moderateBaptists.com

Today's blogger for the 40 Day Fast is Jason Gray, who writes about World Vision's work all over the world.

In an editorial today on Baptistpress.org, Cal Thomas suggests that despite his confession of faith, Barack Obama is not a "real" Christian because he doesn't have the right theological beliefs. He concludes the story by saying:

"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."

Cal, I have always believed that it is impossible to know the heart of another person. I don't even know if you are a Christian! I can only trust what you say. Only God knows the heart and whether it is committed to Jesus.

I can say this though. Being a genuine Christian is first about being committed to follow Jesus and his way. Doctrine is not the primary factor. I first decided to follow Jesus with my life. My doctrine developed later and is still in process. In fact, I think my doctrinal ideas will continue to evolve until I die. One becomes a Christian when one decides to follow Jesus and try to live a life like he lived. What I believe about Jesus comes as a secondary factor.

Cal, you ain't God! You can't possibly know Obama's heart. So, stop being so judgmental.

Here's the entire editorial:

http://baptistpress.org/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=28392

WASHINGTON (BP)--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."

This is probably my favorite music video. I listen to this song just about every day when I'm in the Congo, where the contrast between rich and poor is so stark that it hurts.

I have been traveling to and from the African continent for nearly ten years now, and living in that tension never gets easier. Of late, one of the ways that tension has been manifesting itself in my life is an increasing discomfort with the way we do church in the United States. We put such a focus on programming and presentation and facilities and fancy gadgets and church growth. And I think we've missed the point.

Here's the problem, summed in some of those lyrics:

"The more we take, the less we become
A fortune of one that means less for some"

I got bashed on another blog last week for a statement I made here to the effect that the gospel has a much larger message about caring for the poor than it does about sexual ethics or raising strong families. The commenter noted that Jesus only told one man that he needed to sell all he had and give it to the poor, with the implication that that lets us all off the hook on that pesky little command.

Yeah, well, as Rich Mullins was fond of pointing out, Jesus also only told one guy that he needed to be born again.

I love how this video doesn't mess around, how it lays out so starkly the choices that we make every day and the difference that just a little money makes in the lives of millions. Our choices matter. And we are wasteful.

Don't get me wrong: I am sure that we as a species need art and beauty and music.

But I also think we deceive ourselves into believing that we need a lot more stuff than we actually do. I don't need another dress to look professional to teach my class. Nobody needs a huge house in the suburbs for her children to grow up healthy and happy. And a church doesn't need a fancy new building to reach the unchurched or HD DVD screens for people to be able to worship. We may want these things, but we don't need them. And I would argue that, in an era in which millions of people, including Christians, are starving to death because of the inequality in this world, it is immoral for us to spend money on excessive things we don't need. Even in church.

It's Day 8 of the 40 Day Fast, and so far we've been challenged to think about a lot of issues, from the material poverty of untouchable people in India, Haiti, and South Africa to the spiritual and emotional poverty of those living in Paris or right here at home. My turn to manage the fast at Inspired to Action starts tomorrow, which means that I've already gotten to read some of the upcoming posts. We are in for some really incredible stories in the week to come.

One of the dangers in reading about this many causes at once is that it can leave us feeling overwhelmed. In a world full of need, we know as reasonable adults that one person can't possibly change it all.

But what I love about this song is that it doesn't excuse us from taking action. There's a world of hurt out there, a world that's "more than I can handle." We can't fix it all. But we can bring what we are able to bring. We can take up one burden, sacrifice something we don't need anyway, and maybe, just maybe, save someone's life.

So I'm curious, Texas in Africa readers. Have you been following the fast? What posts or causes have touched you the most? Have you taken action as a result of something you've read? Will you be joining us for the fast on day 40, August 1?

We leave for New York tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to our time away. Trish and I have not been on a vacation together since our honeymoon. We are way overdue. I'm packed. The house is cleaner by the minute. The cat sitter is ready. All is well. I don't know if I'll take the time to blog while we're away or not. Trish wants to take the computer, so there might be a post or two. See you all on the east coast!...

Somebody needs to tell Cal Thomas and Baptist Press that Barak Obama is running for President, not prophet.

In an essay posted by Baptist Press today, Cal Thomas examines statements about Obama's faith and finds them wanting. Here's a quote:

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."

Someone also needs to remind Cal Thomas and the editors at Baptist Press to reread Matthew 7:1-5 and Matthew 7:15-27.

