Why Do Some Americans call Obama, an Authentic Black American Christian, a Muslim?

Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo/Christian Tradition.

- Barack Obama
 
In many ways, the election of a black man, Barack Obama, as the most powerful leader in the world indicates that the Judeo/Christian doctrine of universal brotherhood has finally managed to emerge triumphant after a very scary, and completely evil previous century that threatened the very foundations of Christianity. At the same time, a great many of Obama's public statements have been infused with the inspirational and moral certainty that originates with his faith in Christianity.

 QUESTION #1) If Obama was really Muslim, why would a Jewish journalist ever write an entire essay calling him 'the first Jewish President'???

 

Unfortunately, there appears to be a substantial percentage of citizens that truly despise this happy-go lucky, modest, and very normal young American black man. It is true that their diabolical power and influence continues to diminish year after year as more and more black and white Americans fall in love, get married and then have children. Even so, they have still managed to greatly confuse many God-fearing Americans, especially white, Protestant Christians, about Obama's religious faith and beliefs. This sordid affair all began when Obama, an unknown Senator from Chicago, emerged as victor of the Democratic party primaries and was then chosen as the Democratic candidate for President. Almost immediately, vicious rumors of him being a secret Muslim believer began circulating. As one reporter wrote:

Of the many rumors that have dogged President Barack Obama the most persistent one has been the “question” of his faith....The question is why has this rumor proven to be so tenacious and who is behind its propagation. 
 
Sad as it is, the American media, including some of its most prominent newspapers and television, spent literally months publishing absolutely fictitious news reports and articles about Obama's possible Muslim faith, broadcasting this vile falsehood to millions upon millions of American viewers and listeners. 

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I'd say, probably, intellectually I've drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith.

- President Barack Obama 

 

QUESTION #2) Would an actual Muslim believer in Allah every say Judaism was one of his major intellectual influence???

 

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Most of the reporters and journalist responsible for this white-racist inspired defamation of President Obama have yet to apologize or to even acknowledge their mistake. The President, obviously comfortable in his Christian faith, responds to these outrageous, and deeply paranoid, beliefs with calm nobility. As one news source summarizes:

The President in his usual Spock-like, calm recently addressed the mistaken beliefs (that he is a Muslim)...on “NBC Nightly News” blaming the “confusion” over his religious beliefs on “a network of misinformation that a new media era can get churned out there constantly.”

As it turns out, the original source of this rumor may well have been partially fueled by Republican political operatives (and possibly white racists) who were vehemently opposed to having Obama, a black man, as President of the United States. As one journalist puts it:

Labeling the President a Muslim also shows the racism and xenophobia of the Right. The Right has constantly attempted to make Obama appear to be strange and foreign; they have constantly attempted to make the aura around him appear to be dark and dangerous simply.  They have done this simply because he is Black.  He’s the Antichrist, a Muslim, the “other,”...because he is not White....This is why (there are)...questions about his religion. 

QUESTION #3) Would any genuine Islamic believer ever pray at the Western Wall???

Indeed, it may well be the ugly specter of white racism behind one of the greatest lies ever told in American politics- that Barack Obama is actually a anti-Christian Muslim believer, and a secret follower of the Prophet Mohammad. Here are the actual statistics from three independent news sources:

+ A Pew Research poll in August (2010) revealed 'that one in five Americans falsely believe the president is a Muslim, more than thought so last year'.
+ In a poll by Newsweek, 12 percent of voters incorrectly believe he's Muslim; more than a quarter believe he was raised in a Muslim home.
+ A Time Magazine poll found that 24 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, rather than a Christian.

 QUESTION #4) Would a loyal follower of the Prophet Mohammad ever celebrate Hanukkah???

Given the highly-advanced, and extremely powerful, nation of today's America, It is somewhat frightening how many of its adult citizens who vote can continue to believe in a total lie for years after it has been proven wrong beyond any shadow of a doubt. Tragically, this completely incorrect and easily verifiable falsehood continues to haunt a President who is just as Christian as George W. Bush, more Christian than Bill Clinton, and far more Christian than either George F. W. Bush or Ronald Reagan ever were. In fact, Barack Obama's continued public display of Christian faith, especially his habits of quoting the Bible and frequently referring to Jesus Christ by name, is living proof that he truly is a Christian President. Here are just a few selected quotes form his public speeches:

As somebody who relies heavily on my Christian faith in my job, I understand the passions that religious faith can raise.

