THE ISSUE: Many Americans’ stubborn belief that the president is Muslim.
OUR VIEW: All Christians should profess their faith as strongly as Obama.
In the summer of 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama participated in a forum led by the Rev. Rick Warren at the pastor’s southern California church.
Obama told Warren his “starting point” is “Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that I am redeemed through him.” In plain language, the then-senator for Illinois professed his Christian faith.
Many Americans still don’t believe him.
A Pew Research Center poll released last week suggests about one in five Americans believe the president is Muslim. About a third of Americans say Obama is Christian.
Stunningly, a nearly a third of those identifying themselves as conservative Republicans believe the president practices Islam.
If you are among those who doubt Obama’s Christian faith, here’s an excerpt of his remarks at the Easter Prayer Breakfast in April:
“[T]oday, I’m particularly blessed to welcome you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for this Easter breakfast.
“... I can’t tell any of you anything about Easter that you don’t already know. I can’t shed light on centuries of scriptural interpretation or bring any new understandings to those of you who reflect on Easter’s meaning each and every year and each and every day. But what I can do is tell you what draws me to this holy day and what lesson I take from Christ’s sacrifice and what inspires me about the story of the resurrection.
“For even after the passage of 2,000 years, we can still picture the moment in our mind’s eye. The young man from Nazareth marched through Jerusalem; object of scorn and derision and abuse and torture by an empire. The agony of crucifixion amid the cries of thieves. The discovery, just three days later, that would forever alter our world – that the Son of Man was not to be found in His tomb and that Jesus Christ had risen.
“We are awed by the grace He showed even to those who would have killed Him. We are thankful for the sacrifice He gave for the sins of humanity. And we glory in the promise of redemption in the resurrection.
“... So, on this day, let us commit our spirit to the pursuit of a life that is true, to act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord. And when we falter, as we will, let redemption – through commitment and through perseverance and through faith – be our abiding hope and fervent prayer.”
In the churches we’ve attended, Obama’s Easter address would be considered his personal testimony.
All Christians should state their faith so eloquently.
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