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Someone on another thread was telling me that as Christian, he had a better moral grounding than a non-Christian, because he would defer to God's will to decide what is right. The question I had is, how can one tell what is God's will?

Romans 13
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

So was Obama's election God's will? I have a feeling that Christians who defer to the Bible chapter and verse on some issues will suddenly discover (once again) that this is not at all what God meant.

I do not pretend to be a biblical scholar, but one cannot just cherry pick sentences with taking said sentence in context. The same goes for the bible, except that the context involves the entire bible, not just one book, chapter or verse. I usually disregard the verse pickers, because individual verses can be twisted or distorted to mean whatever one intends it to mean. It is an all or nothing proposition... you have presented a very sound argument, which means you will probably get flamed, but I support you and your argument...

So was Obama's election God's will? I have a feeling that Christians who defer to the Bible chapter and verse on some issues will suddenly discover (once again) that this is not at all what God meant.

Most of those "chapter and verse" Christians, myself included, already try to take the bible in it's complete context.

Furthermore, most of the time, those same Christians, myself included, are doing their best to quote/use scripture within the context provided by the bible and in context of the situation at hand.

Finally, there is no context to God's commands where morality is concerned or where salvation is concerned.

They simply apply.

Those looking for context are usually the ones trying to avoid the simple truth provided.

Study the political Sermon of 1776 by Samuel West “On the Right to Rebel” (the Patriots Handbook ,George Grant Editor,Cumberland House publishers 1996 ppb.pp119-152.To see
Romans 13: put in proper perspective - in my view) To answer your question was O put in the WhiteHouse by God.I submit if he was it was done in judgement for a nation that has chosen for its leaders men were not just nor would rule in fear of God as Noah Webster suggested in his history of the United States -and compatible with comments made during the ratification of our Constitution that Nations cannot be judged in the next world so must be this. By inevitable chain of cause and effect Providence punishes national sins by national calamaties.” And the 0 certainly seems a national calamaty.

So was Obama's election God's will?

God sometimes puts evil rulers in power to punish a sinful country. Here is an example from scripture:

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Jeremiah 25

Nebuchadnezzar was evil and yet was called God's servant, because God chose him to carry out his judgment. An excellent book on this subject is SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY, by Watchman Nee.

Key qualifiers that Paul, via the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, included in the text.

Rom 13:3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.

One could argue from verse 3 above, that rulers who do not punish only those who do wrong, are not to be considered established by God. The implication of the entire treatise is that of a ruler who is aligned with the "right" that God has revealed in the scriptures.

This disqualifies the liberals from being considered rulers.