The President’s obvious eschewal of the Gospel message during a “Christmas” speech shows he does not believe in Jesus, nor even understand Jesus.

Jesus died in our stead, and rose as the first born of many siblings, so that all who believed in him would have eternal life.

This speech is not an attempt to appeal to believing Christians. Rather, it wraps Christianity in a humanistic, New Age-palatable taco shell to make himself appeal to the non-believing masses.

My point in posting it is that Mr Knippenberg’s post and the comments discussed what Obama believes about Christ and the church. I have not seen another interview that reveals a lengthier discussion on this topic straight from the President’s mouth.

I did find it interesting that you seem to be defending the President against anyone that might question his faith, but when I posted his own words at length with a link to the entire interview you immediately read the President’s own words as indicting him on matters of Christian faith and leapt to defend him against his own words. What to make of that? Not sure, but as I said, I find it interesting.

I have seen that interview cited before (possibly by Joe I believe) as evidence that Obama is not an orthodox Christian. I would imagine many might have answered “Jesus is the Son of God” or incorporated something like that in their answer which is why I suspect some viewed it as questionable. However it seems to me to simply be different ways of wording a consistent idea.

What was your take on the interview and reason for posting it? Just general information? Your preamble sounds like it was meant to refute Knippenberg’s assertions about Obama’s Christmas speech?

Please note that all the conclusions about the interview that Obama “botched” it, that his answers could have been phrased differently, etc. came from you, not me.

Liam, you say that Obama’s answers are consistent with several major Founders and American politicians…” Several politicians today are atheists, Muslim, etc. So what?

Ultimately, those sessions went a long way to getting my wife and me into the Catholic Church–and away from that “illogical pluralism”

Sorry to disappoint both of you but the Catholic Church has not declared ‘turn the other cheek’ to be a mistranslation. You may want to pretend the assertion that we should “reaffirm our commitment to each other, as family members, as neighbors, as Americans, regardless of our color or creed or faith” is non-Christian, the reality is rejecting such an assertion would make you a very unOrthodox Christian….if a Christian at all.

Not to be too picky but I think quite a few everyday Christians would botch that same interview if they were being ‘graded’ by a rather strict theology professor. But then there’s nothing actually wrong with what he said that I can detect. If it was you being interviewed, I’m sure, you’d phrase your answers differently but strictly speaking there’s nothing unorthodox about describing Jesus as a ‘bridge between God and man’ as well as a historical figure. The real out, though, is the question “who is Jesus to you” which calls for not an ‘objective’ answer about Jesus’s nature that one would get from a Catechism or theology textbook but what happens to be of particular importance to an individual at that particular time.

All well put, but I can’t help but paste in this excerpt from an lengthy interview with Chicago-Sun Time religion columnist Cathleen Falsani (”God Girl”)

GG:Who’s Jesus to you?
(He laughs nervously)
OBAMA:Right.
Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.
And he’s also a wonderful teacher. I think it’s important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.
GG:Is Jesus someone who you feel you have a regular connection with now, a personal connection with in your life?
OBAMA:Yeah. Yes. I think some of the thigns I talked about earlier are addressed through, are channeled through my Christian faith and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
GG:Have you read the bible?
OBAMA:Absolutely.
I read it not as regularly as I would like. These days I don’t have much time for reading or reflection, period.

And later in the same interview:

GG:Do you believe in sin?
OBAMA:Yes.
GG:What is sin?
OBAMA:Being out of alignment with my values.
GG:What happens if you have sin in your life?
OBAMA:I think it’s the same thing as the question about heaven. In the same way that if I’m true to myself and my faith that that is its own reward, when I’m not true to it, it’s its own punishment.

More here.

The speech and the commentary it has generated here remind me too much of my days as an Episcopalian, when we would spend every Sunday afternoon in round robin phone calls analyzing the morning’s sermon for signs our America-hating, hetero-loathing (but other than that completely inclusive) rector was finally starting to take baby steps toward “our side”.

Ultimately, those sessions went a long way to getting my wife and me into the Catholic Church–and away from that “illogical pluralism” Mr. Mator speaks of. Because no matter how much you try to embrace everyone, your commitments are going to jar on someone who has made equal yet opposite commitments. And, depending on what those opposite commitments are, you could very easily find yourself cast out of the cozy picture the President’s remarks conjure up. That’s why my wife calls this administration “the Episcopal Church writ large”.

Let us not forget two things. First, despite our liturgical churchgoing and lack of personal firearms, we were all lumped into the “bitter clinger” category not too far back. Second, next year is an election year.