather or not small facets of Barack Obamas life live up to the word “Christian”

Become educated - there is a reason Barack Obama overwhelmingly wins college educated voters, because if you actually thought about these issues logically - they are irrelevant

A few comments on this board that are critical of Cal seem misplaced. The central tenant of Christianity is not the poor, is not homosexuality, is not how holidays are celebrated or illegal immigration. The central tenant of Christianity is that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave three days later, completing the prophecies of the Old Testament and the law. If you believe in Christianity, you recognize that Jesus died and rose again for our sins, and only through him can you reach heaven. Being a good and decent person is great, and Jesus calls us to do that as well, but that doesn’t get you into Heaven. Sorry.

False prophet indeed.

You know, quite possibly the funniest thing about this article is that Mr. Obama’s opinions about religion and such are very widely shared by other Christians. Well, mostly funny only because I have a really twisted sense of humor. I spent two years in Germany on a mission for my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I spoke with thousands of Germans of many Christian denominations (Catholics, Lutherans, more than I can recall) and many of them parroted, almost verbatim (in German instead of English, of course) the exact same things that you quoted Mr. Obama as having said in your article. I’d say, from speaking with both Germans and Americans, of the people who consider themselves Christians, only 5-10% of them actually understand the message of Jesus Christ. Most of them merely affiliated themselves with an organized religion for the social (or in Obama’s case, political) benefits that come with the support that a loving congregation can offer someone. However, those benefits are highly tertiary to Jesus’ message of Eternal Life and Salvation, which, according to his own teachings, as you rightly pointed out, ONLY come through him.

My point is simply, Obama can freely consider himself a Christian, and his religious thoughts and opinions may match many other Christians out there. However, I think you are correct in saying that he doesn’t understand or truly believe in Jesus Christ’s teachings. As I know some may accuse me of being partisan, let me just say that I wish my words spoke here to apply to many, many more people than just Barack Obama.

Oh … my … God. “Judge not, lest you be judged”.

What he is saying is that he doesn’t have all the answers. It’s people who THINK they have all the answers who really scare me. Apparently, you are in that pool?

I am so VERY glad to know that you “know”; which in my book qualifies you as a Religious quack — sorry bout that. Another far right wing radical who believes he can define who God is, who can describe and even KNOW what God’s will is, as though he could set him on a bottle on a shelf for all his neighbors and friends to see, saying, “You see. This is God. I Know who he is, and it’s too bad that you don’t”.

This perspective on religion, held by many fundamentalists (albeit some of them radical), is why I made an active decision a few years back to stop being so religious and start being more spiritual. My religion was sabotaging my brain’s ability to think!

e.g., as ESR writes “then why would he not know what will happen when he dies?” Such “assurance” of “knowing” what will happen when he dies is one of the tell-tale signs of a religious quack. You don’t “know” any more than I know. You have FAITH that you know, but you don’t KNOW.

As Mark Twain once said, “Faith — is believing in what you know ain’t so”. That’s why they call it Faith. Were it otherwise, then it would be fact and you wouldn’t need any faith to believe in it!

Fortunately, Barack Obama’s brain is intact, and he’s not been brainwashed to believe he has all the answers. He recognizes that the more you dig for answers, if you’re being open minded, you just uncover more questions. Students of the bible, certainly know this. There are so many conflicting reports in the bible. “Thou shalt not kill” (but it’s okay for God to kill), etc.

It does give one a certain level of pride to believe you have a direct link to God. Pride, another great sin, like titling this story “Barack Obama is not a Christian”.

Cal: Thank you for printing Obama’s own words so that I could have a clearer understanding of his position on faith. Obama’s unwillingness to acknowledge and accept the Word of God may serve him now in his politial aspirations, but will they serve him in his eternal aspirations? I am by no means a Bible scholar, but I have studied enough of the Bible (old and New Testament) to believe Jesus means what he says in John 4:16. Jesus will be our Judge.

Once again, Cal Thomas goes out of his way to offend and trivialize someone else’s beliefs. Good for Barack Obama to recognize that many people can have faith and reason without condemning their religion. Good for America, a nation founded by people seeking a way to practice their religion without government or social interference, that a Presidential candidate understands this. Bad for Cal Thomas to claim that he, and his cabal of theocratic students, only know what is Christian.

By the way, Cal Thomas, there’s a whole denomination that espouses Obama’s statement with every fiber of their being: they’re called Unitarian Universalists. They’ve been around for hundreds of years all over the world, and had an impact on America in inverse proportion to their numbers. They are decidedly within the Christian tradition, although they now embrace a much wider world view. Your article reeks of self-centered ignorance and a limited knowledge of anything you don’t understand.

