Obama's Fascinating Interview with Cathleen Falsani

There are a couple of gems here. My favorite is when he says that sin is "being out of alignment with my values." A close second is the paragraph where he talks about his "ongoing conversation with God" and "constantly asking myself questions."

The man is more conscious than most people. Where does consciousness comes from? It comes from a connection to God. Consciousness equals enlightenment. The spirit of God or the Holy Spirit if you will raises one's consciousness. This is gift and it is manifested in president elect Obama through serving others. This current position he's in is his destiny. This is the work of the Spirit.
Whatever happens, do not touch a hair on his body. God is trying to tell us something through Mr. President Obama. Listen carefully.

I would like to know if the allegations mailed to me below are true. Perhaps Jay Sekulow could verify or tell me the truth?

--- On Tue, 11/11/08,
(This emaill is not being sent out under the auspices of James Padgett Ministries Association.)
Please bring this all important material to Dr. Dobson's attention

Dear Concerned Fellow American,
After learning that Barack Obama was born in Kenya and had been adopted in Indonesia by his mother's second husband, Lulu Soetero (making him ineligible to become President of the United States, attorney Phillip Berg (framer Deputy Attorney General for the State of Pennsylvania and lifelong prominent Democrat), asked the Democratic National Committee to vet Obama on these matters prior to nominating him to be their party's candidate for the presidency. They refused to, so he filed a lawsuit against Obama and the Democratic National Committee and others involved. His lawsuit was dismissed by the US District Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania on the absurd basis that he lacked standing to question the Democratic Party's choice in moving forward with Obama. Berg filed an appeal to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is giving Obama and the Democratic National Committee until December 1, 2008 to respond. After Berg files his answer to their response, the Supreme Court WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO REVIEW THE CASE, BERG VS. OBAMA.

Though attorney Berg has been on over 60 media programs and his website has over 71.8 million hits on it, our NATIONAL MEDIA HAS MENTIONED NOTHING OF THIS. Please pray and do anything you can do to help make this public knowledge. Pray that the Supreme Court will decide to review the case and will declare Obama ineligible (for the sake of the 1.3 million babies that will be aborted each year as well as many lives that will be greatlly damaged by the advance of the homosexual agenda. It was leaked Monday, Nov. 10, that in his first day in office, Obama will move to again fund abortions overseas {which Pres. Bush stopped) Again, for further information and updates on this lawsuit, you can go to Phillip Berg's website, www.Obamacrimes.com. You can also google "Obama birth certificate" and obtain articles fully explaining his lawsuit.

Berg, of course, is familiar with the defenses of Obama's birth certificates mentioned on Snopes, Politfact and FactCheck - but believes these are not telling the whole story and contain inaccurate material. One only needs to know that the Annenburgs own FactCheck.com and that Obama sat for many years on the board of one of their corporations. Wouldn't effect its partiality any, would it?

If you google "Obama birth certificate, you will see even a number YouTube videos that also bring out the spurious nature of the birth certificate the DNC posted on their website.


(Please forward this on to other likeminded citicens who would pray and work in order that the truth would be publicly exposed.)

Below is the latest press release about this lawsuit, stating Souter has directed Obama and DNC to respond to it by Decmember 1, 2008.

For Immediate Release: - 11/07/08

U. S. SUPREME COURT AWAITS RESPONSE TO
BERG'S WRIT OF CERTIORARI
FROM OBAMA, DNC and Co-DEFENDANTS
(Contact information and PDF at end)

(Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania – 11/07/08) - Philip J. Berg, Esquire, the Attorney who filed suit against Barack H. Obama challenging Senator Obama’s lack of “qualifications” to serve as President of the United States filed a Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court on October 30, 2008, requesting review of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Surrick’s Dismissal of Philip J. Berg’s lawsuit against Barack H. Obama, Jr., the DNC and the other co-Defendants. Accordingly, the U. S. Supreme Court has set dates in which Barack Obama, the DNC and all co-Defendants are to respond to the Writ, which is on or before December 1, 2008.

