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Obama Is No Joshua

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Palatka51, Jun 18, 2008.

  1. Palatka51

    Palatka51 New Member

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    By Cal Thomas

    Tribune Media Services

    Barack Obama’s presidential campaign plans to strike at the heart of the Republican base by attempting to woo Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics to his side.

    The Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody first broke the story on his blog “The Brody File.” Obama’s campaign for the conservative Christian vote, which has largely gone to the Republican presidential candidate in recent elections, has been dubbed the “Joshua Generation Project.” Joshua, Moses’ successor, led the Israelites into the Promised Land. It wasn’t the group that fled Egypt in the Exodus, though. They died in the wilderness, lacking faith in God’s promise. It was the next generation that Joshua led into Canaan. Apparently, if we have enough faith in Obama, he will lead us all into a new America, but if we vote for John McCain, we will demonstrate a lack of faith (in Obama) and die in the political badlands.

    Obama is better at biblical language and imagery than any Democrat in modern times. He certainly beats Howard Dean, now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who once offered Job as his favorite New Testament book. This is cynical manipulation of the devout and it is no better when Democrats do it than when Republicans use religious language for partisan advantage.

    Obama has declared himself a committed Christian. He can call himself anything he likes, but there are certain markers among the evangelicals he is courting that one must meet in order to qualify for that label.

    Some insight into Obama’s “Christianity” comes from an interview he gave in 2004 to Chicago Sun-Times religion editor Cathleen Falsani for her book, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People.”

    “I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” said Obama. He then adds something 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 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.)

    Evangelicals and serious Catholics might ask if this is so, why did Jesus waste His time coming to Earth, suffering pain, rejection and crucifixion? If there are many ways to God, He might have sent down a spiritual version of table manners and avoided the rest.

    Here’s Obama telling Falsani, “The difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There’s the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they’re going to hell.” Falsani adds, “Obama doesn’t believe he, or anyone else, will go to hell. But he’s not sure he’ll be going to heaven, either.” Again, that is contrary to what Evangelicals and most Catholics believe.

    Here’s Obama again: “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.”

    Any first-year seminary student could deconstruct such “works salvation” and wishful thinking. Obama either hasn’t read the Bible, or if he has, doesn’t believe it if he embraces such thin theological wisps.

    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.”

    (Direct all MAIL for Cal Thomas to: Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207. Readers may also e-mail Cal Thomas at [email protected].

    (c) 2008 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
     
  2. Analgesic

    Analgesic New Member

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    In other breaking news...

    "Tom Is No Harry".
     
  3. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Joshua: NO!...Demon: YES!

    Need I say much more...BHO is moving under an unholy spirit, evidenced by the mass hysteria and the hypnotic manner in which he "whips" up excitement for really nothing of any substance. This has to be demonic, although there will many that totally disagree with my view.
     
  4. Bro. Curtis

    Bro. Curtis <img src =/curtis.gif>
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    It's the new thing.

    I liken it to popular music. Look at a musician like Tony Rice, who no doubt has mastered his instrument, yet has to constantly tour, & release a record every few months so he can eat. And Britney Spears never has to work again in her life.
     
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Until he repents of his unlimited slaughter of children he will not be able to woo evangelicals. And heaven help us if he can.
     
  6. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    *Yawn* Only six in the morning, and I have to listen to THIS again. He's a polititian; I only expect him to come up with the best salesmanship of himself that he possibly can. Polititians have been this way for as long as I can remember.

    Sopranette
     
  7. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    And the "anti-Christ" is said be part-politician, part-Bible quoting.
    Personally, I am very wary of charismatic personalities, Republican or Democratic.
    The late Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines was a very charismatic person, and could whip crowds of any political color into a frenzy.
    He ended up placing the Philippines under dictatorial rule.
    Hitler, too, was charismatic.
    I'm looking for statesmen, not politicians.
     
  8. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    But this has happened time and time again with threads talking about Obama on this board. So he's not proficient in the Word of God. A lot of people aren't, and some of them do hold offices in this counrty. I have never seen a polititian get this much scrutiny for it, though. I can only imagine what kind of treatment an avowed Atheist would get. He's just doing what he's been doing all along; that is, trying to be everything to everybody.

    love,

    Sopranette
    Edit: If God has it in His plans that His return is imminent, we will know of it when He decides to tell us.
     