Cal Thomas has eloquently applied genuine christian standards to Obama’s statements about his christianity. An authentic christian understands his bible and understands how to rightly divide the word of God. These comments by Obama about his faith reveal his “relativistic opinions” about scripture without regard to the truth. Many of his supporters are secular and could care less about his faith. This man has been a participant in an apostate theology for 20 years which is a shame that he has not the spiritual discernment to recognize it.

Obama cannot denounce his church because he believes what he’s been taught. Dispite the good works the church does they are sending many on the path to hell. This man cannot have it both ways. On the one hand offering himself as a transender of race and swollowing hook line and sinker the apostate teachings of a “Black Liberation Theology”
Authentic christians are not fooled by many who claim to be christians and are as far removed from the truth that saves as the earth is from the sun.

Great article — at least we know that someone who understand the Bible would ask such a question — to those who are critical of John 4:16 read it for yourself, Jesus said it and I believe it.

Obama is not a Christian by God’s definition.

The only way to become a “Christian” in the Biblical sense (New Testament) is to accept Christ as your personal savior, and ask Him to come into your life and absolve you of your sins.

If you can’t (or won’t) do that, you are not a Christian, not matter what you call yourself.

Many churches claim to be “Christian” when in fact they do not teach and observe this fundamental fact of the Christian faith. However, we were warned, that in the “end times,” there would be many false religions.

I am so sick of people that believe religion is the most important litmus test in deciding an election. Believe it or not, this a nation in which state and religion are supposed to be separate, and personally, as long as their politics are right for me then they are right for me… not religion, and certainely not whether their form of Christianity or religion is correct or not! Face it, most religions are the exact same in their basic face value. You seldom choose your religion based on beliefs…you base them off of where you come from …
If Cal Thomas was born in Saudi Arabia he would be a radical Muslim as opposed to the radical Christian he is now. Perhaps he should move to Iran where his strict standards in term of defining religion would be greatly appreciated. Personally I have had all I can stomache from the all knowing “Christian Right” and the radical Republican Ayatollahs in the U.S. Congress.

Many here are saying that no man can know about life hereafter. But the Word of God says differently.
1Jonn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

2Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Notice that it does not say “whom I have believed ABOUT”!

Obama IS change…true change - not another corporation with political puppets wearing a flag pin.
Cross or flag pins… are no replacement for compassion and integrity.
Get well soon America… ignorance can be healed.

Actually, believing in the divinity of Christ was neither required nor expected of Christians untill the Council of Nicea, held some 400 years after Christ’s death, where the doctrine of divinity was voted upon and won, though not unanimously … and not without coercion applied by the Emperor Constantine.

Christians have it WAY wrong anyways. You don’t need church or believe in the church’s dogma to make it to heaven … that’s just what THEY (the Vatican) want you to believe. All you need is a personal relationship with God and the honest attempt to be the best person you can be. “Do unto others …” if you follow that, you’ll be just fine if you call your god God, Jesus, Jehovah, Allah, or even Zeus! It’s the 700 clubs of the world who are EVIL INCARNATE!

Cal is correct. Jesus is VERY clear that there is only one way to the Father, and that is through Jesus. As long as you believe that, and have asked Jesus into your heart, you are a Christian. But it does not sound like Obama believes Jesus is the only way, if Obama has said there are many ways to God.

If you think we are not allowed to judge, remember that Jesus wants us to test what others say by using the scriptures to see if they are correct.

“test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21 RSV)

The truth is that God knows our hearts. If Obama is not a Christian, we can still pray for him to become one.

In our country today, there seem to be two definitions of the word “Christian”. The one says anyone who has “moral principles” and is “kind to his neighbor” is a christian. By that standard, Obama can call himself a christian. The other definition (the Bible one) says that only someone who has asked Jesus Christ to be his/her personal Saviour from sin and accepts His finished work on the cross as being the only acceptable payment for sin is a “Christ- one” or “Christian”. I’m not going to decide that one for Mr. Obama, but from his own words, it sounds like he does not fit in that catagory. Could be I’m misunderstanding what he said, but it seems doubtful at best. In response to those who have written in saying, “Don’t be judgemental”; or “we don’t have a right to judge”, etc., is that a judgement on my part… or on Cal’s part? No - rather it is a judgement on the Bible’s part, and since it was written as God’s Word to us- He has the right to judge for each one of us.

To be a Christian you have to believe in the verse “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. You are not allowed to pick and choose who you forgive. Even the Pope forgave the person who shot him. Under Black liberation Theology when a person in the church or a friend commits a sin everybody gets in a circle and prays for forgiveness and then everybody acts like no crime or sin was ever commited. For everybody else its ‘We will never forget what you did, we hope you go to jail or lose you job”. From what I have read Sen. Obama is no different than any other politician nor is he even qualified to be President of the U.S.