- President Barack Obama

(The story of Jesus' birth) that we are called to love each other as we love ourselves, that we are our brother's keeper and our sister's keeper, and our destinies are linked...It's a message that guides my Christian faith.

- President Barack Obama

(We can) see God in other people and do our best to help them find their, you know, their own grace...So that's what I strive to do...That's what I pray to do everyday. I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith.

- President Barack Obama

I found myself drawn - not just to work with the church but to be in the church...It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.

- President Barack Obama, University of Notre Dame, May 17 2010

 QUESTION #5) Instead of accusing Obama of being Muslim, how come no one claims he is a secret Jew???

The fact of the matter is that, regardless of Barack Obama's politics, some of which are in opposition to traditional Christian doctrines, he is still an authentic, genuine Christian believer who has been properly baptized by an ordained Christian minister and attended Christian Sabbath on a weekly basis for over 20 years before running for President. Obama's Christianity is undeniable and, in the end, sincere and factual.


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QUESTION #1) If Obama was really Muslim, why would a Jewish journalist ever write an entire essay calling him 'the first Jewish President'???  
QUESTION #2) Would an actual Muslim believer in Allah ever say that Judaism was one of his major intellectual influence???  
QUESTION #3) Would any genuine Islamic believer ever pray at the Western Wall???
QUESTION #4) Would a loyal follower of the Prophet Mohammad ever celebrate Hanukkah???
QUESTION #5) Instead of accusing Obama of being Muslim, how come no one claims he is a secret Jew??? 
 
THE ANSWER TO QUESTION #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5) Because every single one of the people who call Obama a Muslim are white, and obviously racist, yet too cowardly to say the 'N' word (the racist derivative of Negro), so they say the 'M' word (Muslim, an adherent to Islam) instead and get away with their ignorant white racist hate-mongering yet again.

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Christianity - A Basic Guide to the Christianity of President Barack Obama

by Judeo-Christian Bible on Monday, 21 February 2011 at 20:22

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.

- Matthew 28:19-20

The Tradition of Christianity - A Basic Guide to the Christianity of President Barack Obama

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Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

- President Barack Obama, a Protestant Christian for over 20 years

Barack Obama, the first African-American President in a nation that was still practicing black slavery a mere 140 years ago, is one of the most inspiring occurrences in the 21st century and may well be a sign that the third millennium will turn out to be an era of peace and prosperity for all Americans, and for all God's children throughout the world. In many ways, his election as the most powerful leader in the world, indicates that the Christian doctrine of universal brotherhood has managed to emerge triumphant after a very scary, and completely evil, previous century that threatened the very foundations of Christianity. At the same time, a great many of Obama's public statements have been infused with the inspirational and moral certainty that originates with his faith in Christianity. Here are just a few highlights:

My Bible tells me that if we train a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not turn from it. I think faith and guidance can help fortify a young woman’s sense of self, a young man’s sense of responsibility, and a sense of reverence all young people for the act of sexual intimacy.

- Senator Barack Obama

We believe in a country that rewards hard work and responsibility, a country where we look after one another, a country where we say, ‘I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper, I'm not just thinking about myself.’

- President Barack Obama

The fact of the matter is that, regardless of Barack Obama's politics, some of which are in opposition to traditional Christian doctrines, he is still an authentic, genuine Christian believer who has been properly baptized by an ordained Christian minister. After this he did not fall, and he did not stray. Instead, he dutifully attended Christian Sabbath on a weekly basis for over 20 years before running for President. What follows is a basic guide to the Christianity of President Barack Obama. It has been organized in the following manner:

Part I. A Sampling of Quotes from Barack Obama

Part II. Quotes from Official News Reports about Obama's Christian Faith

Part III. The Factual Reality of President Obama's Christian Presidency

Part IV. America's Confusion and Misinformation about Obama's Christianity

Part V. The Opposition to, Versus the Acceptance of, Obama's Christianity

Part VI. The Astonishingly Misinformed Beliefs of Certain Americans

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Part I. A Sampling of Quotes from Barack Obama

As somebody who relies heavily on my Christian faith in my job, I understand the passions that religious faith can raise.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

(The story of Jesus' birth) that we are called to love each other as we love ourselves, that we are our brother's keeper and our sister's keeper, and our destinies are linked...It's a message that guides my Christian faith.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

(We can) see God in other people and do our best to help them find their, you know, their own grace...So that's what I strive to do...That's what I pray to do everyday. I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

I found myself drawn - not just to work with the church but to be in the church...It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.

