I’m not one of those people who believes that Barack Obama is a Muslim, but I don’t think he’s much of a Christian either. Judging him by his words and actions, he comes across more as an agnostic—a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God. President Obama has expressed an affinity for the Muslim call to prayer he heard as a child growing up in Indonesia, but that doesn’t make him a Muslim nor does it demonstrate a belief in Allah.
I cite three points, which you may or may not accept, in support of my argument.
Barack Obama sat in Rev. Jerimiah Wright’s church on and off for 20 years, more for political expedience rather that a deep faith in Jesus Christ or a belief in the teachings of the Bible, one can argue. President Obama needed a way to relate to the African American community in Chicago, because his own background was that of an atypical African American. The activist Trinity United Church of Christ provided him the credibility he needed to become active in the black community and Chicago politics. The fact that he claimed that he never heard all the outrageous, racists comments Rev. Wright made about White America is wholly believable. We don’t know how often Barack Obama and his family went to Trinity United on Sunday, but if we did, my guess is that he went a lot less that you would have expected him to.
During his campaign for the Presidency in 2008, Obama’s went to church occasionally, but after the election the President and his family rarely saw the inside of a church. This is not that unusual, as many U.S. presidents have avoided going to church on Sunday. Also failure to attend church regularly doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian. By itself, this argument doesn’t mean much. When taken into consideration with my other two points, however, it is revealing.
Finally, President’s Obama’s decision not to attend Justice Scalia’s funereal Mass speaks volumes. What possible legitimate excuse could the President have for not attending the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court Justice other than a national emergency. My guess is that the President placed little value on the institution of the Catholic Church, the ceremony or the person it was held to memorialize and honor. As the President of the United States, I believe Barack Obama had an obligation to represent all the people of America by attending the funeral. Why should the U.S. Congress consider the President’s nominee to replace Justice Scalia when President Obama has so little respect for the Supreme Court and those who disagree with him that serve on the Court?
Traditionally, we give Presidents broad leeway in deciding what ceremonies and events they chose to attend or participate in, and the media has largely given President Obama a pass on his refusal to attend Scalia’s funeral. Furthermore, in America we accept at face value whatever faith people claim to profess. If President Obama says he’s a Christian, we accept him as a Christian. Nevertheless, it would behoove the President to provide more evidence to demonstrate he is what he claims he is—a Christian. It also would behoove Hillary Clinton to do the same thing.
Filed under: Religion, The Presidency, barack obama, Christian, Justice Scalia, Muslim, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Supreme Court, Trinity United
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