    #8 Sopranette, Jun 19, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 19, 2008
  9. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    An avowed atheist ?
    That'll certainly be interesting.
    All the more if he's a Republican.
    Who knows ?
     
  10. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    I agree. Who knows the future? We just have to wait and see, not make judgements on the guy before he does anything. But we can always watch closely.

    love,

    Sopranette
     
  11. JustChristian

    JustChristian New Member

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    Well, we've had conservative Christians as political experts and now we have a political news commentator playing minister. Is Cal Thomas a theologian or even a pastor? Why should he judge someone's faith?

    The really funny thing about this article is that president Bush said the same thing that Obama says here not once but twice for the record. (Obama thinks that “all people of faith — Christians, Jews, Muslims, animists, everyone — know the same God.) Does brother Cal condemn his president for that? I seriously doubt it.
     
  12. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Glad to hear your experitse on this

    I am flattered...You must search [stalking me?] the posts for my comments...I am so happy to have you as a fan. True, you are not a supportive fan, but, you are none-the-less a fan in realm of critical acclaim; and I'll take a fan any way I can get them.

    He may be a politician, but, you'd better be careful, your nonchalant [come-what-may] attitude is what the true anti-Christ is looking for from the church.
     
  13. Filmproducer

    Filmproducer Guest

    Sopranette makes a valid point, which I believe you have confused with a nonchalent attitude. Politicians have tried to be all things to all people long before Obama arrived on the scene and they will continue to do so long after he is gone. History can attest to this fact. As BaptistBeliever has aptly pointed out President Bush has said the same thing, yet no backlash. There is a hypersensitivity to Obama which as an avid student of political behavior I find mildly amusing and absurd.
     
  14. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    It seems your self proclaimed studious observation is as biased as media matters and moveon.org. If you do not think that President Bush has had no one respond to or react to anything he has said in an exaggerated manner then you must be watching CNN only.
     
  15. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    Sen Obama is a politician, pure and simple. He will say and do whatever it takes to get elected. He is neither the new-Christ or the anti-Christ. The excitement and fervour he stirs up he stirs up on both sides, for him and against him. Some are obsessed with how "good" he is and some are obsessed with how "bad" he is.

    My take is that I oppose his candidacy strongly. He is pro-abortion. He has no concept of what to do in Iraq. His Robin Hood tax policy (which some on this very board support) is a disincentive to the very concept of free-market capitalism. Plus, he has told us nothing of substance on other issues.

    I am neither in love with him, or afraid of him. He is just another liberal Democrat politician. "Politician" being the operative word here.

    BTW, President Bush said the same thing about the roads to heaven in an ABC interview in October(?) 2004.
     
    #15 NaasPreacher (C4K), Jun 20, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 20, 2008
  16. Filmproducer

    Filmproducer Guest

    I don't recall anyone calling him the anti-Christ for his comments, do you? C4K aptly mentions the fervour on both sides regarding Obama. So, yes in my self-proclaimed studious observation there is a hypersensitivity surrounding his run that we have not witnessed in a long time. Do you deny that?
     
    #16 Filmproducer, Jun 20, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 20, 2008
  17. Bro. Curtis

    Bro. Curtis <img src =/curtis.gif>
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    I've heard Bush called "Hitler", right here. I deny your assertion. Bush has been the target of more unfair attacks than any other one person. Obama has about 8 years of insults directed at him, to approach the amount of vitriol directed at Bush. He has deserved much criticism, but certainly you cannot deny out and out lies directed at him, from baptistboard members.
     
    #17 Bro. Curtis, Jun 20, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 20, 2008
  18. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    Meh...whatever. You're not worth the trouble, and I'm no fan of yours.

    Sopranette
     
  19. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    No Fan...But, In Christ...

    You may not be a fan...but, in Christ, I still love you, even though we may not agree, we will share eternity with lots of people we don't like. That is such a humbling thought. It has to be the sense of humor that God has :laugh: . Can you see anyone turn down eternity because they detest someone else???

    In Christ,

    Pastor Paul :wavey:
     
  20. Sopranette

    Sopranette New Member

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    Well, then, it's a good thing that Heaven is a very, very big place!

    Sopranette
     
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