- President Barack Obama, University of Notre Dame (May 17, 2010)

It was because of these new-found understandings - that religious commitment did not require me to suspend critical thinking...that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized...But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

- Barack Obama (June 28, 2006)

There is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender branch will not cease...The work ahead will not be easy, and there will be setbacks. There will be challenges along the way. But thanks to you, thanks to the great people of this great city, New Orleans is blossoming again.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

I am a Christian by choice...I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead...Being my brothers' and sisters' keeper. Treating others as they would treat me. And I think also understanding that, you know, that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility that we all have to have as human beings.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't-frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead-being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me....

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead: being my brother's and sister's keeper, treating others as they would treat me...I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

It's interesting listening to the girls, what they pray for...They'll talk about family and thanking God for blessing us, but they'll always add a little twist: 'I hope we have a great Thanksgiving, I can't wait to see the cousins...They used to pray for a dog, until we got a dog.

- President Barack Obama, commenting on the Obama family prayer before dinner

It means all the world to us to know that there are prayer circles out there and people who are keeping the spirits clean around us.

- First Lady Michelle Obama

I'd just sit in the back and I'd listen to the choir and I'd listen to the sermon...There were times that I would just start tearing up listening to the choir and share that sense of release.

- President Barack Obama (2008-2011)

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Part II. Quotes from Official News Reports about Obama's Christian Faith

Obama's Christian Rhetoric-

QUOTE- As president, Barack Obama has mentioned Jesus Christ in a number of high-profile public speeches - something his predecessor George W. Bush rarely did in such settings, even though Bush’s Christian faith was at the core of his political identity...Obama’s invocation of the Christian Messiah is more overt than Americans heard in the public rhetoric of Bush in his time in the White House - even though Bush’s victories were powered in part by evangelical voters....Still, it is ironic that Obama, who rode a wave of young, Internet-savvy and more secular voters to the White House, would more freely invoke the name of Jesus Christ than did Bush. -UNQUOTE

Obama's Christian Beliefs--

QUOTE- In openly personal terms, President Barack Obama on Tuesday honored the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, saying he draws inspiration from an eternal story of pain, suffering and redemption...Obama's comments provided a brief, uncommon opening into how he views his Christian faith. He told the religious leaders that their examples are followed by millions of people. He welcomed them warmly as "my brothers and sisters in Christ" and honored Christ as "our risen savior."...Obama has also held White House events honoring the Jewish and Muslim faiths. -UNQUOTE

Obama's Christian Family Prayer--

QUOTE- The first family says grace each night before dinner, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle told ABC News in an interview that aired Friday...The Obamas have frequently spoken about prayer since arriving in the White House. Last month, Michelle Obama told a nationally syndicated radio show that the Obamas can feel prayers that are said for them...In 2009, Barack Obama said that he had stepped up his praying since becoming president 'because I've got a lot of stuff on my plate, and I need guidance all the time.'...He told ABC News then that he starts each morning by reviewing a devotional he receives on his BlackBerry. -UNQUOT

Obama's Little Known Christian Faith--

QUOTE- A new poll from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life indicates that the number of Americans who erroneously believe President Obama is a Muslim is growing...In March 2009, the percentage was 11 percent. Today, it's 18 percent...The percentage of those asserting that the president is a Christian -- which he is -- has gone down in that time, from 48% in March 2009 to 34% today...A plurality of Americans -- 43% -- say they don't know what religion the president is. -UNQUOTE

Obama's Daily Christian Readings

QUOTE- President Barack Obama is a great example of how technology and religion are symbiotic. Each morning, Obama reads a devotional on his BlackBerry....“I pray all the time now - because I’ve got a lot of stuff on my plate and I need guidance all the time,” he said with a laugh during an interview with ABC’s Nightline that was aired Thursday night...Obama said he receives his daily devotional from Joshua DuBois, his director of faith and neighborhood initiatives....“That’s how I start my morning. You know, he’s got a passage, scripture, in some cases quotes from other faiths to reflect on. This is something where you just hope that you are aligning your work with His purposes and that you’re attuned to the needs of the people you’re there to serve,” he said. -UNQUOTE

