I would have liked more concrete thoughts from Obama on the questions.

 

However I find it funny because I was trying to remember if these same interviews were given to Ronald Reagan at any time in his presidency or before? Yet he was given the vote of the Evangelical community very easily. Really, the only indepth statements by a President I recall about faith have been from Jimmy Carter and we know how well that has played.

 

LBBC raised legitimate questions and discussion points in his initial thread but the immediate judgement based on this interview is a little much and farther than I thought the thread would venture.

 

To be fair, this interview was done by a religion reporter for one of the Chicago papers when O had first been elected into the senate. NOT as he was running for President.

One problem many have with "hard core" religious folk like LBBC and others is that you have to say the right words or you're somehow less of a Christian. I probably would have answered that question in a similar fashion only to have someone get their feathers ruffled when , in reality, I may be closer to "the truth" than that person.

 

I think my feelings were reflected in the last election.

 

I would not classify myself as "hard core" at all. I fail and sin too much in my life to consider myself "hard core." I am simply a sinner that is trying to do better.

LBBC, is this just "of interest" or do you think this somehow reflects on his ability to be POTUS?

 

1) interest;

2) there was a lot of misinformation out there on his faith and I thought it was a good article to clear up some of his faith based on his own words;

3) nothing to do with his "ability" to be POTUS but might in some's eyes cast doubt on his judgment.

There is only one path to Christianity it is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He, and he alone is worthy of our praise and worship. That is the difference between Christianity and a number of other "religions." If you do not believe that Jesus became your sin, and died for you, on the cross, then you are not Christian. You may have a religion---but it is not Christian. BIG difference.

 

Again, his (and my) words are being misconstrued. Some people are born into a Christian home, are emersed in the faith and accept Jesus as their personal savior without much doubt or problem.

 

There are others who are born into darker circumstances, who find God in other ways than Sunday school and loving parents. There is a point in their life where they accept Jesus into their life as their personal savior.

 

Each of these are different paths to the same destination - salvation. I would say that there are many variations of each of my examples above.

To be fair, this interview was done by a religion reporter for one of the Chicago papers when O had first been elected into the senate. NOT as he was running for President.

 

What's to be fair?

 

I was just pointing out the scrutiny of Reagan's religious convictions versus the scrutiny being place upon Obama's in this thread. BTW, it doesn't have to be just Reagan, it could be any president in ourlifetimes this side of perhaps Kennedy (because of the silent scrutiny of Catholicism by much of evangelical American in that time).

Again, his (and my) words are being misconstrued. Some people are born into a Christian home, are emersed in the faith and accept Jesus as their personal savior without much doubt or problem.

 

There are others who are born into darker circumstances, who find God in other ways than Sunday school and loving parents. There is a point in their life where they accept Jesus into their life as their personal savior.

 

Each of these are different paths to the same destination - salvation. I would say that there are many variations of each of my examples above.

 

I would love to have seen a followup question for him to clarify.

 

The press must have started giving him an easy road 4 years earlier.:sssh::jump::lol: Total joke on this last statement.

Those who think they have it all figured out remind me of the Pharisees that were so well versed in the law, but so far off the narrow path.

 

Nice. :thumb:

What's to be fair?

 

I was just pointing out the scrutiny of Reagan's religious convictions versus the scrutiny being place upon Obama's in this thread. BTW, it doesn't have to be just Reagan, it could be any president in ourlifetimes this side of perhaps Kennedy (because of the silent scrutiny of Catholicism by much of evangelical American in that time).

 

I was meaning that I wanted to be clear that this was not an interview done during his campaign for President but 4 years earlier in a total different setting.

 

He was at a coffee restaurant and just the two of them and it is her ONLY job to report on such things. It was not a political reporter during a faith-based piece but rather a religion reporter reporting on what she ALWAYS reports on.

Absolutely not true. Romans, I think 2nd chapter, basically says that those who have never HEARD the Gospel but do the things naturally that the Gospel would ask you to do will be saved.

 

Those that reject Jesus Christ, either by outright rejection or by never accepting him, are the ones that might be in trouble.

 

I think this is the passage you are referring to:

 

14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

 

This is from Romans 2.

 

Interestingly the beginning of the chapter says this:

 

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Those who think they have it all figured out remind me of the Pharisees that were so well versed in the law, but so far off the narrow path.

 

Nice. :thumb:

 

And at the same time, there were those who DID call Jesus the Messiah and were accurate. I am sure the Pharisees and others were telling them that they did not know what they were talking about either.

 

So, while the Pharisees were incorrect.

There were a whole group of people that were correct at the same time.

 

The 2nd group was in the minority of the society/culture of that time. There were many other groups out there saying that their path was the way to salvation.

 

Christians that stand for Jesus Christ as the ONLY WAY (as those people of Jesus' time did) are told over and over that our mindset is in the minority of the culture/society.

I was meaning that I wanted to be clear that this was not an interview done during his campaign for President but 4 years earlier in a total different setting.

 

He was at a coffee restaurant and just the two of them and it is her ONLY job to report on such things. It was not a political reporter during a faith-based piece but rather a religion reporter reporting on what she ALWAYS reports on.

 

It really doesn't matter to me the intent of the reporter. It actually is a good article and you have reason to raise questions and I see some I would like to pursue as well.

 

My point was the scrutiny level (or non-scrutiny) on this thread seems very much in tune with the political as much as the theological. I just find it curious that the same critiques are not laid before past presidents. That's all. :thumb:

I think this is the passage you are referring to:

 

14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

 

This is from Romans 2.

 

Interestingly the beginning of the chapter says this:

 

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

 

Thank you.

 

I do believe based on Scripture that those who have never rejected Jesus because they have never heard of Jesus but do the things that Christ calls for us to do, might very well be in Heaven.

 

I also very strongly believe that many who call themselves Christians will find themselves not knocking on the gates of Heaven when judgment day occurs.

 

I pray that those who I come in contact with and myself are not one of those.

Accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior or your life and the only way to know the Father through his sacrifice on the cross.

 

I'm going to defer to you on quoting scripture. You're saying that the bible says that " a Christian is....?"

 

I've read that the Bible rarely mentions "Christian" and it does not define it. Various religions have their own nuances when it comes to defining it. No? You're telling me the bible specifically says "you are a Christian if..."???

There are many paths to find Jesus, but only one path to find Salvation.

 

Christians= followers of Christ. The word is found in Acts 11:26 and refers to what the disciples were called by the early Church. Not sure if believers of Jesus called themselves this or by their ememies as a term of approach.

 

Acts 26:28 The king Agrippa asks Paul..."are you trying to make me a Christian?"

 

1st Peter 4:16 "However if you suffer as a Christian".

 

Glad this came up I never realized the word was really only used 3 times and was never used in the Gospels. Believers was used....in fact word believe is in John 99 times.

 

Someone made a great point about where God knows our true heart and he didn't create man to burn him. Its when you sin and don't ask for forgiveness and reject the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Thank you.

 

I do believe based on Scripture that those who have never rejected Jesus because they have never heard of Jesus but do the things that Christ calls for us to do, might very well be in Heaven.

 

I also very strongly believe that many who call themselves Christians will find themselves not knocking on the gates of Heaven when judgment day occurs.

 

I pray that those who I come in contact with and myself are not one of those.

 

Then what do you do with the literal interpretation of "NO ONE comes to the Father except through/by me"?

 

Does Jesus mean "NO ONE" or not?