Mr. Berg remarked today, “I look forward to receiving Defendant Obama's response to the Writ and am hopeful the U. S. Supreme Court will review Berg v. Obama. I believe Mr. Obama is not a constitutionally-qualified natural-born citizen and is ineligible to assume the office of President of the United States.”

Mr. Berg’s case, Berg vs. Obama was dismissed from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Docket # 08-cv-4083 for lack of standing. Mr. Berg filed a Writ of Certiorari for review of the case and an injunction to stay the election pending review. Justice Souter denied the injunction. It is expected that the Court will decide whether or not to review Berg v. Obama after the Defendants file their response, and Mr. Berg has replied to the Defendant’s response.

The Defendants' response is due by December 1st and Mr. Berg's reply will be submitted thereafter.

# # #

Philip J. Berg, Esquire
555 Andorra Glen Court, Suite 12
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-2531
Cell (610) 662-3005
(610) 825-3134
(800) 993-PHIL [7445]
Fax (610) 834-7659
philjberg@obamacrimes.com philjberg@obamacrimes.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Below is an article describing the grounds for Phillip Berg's lawsuit (Below it are links to other helpful articles by Berg)):

Thursday, August 21, 2008
Obama Sued in Philadelphia Federal Court on Grounds he is Constitutionally Ineligible for the Presidency
by Jeff Schreiber
America's Right.com

A prominent Philadelphia attorney and Hillary Clinton supporter filed suit this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the Federal Election Commission. The action seeks an injunction preventing the senator from continuing his candidacy and a court order enjoining the DNC from nominating him next week, all on grounds that Sen. Obama is constitutionally ineligible to run for and hold the office of President of the United States.

Philip Berg, the filing attorney, is a former gubernatorial and senatorial candidate, former chair of the Democratic Party in Montgomery (PA) County, former member of the Democratic State Committee, and former Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania. According to Berg, he filed the suit--just days before the DNC is to hold its nominating convention in Denver--for the health of the Democratic Party.

"I filed this action at this time," Berg stated, "to avoid the obvious problems that will occur when the Republican Party raises these issues after Obama is nominated.".

Berg cited a number of unanswered questions regarding the Illinois senator's background, and in today's lawsuit maintained that Sen. Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen or that, if he ever was, he lost his citizenship when he was adopted in Indonesia. Berg also cites what he calls "dual loyalties" due to his citizenship and ties with Kenya and Indonesia.

Even if Sen. Obama can prove his U.S. citizenship, Berg stated, citing the senator's use of a birth certificate from the state of Hawaii verified as a forgery by three independent document forensic experts, the issue of "multi-citizenship with responsibilities owed to and allegiance to other countries" remains on the table.

In the lawsuit, Berg states that Sen. Obama was born in Kenya, and not in Hawaii as the senator maintains. Before giving birth, according to the lawsuit, Obama's mother traveled to Kenya with his father but was prevented from flying back to Hawaii because of the late stage of her pregnancy, "apparently a normal restriction to avoid births during a flight." As Sen. Obama's own paternal grandmother, half-brother and half-sister have also claimed, Berg maintains that Stanley Ann Dunham--Obama's mother--gave birth to little Barack in Kenya and subsequently flew to Hawaii to register the birth.

Berg cites inconsistent accounts of Sen. Obama's birth, including reports that he was born at two separate hospitals--Kapiolani Hospital and Queens Hospital--in Honolulu, as well a profound lack of birthing records for Stanley Ann Dunham, though simple "registry of birth" records for Barack Obama are available in a Hawaiian public records office.

Should Sen. Obama truly have been born in Kenya, Berg writes, the laws on the books at the time of his birth hold that U.S. citizenship may only pass to a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent and non-citizen parent if the former was at least 19 years of age. Sen. Obama's mother was only 18 at the time. Therefore, because U.S. citizenship could not legally be passed on to him, Obama could not be registered as a "natural born" citizen and would therefore be ineligible to seek the presidency pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution.

Moreover, even if Sen. Obama could have somehow been deemed "natural born," that citizenship was lost in or around 1967 when he and his mother took up residency in Indonesia, where Stanley Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen. Berg also states that he possesses copies of Sen. Obama's registration to Fransiskus Assisi School In Jakarta, Indonesia which clearly show that he was registered under the name "Barry Soetoro" and his citizenship listed as Indonesian.