Obama's Tolerant Christian Understanding of Faith and Sin

QUOTE- "This is a country that is still predominantly Christian, but we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists" and others, he said, adding that "their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own, and that is part of what makes this country what it is."...Humans are "sinful" and "flawed" beings that make mistakes and "achieve salvation through the grace of God," the president continued....Obama responded that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare" in America, adding that families -- not the government -- "should be the ones making the decision."...Restrictions against late-term abortion are in place now, he said, adding that "people still argue and disagree about it. That's part of our Democratic tradition." -UNQUOTE

Obama's Christian Faith Denied and Defamed

QUOTE- Americans have some extreme views of President Obama, with a new controversial survey suggesting that 40 percent of adults believe he is a socialist, and about a quarter of survey participants thinking the president is a racist, anti-American and even doing things Hitler did...When broken out by political party, results showed some stark differences. For instance, the majority of Republicans believed the president is a Muslim and a socialist, while around 40 percent believe he is a racist, someone who resents American heritage and "wants terrorists to win."...Forty percent of Republicans, compared with just 15 percent of Democrats, think Wall Street pulls his strings. -UNQUOTE

Obama's Non-Muslim Past and Christian Present

QUOTE- Obama, however, claimed that his father, who he only knew as an infant, was an atheist. He assured that his time as President has only served to deepen his commitment to Christianity....Obama has repeatedly said that he is a Christian and prays regularly, but more Americans than ever have raised doubts over his beliefs. -UNQUOTE

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Part III. The Factual Reality of President Obama's Christian Presidency

- President Obama publically affirmed his Christian faith to a predominantly Muslim audience in Cairo, Egypt. He went to mention the famous Islamic legend of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed came together as one and prayed to God.

- Speaking to students at the University of Notre Dame, Barack Obama repeatedly described about his religious conversion to Christianity which occurred in Chicago working with the inner-city poor as a community activist.

- While discussing his economic policies in a speech at Georgetown Univeristy, President Obama deliberately invoked the Christian Gospel parable of building a house upon a foundation of either sand or solid rock to illustrate his political strategy.

- Even though he remains virulently opposed to nearly all of Obama liberal politics, Mr. Tony Perkins, who is president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian interest group, is on record praising the President's openly Christian faith. Commenting on Barack Obama's religious faith, He stated: 'I don't recall a single example of Bush ever saying Jesus or Christ...This is different...I applaud that. It gives people a sense of comfort.'

- Obama also managed to schedule an Easter prayer breakfast at the White House specifically for Christian pastors. During his opening remarks, he openly and specifically employed devout Christian rhetoric, even welcoming all the assembled guests as 'my brothers and sisters in Christ.'

- A growing number of different news organizations have been reluctantly forced to make note of President Obama's astonishing, and frequent, use of the term Jesus Christ, as well as other blatantly Christian terminology. One particular article even admitted the following: 'Obama’s invocation of the Christian Messiah is more overt than Americans heard in the public rhetoric of Bush in his time in the White House'.

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Part IV. America's Misinformed Confusion about Obama's Christianity

Did you know that...

1) Since becoming President, Obama has mentioned Jesus Christ by name in public far more often than George W. Bush ever did during his tenure?

2) The Obama family, including his wife Michelle and their two daughters, recite Christian grace and prayers every night before eating dinner?

3) Barack Obama begins each morning by reading and reflecting upon Christian Scriptures and Prayers with one of his Christian staff members?

4) The historical evidence shows that Obama was never really a Muslim believer, while his sincere and authentic conversion to Christianity later in life has been clearly documented and verified?

5) President Obama has read and studied Roman Catholic Saint Augustine, the Christian intellectual Graham Greene, and the famous Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr?

