“but if you aren’t baptized, you aren’t a Christian, according to the understanding of virtually all Christians—Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox.”
I AM NOT IN ANY WAY DEFENDING POTUS OBAMA. I just want to clarify a point of some variants of protestant Christian doctrine. Southern Baptists, the largest Baptist body, DO NOT tie being “Baptized” with being a Christian (meaning being Baptisted makes you a Christian). You become a “Christian” first by faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone to save you from your sins and then you are “Baptisted” to show the world on whose side you sit. I have known many genuine “Christians” that went a long time before being Baptisted. However, Southern Baptists do tie Baptist with Church membership. While we acknowledge that someone who has saving faith (that implies many things) in Jesus Christ alone is a Christian, we don’t admit into church membership anyone that has not been scripturally Baptisted (immersed not sprinkled - to symbolize death burial and ressurection.
Bottom line: Being a Christian and Baptism are not the same thing amoung Southern Baptists. Baptism IS NOT a “sacrement” amoung Southern Baptists (sacrements inpart grace), it is an “ordinance” (a symbolic act to demonstrate a principle).
Now is President Obama a “Christian.” IMO only in the nominal sense. I do not believe he trully grasps the concept of sin and salvation from it. I don’t know his heart, so my opinion means nothing.
Was Rev. Wright’s church Baptist?
I’m asking because most of the Baptists I know are really conservative.