The quiet impact of Obama’s Christian faith

Washington Post ^ | 12/22/15 | Greg Jaffe

[ghost of stonewall jackson]

Obama did not grow up in a religious household and became a practicing Christian as an adult. He has written more extensively about his spiritual awakening than almost any other modern president, addressing it in two books before he was elected to the White House and in more than a dozen speeches since.

His faith had been central to his identity as a new kind of Democrat who would bring civility to the country's political debates by appealing to Republicans through the shared language of their Judeo-Christian values.

With just one year left in his second term, Obama now holds a different distinction: No modern president has had his faith more routinely questioned and disparaged. Recent polls show that 29 percent of Americans and nearly 45 percent of Republicans say he is a Muslim.

He has repeatedly said in recent months that one of his biggest regrets is that he will leave behind a country that has grown more polarized and distrustful during his two terms in the White House. "There's all this goodness and decency and common sense on the ground, and somehow it gets translated into rigid, dogmatic, often mean-spirited politics," Obama said in a recent interview.

To understand why he so deeply believed that he could close that gap and why he largely has been unable to do so, it is essential to understand his faith and how it shapes his politics. That faith also explains why he has not given up.

[Argus]

Fridge worthy.

[CincyRichieRich]

Muzzies are heralded, celebrated by the left, so why are they not wanting him to be one?

[Steve_Seattle]

But . . . but . . . isn't it "theocracy" when Christians try to base their policies on their religious values? Of course, the answer to this conundrum is that so-called "Christians" are only praised for their faith when their policies coincide with the policies of secular liberals.

This whole article is a howler, an example of the media thinking they can fool people with utter absurdity.

[Steve_Seattle]

"I stopped reading after the first sentence. Obama is an atheist. I know this because I’m an atheist, and I know all the signs."

I'm not an atheist, but I absolutely agree. Everything he does spells a-t-h-e-i-s-t.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Stumbling around blindly...
Me eyes!

[Steve_Seattle]

"Watch how fast his spiritual being evolves once out of the White House."

I'm convinced that once he's safely out of politics, his future biographers will confirm that he's an agnostic or an atheist, and that many in the media and the Democratic Party knew it all along. It was just a sham to get enough extra votes to put him over the top.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The story is BS."

Yes, it is, and all of us here see it for what it is. Yet it is being put out by one of the country's most powerful media institutions. Think of it - absolute CRAP being put out as fact, and most people will believe it because it comes from a "mainstream" source.

[Zman516]

Everything Obozo says is a lie. His “Christian” faith is just one more.

[sauropod]

Remember the Klingon saying:

Revenge is a dish best served cold...

[this is a non-violent post. illustration is used to make a point - that is all]

[CyberAnt]

Considering all the skull-doggery this admin has been up to, nothing would surprise me.

[momincombatboots]

His Christian faith is so quiet as to be absent. No good fruit that I have seen... Even with his family, he seems, detached. Maybe it’s his overuse of I, me, my, mine..etc. just not a warm genuine person. I can see why he identifies with people who sell babies for parts and burn down businesses.

[Guenevere]

Is this from the Onion?
Surely it’s extreme satire.

[ilovesarah2012]

A BARF alert would have been an understatement.

[ilovesarah2012]

He said he believed his mother was in heaven because “she was a good person”. FAIL.

[crusty old prospector]

Where is his rabbit’s foot and four-leaf clover?

[simpson96]

Greg Jaffe is certifiable.