President Obama prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

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Part V. The Opposition to, Versus the Acceptance of, Obama's Christianity

Obama's Public Christian Witness

Opposition To: I don’t need to hear politicians tell me how religious they are...Obama in a very overt way does what Bush tended to do in a more covert way. (Rev. Barry Lynn, United for Separation of Church and State)

Acceptance Of: I don't recall a single example of Bush ever saying Jesus or Christ...This is different...I applaud that. It gives people a sense of comfort. (Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council)

Obama's Actual Christian Faith

Opposition To: 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...Such people do have a label applied to them in Scripture. They are called 'false prophets'. (Cal Thomas)

Acceptance Of: Obama has accepted Jesus Christ. That’s what he says he has done. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said. (Reverend Franklin Graham, Son of Billy Graham)

Obama's Christian Beliefs

Opposition To: The fact Senator Obama denies Jesus is the only way to be saved...calls into question whether he believes...It is time for Senator Obama to be held accountable for what he says he believes to examine if he really is a Christian. (Bill Keller)

Acceptance Of: The president says he’s a Christian. I take him at his word...I think the faith that most Americans are questioning is the President’s faith in the government to generate jobs. (Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell)

Obama's Christian Theology

Opposition To: I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology...He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter. (James Dobson, Focus on the Family)

Acceptance Of: He presents his Christianity as an important aspect of his identity but one he doesn’t want to foist upon anyone else, and he would rather risk downplaying it than offending somebody...This notion that we are our brothers’ keepers...is kind of a mantra for him.(Jeffrey Siker, Loyola Marymount University)

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Part VI. The Astonishingly Misinformed Beliefs of Certain Americans

Some Astonishing Facts about the Misinformed Beliefs of American Voters

+ Bill Keller, a Internet Televangelist, accused President Barack Obama on-air of being an 'Enemy of God'

+ 14 percent of Americans (24 percent of Republicans and 6 percent of Democrats) believe President Barack Obama may be the Antichrist.

+ A Pew Research poll in August (2010) revealed 'that one in five Americans falsely believe the president is a Muslim, more than thought so last year'.

+ In a poll by Newsweek, 12 percent of voters incorrectly believe he's Muslim; more than a quarter believe he was raised in a Muslim home.

+ A Time Magazine poll found that 24 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, rather than a Christian.

A typical poster filled with lies and disinformation originally created by an Obama Hater

A List of Specific Beliefs of Certain Americans

38% - Believe Obama wants to abolish the right to bear arms

32% - Believe Obama is actually a Muslim in disguise

29% - Believe Obama intends to end U.S. independence and establish a single world government.

29% - Believe Obama has secretly violated the U.S. Constitution

27% - Believe Obama resent's America's heritage

27% - Believe Obama is the puppet of Wall Street bankers

25% - Believe Obama was not actually born on United States soil

25% - Believe Obama is the enemy of the U.S. Constitution

23% - Believe Obama is a racist

23% - Believe Obama is anti-American

23% - Believe Obama plans on staging a economic collapse of terrorist incident to seize control and declare Martial Law

20% - Believe Obama is doing the same thing Hitler did

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May the LORD God bless you in the name of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles.

A Last Important Quote-

And I'd say, probably, intellectually I've drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith.

- President Barack Obama

The Judeo-Christian, Part X. The Good News about Barack Obama, an American Christian President

Fear God and keep His Commandments for this is the whole duty of man.

- Ecclesiastes 12:13

Part X. The Good News about Barack Obama, an American Christian President

The following quotes from Christian President Barack Obama were taken during an interview conducted by Cathleen Falsani, a Chicago Sun-Times reporter, in 2004 when the possibility of him being elected President four years later would have been unthinkable. In the interview, Barack Obama's public honesty towards his Christian faith was far more pronounced than today in the year 2011. This is mainly because the Republican opposition's mockery and ridicule of his authentic and learned form of Christian faith has paid off with the American voters, many of whom are so delusional that they ignorantly believe him to be the anti-Christ and/or a secret Muslim lying about his Christian faith.

This interview goes far in proving that President Obama's adherence to Christianity is very informed and directly based upon the teachings of Rabbi joshua (Jesus) as recorded in the Gospels. Here is a direct comparison of Barack Obama's actual remarks and the relevant New Testament passage which clearly shows his authentic Christian faith to be just as rooted in Scriptures as any Republican believer, including ex-President George W. Bush. These comparisons also suggest that the ugly, vile attacks and brutal questioning of his religious beliefs since he became President has very little to do with the Bible and is most likely a subtle form of white racism in disguise.

