Can I vote for a Muslim?
My wife is going to Hawaii tomorrow (so much for suffering seminary students) so I have a little more free time on my hands. Its weird how dependent you become when you get married.
This recent presidential race has left a sour taste in my mouth. There are many reasons why (not to mention that I have realized how unqualified I am to pick a President) but only one that I want to talk about right now: ISLAM!
Recently, I have been inundated with emails from well meaning people with links to You Tube clips and random website articles that claim Pres. elect Obama is really a ‘closet’ Muslim (you know the ones that claim he is from a tribe in Africa whose sole purpose is to destroy the USA). While I will concede that it would be a problem if our president was lying to us about something as fundamental as his religion, I did not get the sense that this is what was at the root some people’s fear. Linking someone to Islam in American politics today is tantamount to calling someone a ‘red’ back in the late 1940’s. (Or for those in theology getting labeled a liberal ― as some have given me.) The question I have been wrestling with, is weather or not being a Muslim is such a bad thing; that is, as far as the presidency of the United States goes does he need to be Christian? Surely we are not naive enough to think all of our Presidents have been Christian (George Washington anyone?) Is there something inherently wrong with Muslim’s (purely from a citizen’s perspective)? Does the job description of Pres. of the USA entail that someone swear sole allegiance to Jesus Christ (that is what a Christian is right?) Actually, I can’t image how someone like that could get elected. The President must have the survival of the nation as his first priority ― not Christ!
If Jesus were to come back today and do as the scripture says he will (subject all the world to himself) who would we want our President to fight for! PLEASE DON’T SAY JESUS! I imagine for the majority of America Jesus’ appearing is contrary to their desires.
I am concerned that American Christians (of course not all of them) have confused what the Christian message is. No matter how hard we fight for world peace, No matter how hard we fight sickness, No matter how hard we fight poverty ― it will not be dealt with until Jesus returns because they are all forces that only God can defeat. It seems that as Christians we see the world through a binary lens: Us and Them. Only, the Us is equal to one being an American capitalist who goes to church (but isn’t bothered by the actual teachings of the Bible). I guess I am saying that as of right now I see no reason why a Muslim would be worse then a Christian as President; especially considering Christian these days only means you got married in a Church (and divorced in the courtroom). What exactly have Muslims done that is so bad in this world? I mean the seemingly endless struggle in Ireland is between Catholics and Protestants right? Inquisition anybody? What about the Crusades? Muslims can be moral people in a way that is just as positive to the USA as can a Christian. Before we start saying what the Koran says make sure you’ve actually read it (not just read an article on the internet), oh, then make sure you can explain the similar statements in the Bible (you know the kill ‘em all statement in Duet).
I think we should be very careful to stick to the message of Scripture instead of hating on Muslims! Nowhere do you find that attitude in the New Testament! We must remember that the Us (Christians) have been designated for the purpose of revealing God to the Them (non-Christians). God did not only love and care for Israel in the New Testament, instead his love for the world caused him to give birth to Israel ― so that the world could know him. Eventually society is going to claim that Christianity is a hate group (because of its exclusivity) let us make sure it is for the name of Christ and not the name of our Nation! Jesus did not come to destroy idolaters but to reveal God in their presence. I think that should be my concern. And as far as the President goes I’ll think I’ll vote for who I think will do the best job caring for our little Empire.
This recent presidential race has left a sour taste in my mouth. There are many reasons why (not to mention that I have realized how unqualified I am to pick a President) but only one that I want to talk about right now: ISLAM!
Recently, I have been inundated with emails from well meaning people with links to You Tube clips and random website articles that claim Pres. elect Obama is really a ‘closet’ Muslim (you know the ones that claim he is from a tribe in Africa whose sole purpose is to destroy the USA). While I will concede that it would be a problem if our president was lying to us about something as fundamental as his religion, I did not get the sense that this is what was at the root some people’s fear. Linking someone to Islam in American politics today is tantamount to calling someone a ‘red’ back in the late 1940’s. (Or for those in theology getting labeled a liberal ― as some have given me.) The question I have been wrestling with, is weather or not being a Muslim is such a bad thing; that is, as far as the presidency of the United States goes does he need to be Christian? Surely we are not naive enough to think all of our Presidents have been Christian (George Washington anyone?) Is there something inherently wrong with Muslim’s (purely from a citizen’s perspective)? Does the job description of Pres. of the USA entail that someone swear sole allegiance to Jesus Christ (that is what a Christian is right?) Actually, I can’t image how someone like that could get elected. The President must have the survival of the nation as his first priority ― not Christ!
If Jesus were to come back today and do as the scripture says he will (subject all the world to himself) who would we want our President to fight for! PLEASE DON’T SAY JESUS! I imagine for the majority of America Jesus’ appearing is contrary to their desires.
I am concerned that American Christians (of course not all of them) have confused what the Christian message is. No matter how hard we fight for world peace, No matter how hard we fight sickness, No matter how hard we fight poverty ― it will not be dealt with until Jesus returns because they are all forces that only God can defeat. It seems that as Christians we see the world through a binary lens: Us and Them. Only, the Us is equal to one being an American capitalist who goes to church (but isn’t bothered by the actual teachings of the Bible). I guess I am saying that as of right now I see no reason why a Muslim would be worse then a Christian as President; especially considering Christian these days only means you got married in a Church (and divorced in the courtroom). What exactly have Muslims done that is so bad in this world? I mean the seemingly endless struggle in Ireland is between Catholics and Protestants right? Inquisition anybody? What about the Crusades? Muslims can be moral people in a way that is just as positive to the USA as can a Christian. Before we start saying what the Koran says make sure you’ve actually read it (not just read an article on the internet), oh, then make sure you can explain the similar statements in the Bible (you know the kill ‘em all statement in Duet).
I think we should be very careful to stick to the message of Scripture instead of hating on Muslims! Nowhere do you find that attitude in the New Testament! We must remember that the Us (Christians) have been designated for the purpose of revealing God to the Them (non-Christians). God did not only love and care for Israel in the New Testament, instead his love for the world caused him to give birth to Israel ― so that the world could know him. Eventually society is going to claim that Christianity is a hate group (because of its exclusivity) let us make sure it is for the name of Christ and not the name of our Nation! Jesus did not come to destroy idolaters but to reveal God in their presence. I think that should be my concern. And as far as the President goes I’ll think I’ll vote for who I think will do the best job caring for our little Empire.
posted by Daniel and Brittny Owens | 9:27 PM
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