The Hawaiian birth certificate, Berg says, is a forgery. In the suit, the attorney states that the birth certificate on record is a forgery, has been identified as such by three independent document forensic experts, and actually belonged to Maya Kasandra Soetoro, Sen. Obama's half-sister.

"Voters donated money, goods and services to elect a nominee and were defrauded by Sen. Obama's lies and obfuscations," Berg stated. "If the DNC officers ... had performed one ounce of due diligence we would not find ourselves in this emergency predicament, one week away from making a person the nominee who has lost their citizenship as a child and failed to even perform the basic steps of regaining citizenship as prescribed by constitutional laws."

"It is unfair to the country," he continued, "for candidates of either party to become the nominee when there is any question of the ability to serve if elected."

RELATED ITEMS:

America's Right commentaries: Eligibility Goes Beyond Citizenship and Is this For Real, and Why Hasn't the Mainstream Media Covered it Yet?

America's Right interview: A Conversation with Philip Berg, Esq.

See periodic updates at America's Right.com (Click HERE)

Wow. I believe he is going to make a wonderful President. How fortunate for America to have chosen such an intelligent and spiritually grounded man to lead this country. I like the part where he explains that we are all connected no matter what our spiritual beliefs are.. And what's even more comforting is that he seems to still have the same values during the elections and now that he spoke of 4 years ago in this interview. Now that really speaks to his character and his honesty....I voted for the right man...

Thank you so much for sharing. I could tell this is how Barack Obama believed just from carefully watching and listening to him throughout this Presidential Campaign. I'm so very grateful.

And to think that while we were crying out to God as the devastation of the 60's proceeded, God had already answered (Barack was born in 1962)!! The other day I heard John Lewis put it this way about Barack: "He was tracked down by the Spirit of History and he allowed himself to be used for the common good."

We're living in a sacred moment in time. How cool is that?!

My god, that we elected such a wonderfully aware and intelligent man to the highest office in the land is a total miracle. Amazing. Simply amazing. Is America reinventing itself again? I don't even believe in god and I want to say God have mercy on us that we not lose hope, and keep and protect Mr. Obama.

This is so inspiring! It's funny to me how some people try to claim that Barack Obama is a Muslim and in the same breath condemn him for belonging to Rev. Wright's "christian" church for 20 years! It's plain to see that this is a man with deeply rooted spititual values and solid moral fiber that can be seen throughout his family, especially in his children! I am a registered Republican but I did vote for him and I think we got it right this time!

I don't understand how this individual can spout the stuff that he can and consider himself a Christian. He sounds more like a Unitarian Universalist.

In regards to Frank's comments, why do conserviative Christians always have to parse everything so literally? I really think you miss the essense of Christ. Don't forget the real developer of Christianity was Paul and dogma was to come later. Unitarians view the world as having many avenues to truth. Would Christ really object? How do you make sense of Christianity as love and reconcile using fear and exclusivism? And how do you miss that Jesus was a jew, born, lived and died as one. Does all Judaism go out the window? Was he breaking with his faith or simply challenging it?

Really, I only have respect for thinking, questioning Christians. Sorry!

To Frank's statement:

Maybe one day we'll be more concerned with what people Are rather than what they "call themselves." We know that many murderers, pedophile priests, and others who simply wish to feel superior "call themselves" Christian quite often. But what we "are" is the extent to which we are loving in our heart--the extent to which our spirit is free of judgment and superiority. Working to say others aren't Christian is a way to be quite unChristian and repel others who may consider looking at the actual teachings of Jesus.

Just an FYI, I see in the post about Berg's lawsuit that he believes Obama's birth certificate is fraud, the following statement:

The Hawaiian birth certificate, Berg says, is a forgery. In the suit, the attorney states that the birth certificate on record is a forgery, has been identified as such by three independent document forensic experts, and actually belonged to Maya Kasandra Soetoro, Sen. Obama's half-sister.

It couldn't possibly be Maya's hawaiian birth certificate forged to look like his. She wasn't born in Hawaii, but rather Indonesia where they lived at the time of her birth.

