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January 27, 2008
South Carolina's Religion Question
Obama sweeps all categories in church attendance.
Not much religion news out of the exit poll data last night. Once again, Democrats were not asked if they consider themselves born again or evangelical, even though Republicans were asked the question last week. The only religion question was church attendance:
| How often do you attend religious services? | Obama (55%) | Clinton (27%) | Edwards (18%) |
| More than once a week (25%) | 64 | 23 | 12 |
| Once a week (29%) | 52 | 29 | 19 |
| A few times a month (14%) | 57 | 22 | 21 |
| A few times a year (21%) | 46 | 31 | 23 |
| Never (9%) | 38 | 31 | 31 |
The speeches had a bit of religion talk too. Obama talked about the principalities and powers (not his phrase) he's battling against:
What we've seen in these last weeks is that we're also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation. It's a politics that uses religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon, a politics that tells us that we have to think, act, and even vote within the confines of the categories that supposedly define us, the assumption that young people are apathetic, the assumption that Republicans won't cross over, the assumption that the wealthy care nothing for the poor and that the poor don't vote, the assumption that African-Americans can't support the white candidate, whites can't support the African-American candidate, blacks and Latinos cannot come together.
We are here tonight to say that that is not the America we believe in. ... I know that when people say we can't overcome all the big money and influence in Washington, I think of that elderly woman who sent me a contribution the other day, an envelope that had a money order for $3.01 along with a verse of Scripture tucked inside the envelope.
Obama ended his speech with what he called a creed: the "timeless creed that sums up the spirit of the American people in three simple words: Yes, we can."
Obama didn't invoke God, but Clinton did, briefly:
Many of us, as I look around this crowd, know that we were given blessings and opportunities that we inherited, didn't we? And those were the results of the hard work of our parents, our grandparents, and people we never met, people who defend our freedoms, people who created the businesses that employed us, who pushed down the barriers that prevented any of us from fulfilling our God-given potential.
She may have said more, but TV viewers didn't get to see it since the networks cut her off. Edwards, at least, got in his last line, which included a shout-out to the Almighty: "God bless you all and thank you for your support and thank you for being here and thank you for your voice."
Comments
It would be interesting to have a poll BEFORE they were running for office. I suspect Obama wants to give that "Christian" perception.
I hope he is.
Posted By: Sylvia Bitler | January 28, 2008 12:35 PM
Are there any Democratic candidates who do NOT support abortion on demand??? Don't forget this important topic. Also ask yourself: "Is the function of the US government the re-distribution of wealth? Stop and think about that when you start to think the "The government ought to do this or that for people."
Posted By: Christine Denno | January 28, 2008 1:43 PM
It's amazing to me that evangelical Christians turn their backs on Christian democrats like Jimmy Carter and (from what I can discern) Barak Obama - but support Republicans who are most definitely NOT evangelicals. Let's remember that Ronald Reagan had an astronomer determining his schedule. Sorry! I think that's just not in line with what the Bible would have us do. Let's also not forget our current President (NOT an evangelical from my perspective) - who week before last declared in a televised interview with Charlie Gibson that "Muslims and Christians just have different ways of worshipping the same God." And BEFORE the 2004 election Bush also stated in a televised interview that he believed that ALL people - except a really, really bad few like Hitler and Osama Bin Laden were going to heaven. Maybe evangelical Christians like "conservative policies" but just because someone's a Republicans doesn't make them a 'evangelical believer.'
Posted By: Stephanie Burdic | January 28, 2008 6:20 PM
I am a conservative Democrate because I believe if the government can help the people with programs to improve their daily lives and
income (jobs) women are less likely to consider an abortion. OBAMA, WILL DENY HIS INTEREST IN BEING A MUSLIUM SO HE CAN GET ELECTED. WHY DOES HE ATTEND THE CHURCH WITH THE TEACHINGS FROM A RADICLE LEADER. YES, BLACKS ARE WHO GAVE SC TO OBAMA WHETHER HE ADMITS IT OR NOT JUST LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES-80% BLACKS,AND 10% WHITES?? I AM NOT AN IMBACILE. THE MEDIA IS ALWAYS ATTACKING HILLARY, WHY NOT MENTION THE LOBBYIST WORKING FOR OBAMA!! WHAT IS WORST GETTING THESE LOBBYIST INTO THE PRESIDENTS CABINET(ADM.)??
