The President

The President is a member in good standing of a Congregational church (UCC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_United_Church_of_Christ).  I am compelled to accept that at face value, and give the President the benefit of the doubt.  This is no more or less than I must give to all who name the name of Jesus Christ.  I’m simply not free to do otherwise; Christ requires it of me.  The reports of the President being Muslim appear to be exaggerated and contrary to fact.  The claim that he is a Satanist is extreme.

However, what I do call in question is the President’s behavior.  Just because he claims to be a Christian does not, in and of itself, make him a Christian.  A Christian is a faithful follower of Christ.  This requires certain patterns of behavior.  These patterns appear to be lacking in the President.  Specifically, he has consistently betrayed the Roman Catholic Church and other Christians opposed to abortion and the culture of death.  Specifically, he has consistently supported moderate Muslim issues.  Since these actions are against Christ, I am equally compelled to identify the President as anti-Christ, not the Anti-Christ, which would be absurd.  I am compelled to draw the same conclusion of many other politicians, including Mr. Romney.

Nevertheless, I may not turn away from the President’s (or any other person’s) baptism.  The fault may not be entirely with the President.  The UCC may be culpable for false or week teaching.  No one would accuse the UCC of being a bastion of Orthodoxy, even though many local UCC churches remain faithful.  The possibility that the President is poorly taught is indeed unfortunate: yet, this is completely understandable in a nation that, for the most part, has forgotten Christ.

The issue of Islam may be as innocent as the sincere desire to diffuse a complicated international political issue: one in which we seem to have put our foot in a trap.  While I do not like the President’s tactics in this matter, he is the President and I am not.  These tactics make the President a politician, they do not necessarily make him a Muslim.  Still, we would be very naïve to fail to be wary of Islam.  Islam certainly does have an idea of global conquest, of manifest destiny.  Hmmm....

Moreover, God gives leaders to nations that are suitable to the faith and faithfulness of the nation.  Human leaders are merely symptomatic of the national reality.  It is obvious that our nation has gone a long way in the service of Satan.  We are ill served to demand the President’s repentance without expecting our own repentance.  If we pray for the President’s repentance, it is because we hope that he will lead us to own repentance.  Nothing short of national revival is acceptable.  America must turn to Christ, or perish.