God-o-Meter–like so much of the news media–was impressed with Barack Obama’s appearance last Sunday at a Greenville, SC megachurch as part of his campaign’s “40 Days of Faith and Family” tour of the state. After all, the conservative evangelical congregation’s previous political guests were Sen. Lindsey Graham, Gov. Mark Sanford, and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, all Republicans.
But God-o-Meter has learned that parishioners at Greenville’s Redemption World Outreach Center, where Obama told a crowd of nearly 5,000 how “I came to accept Jesus Christ into my life,” have flooded church leaders with dozens of emails complaining that the pro-abortion rights Obama was allowed a speaking slot. “We really didn’t anticipate the reaction we got,” church media director Joe Hayes tells Beliefnet.
A handful of emailers also had the misperception that Obama is Muslim and objected to his appearance on those grounds.
The outcry is provoking the church’s senior pastor, Apostle Ron Carpenter, to defend his decision to let Obama speak at a previously scheduled worship service this evening at 7 o’clock. Carpenter’s message will be streamed live at the church’s web site and video footage, God-o-Meter is told, will be posted there tomorrow.
“Senator Obama speaks about his faith because it has been an important part of his life for nearly twenty years and his expectation is never that every single person will agree with him,” says Obama Director of Religious Affairs Joshua DuBois. “He was honored by the warm welcome by most congregants last Sunday, and he looks forward to future opportunities to discuss his own faith and the role of religion in American life.”
The Redemption Center’s Hayes says church leaders are standing by their decision to let Obama speak—they were notified several days before Sunday’s service that the Senator would be attending—and saw it as an opportunity to build bridges to both parties in Washington. “How do you change government? You infiltrate it,” Hayes says. “Since Lindsey Graham spoke at our church, the Apostle [Carpenter] could pick up the phone and call him in Washington. Now he can pick up the phone and call Obama, too. We have credible relations in both parties now.”
“South Carolina is last in everything—we’re in the last county in the last state to recognize the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, so we are just little behind,” Hayes said in explaning the dismay over Obama’s appearance, even while noting that the congregation is roughly half white and half black.
While God-o-Meter’s needle is going down slightly—Obama was, after all, called out for not being insufficiently godly on the abortion issue by some serious believers—it suspects that Obama is better off politically for having appeared at Redemption World Outreach Center. As a slew of Democratic candidates for Congress illustrated in 2006, just showing up before evangelical audiences and making introductions to evangelical leaders makes it much harder for Democrats to be demonized by the Christian Right. And that can lead to the kind of small shifts in evangelical voting patterns that turn elections.
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posted October 13, 2007 at 10:58 am
Mr. Obama is a friend of influential evangelical leaders like Bishop T.D. Jakes and Pastor Rick Warren. I commend Apostle Carpenter of RWOC for inviting him to speak at their church and I humbly suggest God-o-Meter moves Mr. Obama’s reading to 9.
It is a disgrace when believers choose the way of the Pharisees (Luke 18:11) over Jesus’ message of love and compassion.
I grew up in church, preached at the age of 10 and I’ve been a Conservative my whole life. I believe life begins at conception (Jeremiah 1:5). 3 days ago, Obama told The Telegraph’s editorial board that when it comes to abortion, he and his wife, Michelle might make a different decision. SO WILL I.
But when a young girl or a married woman conceives following a rape, for example and she doesn’t have the faith to hold on to it, it is regrettable but I don’t want her jailed or treated with less compassion than a Pastor who commits adultery with his secretary or a Bishop who beats his wife savagely or a Pastor’s wife who murders her husband or one who divorces her husband after 17 years of marriage or a prosperity preacher who solicits money from believers using nuanced interpretation of select scriptures or a Republican who’s a closet homosexual.
We can’t force people to tell the truth, to not-commit adultery, to not-terminate their own pregnancy, etc and we can’t jail them for doing so. We let God deal with it appropriately. We tell them the consequences of each action, but ultimately the choice is theirs (Deuteronomy 30:19). That’s the emphasis of Mr. Obama’s stance and it’s a Christian stance.
We will never have a perfect President. But one who has served in a church; who says he is redeemed by the blood Jesus; who says his ways are ordered by the Lord; who promises to always tell the truth to the American people and to listen to us, is a great choice that I’m too happy to vote for and I appeal to evangelicals and Christians nationwide to support this man, Senator Obama. Of all the 18 candidates, if there’s a better choice for evangelicals, who can actually win, I’d like to know. God Bless you.
Brother Diamond
posted October 13, 2007 at 9:48 pm
AMEN!!!!!
posted October 14, 2007 at 10:52 am
I agree…I am against abortion.
Who are “YOU” to tell me to keep a baby conceive from rape?
Walk with me, comfort me, pray for me, tell me a story.
Share with me what’s right and what’s wrong…and let me make my own descision.
posted October 14, 2007 at 9:12 pm
BROTHER DIAMOND–God-o-Meter thanks you for taking time to compose such an in-depth post. One question: Are you finding that many conservative friends raised in the church feel the same way as you? Or are you doing lots of persuading these days?
posted October 18, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air in the political arena. It is refreshing to listen to someone who will listen to YOU. And someone who will tell you the truth, whether you agree with him or not. Or someone who doesn’t double-speak to appeal to diverse audiences. AND, especially someone who is not ashamed to confess his faith. Jesus Himself said, “But he who disowns me before men, will be disowned before the angels of God” Luke 12:9 (NIV).
As a Christian, Obama knows that just as people criticized Jesus, they will criticize him. I admire Obama for his unflinching consistency. May he be adequately rewarded for his courage. Perhaps his bold strength will encourage others to speak up and speak out.
Odessa W. Hooker
posted October 23, 2008 at 11:59 am
Well, let’s think about this… do I vote for a candidate because “he listens to me” and makes me feel valued or important? do I vote based on who will help me have more money in my pocket? (most Americans seem to think so)or do I vote based on who will most closely follow the commands of God’s Word? We only have to read a few verses of Proverbs to understand that those who do not follow God’s instructions are fools- while those who seek God and obey are wise. The results of foolishness are failure and destruction. If this applies to an individual’s life- then it will also apply to a nation.
As for the difficult situation of rape and abortion, let me ask you this. Well, first let me tell you, I have a beautiful 2 year old daughter named Hope. She is so funny and silly that you can’t help but to laugh. She has deep blue eyes and curly blonde hair. Let’s say that I break into your house one night while you are sleeping. I steal your valuables, vandalize your home and walk into your room and beat you with a baseball bat until you are almost dead. Then I am shot by the police and killed while leaving your home. But I left my 2 year old little girl in your bed right beside you. Would you kill her? Why not?
posted September 27, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Two years later… Do you still feel the same about Obama when…
*He didn’t attend the Christian National day of prayer
*He hasn’t picked a church to attend
*He chose a “beer fest” to solve a problem
*He said,”America does not accept legitimacy of Israeli settlements”
*Obama said to the world “we are not a Christian nation” (many times)
posted July 17, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Abortion for rape is one thing, abortion as a means of birth control is another, and this is what the great obama is forcing us to pay for.