Criticize Obama's policies, challenge his credentials, critique him on political issues, but, to quote a fellow blogger, for God's sake 'Shut up' about his theology.

Constitutionally, there's no religious test for holding public office in this country. Obama's running for President, not pastor or prophet.

Dana Perino took to the podium to back up Joe Lieberman's "vote Republican or die" prediction. On a side note, the fact that Al Gore won the popular vote with this guy on his ticket is pretty amazing.

But the part that caught my eye was this little statement from the lovely Ms. Perino:

"The President has been looking for Osama bin Laden since September 12th. That effort has never let up."

Really? I wonder if that is the same amount of effort he made looking for WMD?

Speaker of the Texas House Tom Craddick will have a Democratic challenger on the ballot this fall. At least Midland voters will have an alternative.

In other Texas political news, there's nothing going on in Texas politics right now. That's because it's hotter than Hades here in the Heart of Texas, and it won't get better for three months. I cannot WAIT to decamp to the other hemisphere for awhile.

This is why the ACLU doesn't get any of my money:In Heller, the Court reinterpreted the Second Amendment as a source of individual rights. Washington D.C.'s gun control law, which bans the private possession of handguns and was widely considered the most restrictive such law in the country, became a victim of that reinterpretation. The Court was careful to note that the right to bear arms is

Bigoted moron and Terrebonne Parish School Board member, Rickie Pitre is leading a charge to make English the only spoken language at graduation ceremonies. Seems that Rickie took offense to Cindy Vo’s comments at Ellender High School’s Graduation. Cindy, the American-born daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, who was the valedictorian had the nerve to say, “Co len minh khong bang ai, co suon khong ai bang minh.” She then explained that the expression, roughly translated, was a command to always be your own person.

Rickie and the School Board are pissed! How dare that girl use anything but English in her speech! Come on cher!

A couple of things.
1. Hey Rickie–Why not change the name of your parish? Terrebonne means “good earth” in FRENCH! God knows we should hate the French! Remember “Freedom Fries”?

2. Hey Rickie–Didn’t your ancestors get flack over their use of French? Can’t you see how that might be a bad thing?

Rickie and his bigoted buddies can be contacted here.

We’re heading to San Diego for a family vacation. Blogging will be light—and automated—for about a week and a half.

My friend and fellow blogger Mike Broadway, a professor of theology and ethics at the historically black Shaw University Divinity School, has been blogging a helpful series of posts on the topic of whiteness and black theology:

Part I - Black Theology: A New Word, a Critical Project, and a Consolidation of Tradition

Part II - Responses to Black Theology from the Perspective of White Theology as the Assumed Norm

Part III - Denying the Dogmatic Significance of Black Theologies: Racism in Churches as Merely Moral Failure

Part IV - Inadequate Responses of White Theologians to Black Theology

. . . and, in this instance, the Son of God as well.

On June 30, 1881, Presbyterian preacher and African-American abolitionist Henry Highland Garnet is appointed minister to Liberia. The former slave shocked the abolitionist community in 1843 by calling for violent rebellion. "Rather die free-men than live to be slaves," he preached.

Will Prescott's 6-28-08 "Religious Talk" radio program (27 MB MP3) about the success of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) in Oklahoma City. He interviews KIPP leader Tracy McDaniel and other staff members.

Here's a link to brief bonus podcasts discussing McDaniel's relation to unions (2 MB MP3) and the school's open enrollment policy (3.6 MB MP3).

In his weekly radio address, President Bush continued his renewed interest in promoting the White House's Faith-Based Initiative funding program. At the end of the address, he indicated the religious aims behind sending taxpayer funds to faith-based organizations. (my emph.)...

My friend Julia recently moved to Colombia, where she is living in a peace community that protects farmers and families who are in danger due to nearby instability. She's recording some fantastic reflections on living in intentional community on her new blog. You should definintely check it out.

With our youth, CBF and MissionServ

I realize that most folk who frequent this blog do not live near my Louisville home. But some of you do.

It is for you I post this announcement.

My church, Jeff Street Baptist, is doing a Bible study on Homosexuality and Christianity, led by our own prophet, genius and all around good guy, Dr. Rick Axtell.

Rick is a professor of ethics at a Kentucky university and is an excellent teacher and the study is open to all who are interested in the topic - even if you disagree with my church's position (we are open and affirming of our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters).

A good time shall be had by all, with thanks to Rick and Lisa for preparing for and presenting this study.