THAT IS WHY I AM VOTING FOR HILLARY CLINITON!! SHE ALREADY CARRIES HERSELF AS A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SHE HAS PAID HER DUES TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND IS KNOWLEDGABLE OF ALL ISSUES PAST AND CURRENT ( UP TO DATE ). MOST OF ALL I FEEL SECURE WITH HER 1ST DAY IN OFFICE WITH INTERNATIONAL SECURITY.
VIVA HILLARY- " SI SE PUEDE!!"
Posted By: A.Valdez | January 28, 2008 6:44 PM
I pray to God that everything that Obama has said about his relationship with Christ is true and not just some political ploy to attain more votes, in hopes of winning the presidential election.
It would be a shame if he is not!
Posted By: Nina-Marie | January 28, 2008 6:58 PM
Obama appears to be deceiving many Christians who are busy raising families and attending to the Lord’s call in their lives. Those Christians don't have much time to evaluate Obama's faith and discern whether he's a true born-again believer, following the Bible. He calls himself a "committed Christian" but his beliefs and his votes indicate otherwise.
Barack Obama was interviewed 16 years after his conversion by Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Sun-Times religion editor, 4/5/04, where he said, “I have a deep faith.” Yet after all those years, the article makes clear that Obama:
· Doesn’t believe Christ's words in John 14:6. He believes Muslims and other non-believers in Christ as the Savior of the World will go to heaven.
· Has an ongoing conversation of questions with himself which he calls prayer.
· Doesn’t know if he's going to heaven.
· Doesn’t believe in eternal judgment. If eternal judgment didn't exist, there wouldn't have been a need for Christ's death on the cross to save us from our sins.
Either Obama wasn’t nurtured as a new believer properly by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, or, more importantly, this professor of constitutional law didn’t seek more information from the Bible or at a Bible bookstore to understand what Jesus had to say. The Bible seems to be a sideline in his life, not his guide in knowing the Lord.
Posted By: Discerning believer | January 28, 2008 8:49 PM
The USA originated in a copycat rebellion against the British crown inspired by the French Revolution, with its roots in atheism and adolescent impertinence. When the United States elects as president a candidate who promises to restore it to its true and original allegiance to the Crown, presently represented by H.M. Queen Elizabeth, it will be possible to contemplate the abolition of the boundary between the USA and Canada and the consignment of the American constitution, a badly flawed and outdated relic of late 18th century political gimcackery, to the dustbin of history, followed by restoration of the early promise of British North America.
Posted By: Robert Tuck | January 28, 2008 9:15 PM
When it comes to matters of faith, I think we should accept what a person says about themselves, and then leave the rest to the One who will be the Final Judge. I don't think evangelicals ought to debate whether Obama is a believer or not -- but I do think we should ask about his values -- and whether or not he would make the best President -- or what the alternatives are if he does NOT become the President. Now that is really scary!
Posted By: Howard Brant | January 28, 2008 9:36 PM
We should never simply accept what someone says about themselves or their faith. There are wolves in sheeps clothing that will lead us (if we are naive enough to let them)as a nation to our destruction.
Their true faith will inform and serve as the foundation of all significant decisions. Until we know what they actually believe we do not really know them. If they are deceptive about what they believe - that, says a great deal about who they are and what they intend.
Posted By: Mark Mitchell | January 29, 2008 9:46 AM
Why does everyone automatically doubt whether Obama's a Christian? Is it because he's a Democrat? Is it because of his African-sounding name? Is it because of the email that claims he's a Muslim? Let's grow up people! If you're willing to vote against someone just because of shallow or superficial reasons like the ones previously mentioned, you need to reevaluate your intentions.
Posted By: Ryan | January 29, 2008 1:15 PM
You know what? You all should have scrutinized Bush a little more concerning his belief and seen what at deceptive spirit he has. I wouldn't listen to anything another Christian's view about their judgment of someone else's faith for all the tea in China. Supposedly, Bush was a born again believer-- God in the White House, someone called it. Why don't you leave that to the Holy Spirit and make sure of your own walk with God.
Posted By: Betty Lewis | January 29, 2008 2:51 PM
We are seeing a growing public interest in Jesus and the early church. There are two kinds of presentations on these topics: scholarly books and "new find" announcements. Both kinds need our attention because the way this information is released is changing, making it more difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction.
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Seema
South Carolina Treatment Centers
Posted By: seema | August 11, 2008 5:33 AM