THE OBAMA: (In Chicago's) South Side working class and lower income communities...it was in those places where I think what had been more of an intellectual view of religion deepened...I became much more familiar with the ongoing tradition of the historic black church and it's importance in the community. And the power of that culture to give people strength in very difficult circumstances, and the power of that church to give people courage against great odds. And it moved me deeply.
THE GOSPELS: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven....Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. (Matthew 5:4-12)

THE OBAMA: But my mother was deeply spiritual person...her view always was that underlying these religions were a common set of beliefs about how you treat other people and how you aspire to act, not just for yourself but also for the greater good.
THE GOSPELS: In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.(Matthew 7:12)

THE OBAMA: I probably didn't get started getting active in church activities until I moved to Chicago...one of the churches that I became involved in was Trinity United Church of Christ. And the pastor there, Jeremiah Wright, became a good friend. So I joined that church and committed myself to Christ in that church. It was a daytime service, during a daytime service. And it was a powerful moment. Because, it was powerful for me because it not only confirmed my faith, it not only gave shape to my faith, but I think, also, allowed me to connect the work I had been pursuing with my faith.
THE GOSPELS: Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John...Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' (Matthew 3:13-17)

THE OBAMA: I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith. So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition.
THE GOSPELS: “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." (Mark 11:22-23)

THE OBAMA: There are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there's an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived.
THE GOSPELS: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

THE OBAMA: I retain from my childhood and my experiences growing up a suspicion of dogma. And I'm not somebody who is always comfortable with language that implies I've got a monopoly on the truth, or that my faith is automatically transferable to others.
THE GOSPELS: Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, 'You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.' (Mark 10:42-43)

THE OBAMA: I'm a big believer in tolerance. I think that religion at it's best comes with a big dose of doubt. I'm suspicious of too much certainty in the pursuit of understanding just because I think people are limited in their understanding.
THE GOSPELS: (Jesus) said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.' (Luke 11:46)

THE OBAMA: I think that, particularly as somebody who's now in the public realm and is a student of what brings people together and what drives them apart, there's an enormous amount of damage done around the world in the name of religion and certainty.
THE GOSPEL: Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst. (Matthew 18:19-20)

THE OBAMA: Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he's also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.
THE GOSPELS: Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' (John 14:6)

THE OBAMA: And he's also a wonderful teacher. I think it's important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.
THE GOSPELS: The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. (Matthew 10:23-25)

THE OBAMA: Some of the things I talked about...are channeled through my Christian faith and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
THE GOSPELS: He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. (John 12:44-46)

THE OBAMA: Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation of church and state...I am a great admirer of our founding charter, and its resolve to prevent theocracies from forming, and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root ion this country. As I said before, in my own public policy, I'm very suspicious of religious certainty expressing itself in politics.
THE GOSPELS: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21)

THE OBAMA: I can give religious expression to that. I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper, we are all children of God. Or I can express it in secular terms. But the basic premise remains the same. I think sometimes Democrats have made the mistake of shying away from a conversation about values for fear that they sacrifice the important value of tolerance. And I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive.
THE GOSPELS: So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' (John 8:31-32)

THE OBAMA: I think that I am disturbed by, let me put it this way: I think there is an enormous danger on the part of public figures to rationalize or justify their actions by claiming God's mandate.
THE GOSPELS: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. (Matthew 23:14)

THE OBAMA: This is something that I'm sure I'd have serious debates with my fellow Christians about. I think that 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 people haven't embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior that they're going to Hell.
THE GOSPELS: Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. (Mark 16:15)

THE OBAMA: I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell...I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity...That's just not part of my religious makeup.
THE GOSPELS: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in Heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven. (Matthew 18:14)

THE OBAMA: When I tuck my daughters in at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see in them that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people and that they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of Heaven.
THE GOSPELS: If anyone causes one of these little ones-those who believe in me-to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)

THE OBAMA: I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith...So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place.
THE GOSPELS: John said unto him, 'Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.' But Jesus said, 'Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us.' (Mark 9:38-40)

THE OBAMA: And I'd say, probably, intellectually I've drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith.
THE GOSPELS: Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)

May the LORD God bless you in the name of the Judeo-Christian Tradition.