Berg has been proven to be a nut case who files lawsuits at every single opportunity. He has attempted to sue hundreds of people and his claims are always thrown out of court. He's just an attention seeker trying to capitalize on the Obama success.

He fails on every measurement of 'what is a christian'.

He says sin is just "not following his own values"
he says Jesus is "a teacher"
He says there are "many ways"
He says he can get to heaven "by being good enough"

Christianity is not what we define it to be, but what Christ defined it -- in His own words.

David
www.redletterbelievers.com

I'll be the first to admit that as a Christian, I did find some of his answers thoroughly disappointing, from a theological perspective. Only God can truly know if any man really has a relationship with Him or not, and I have no reason to doubt Obama's sincerity, but his answers here are far from matching the clear doctrine of the Bible, New Testament in particular.

That being said, this doesn't change my opinion of our new President, from a political standpoint. He's a man who clearly has a very strong moral compass and a genuine concern for his fellow man. His theology may not line up with mine but he is still a great example of what kind of people we should strive to be, regardless of our various faiths.

It's really remarkable to have someone as our leader who speaks so thoughtfully and in depth about these most profound issues. All I can say to David R and those like him, I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry that religion has so narrowed you and closed you off, rather than opening you, as it appears to have done for Obama. Your response is the essence of smallminded dogma, and we should never stop fighting that spiritual smallness.

I'm not even sure why I'm responding to you; it just took my breath away to read such a profound conversation with our new President and have it be boiled down so mindlessly as you did. I hope you will one day see the true depth of Obama's religious views, and the poverty of your own.

Saying Obama is not a Christian is bearing false witness and therefore a sin.

Wow this is such a personality quiz! If anyone can read into Obama's ideas anything evil as anonymous has tried they are really telling you something about themselves. It is kind of scary actually how so many words were so well organized to rationalize the antisocial hate behind them. When you see a painting of love birds in a tree and some anonymous person steps up to tell you that they just ate their children or something you first step back, then smile, then run.

I actually think that Obama is acting appropriately as a Christian. While I also may not necessarily agree with everything he says, based on Romans 14, I think that he is on the right track. I would also add that I think there is a big difference between speaking falsely out of fear and speaking honestly with respect for the needs of your audience. There are plenty of examples of both in the Bible. My impression is that this interview falls in the latter category.

This is a transcript from an interview in 2004. What strikes me is how - after four undoubtedly tumultuous years - Obama has remained consistent in the way he speaks of his faith and steadfast in his personal spirituality of tolerance and the diversity of individual paths, awe and acceptance of the complexities beyond human understanding, appreciation of the importance of the separation of church and state informed by his study of constitutional law, and clearly a strong belief in core common values that rightly guide us true and unite us.

That's a lovely interview. Yes, I was also struck by how similar he sounds four years later. I'm having trouble thinking of any other politician who might give such a thoughtful interview. Sure, lots of people can quote the bible at length but Obama discusses his faith in a very personal way and makes sure his interviewer knows that he's not sure about a lot. His faith is a process, something he strives for, not a blow to the head and sudden truth.

On a personal level, I feel very sympathetic to his views and his faith but politically speaking, I'd say this is a clear example of why I'd vote for someone who brings their religion to their office. He has a moral, not a fundamentalist, approach to integrating his religion into is poltics.

What a refreshing interview. I was a bit put off when I first read through it when he dodges a few questions or frames things to avoid a controversial answer but, on the second read, I saw that he's not only self-conscious about sensitive topics but he's self-effacing and genuinely modest about dealing with people he might disagree with. It's too bad that, now that he's president, he's just not gong to be able to discuss these things at a level of detail that he must think about them. He's moved his rhetoric more toward, oh, the style of King and Ghandi, operating only in policy details but avoiding rhetorical detail. Anyway, thanks for publishing the whole interview.

Obama claim that "Jesus is an historical figure for me" is a bit odd especially because he never mentions Christ as The Son of God.

Obama also describing sin as something "out of alignment with his values" is a bit strange.

Tis shows Obama has a clear disconnect from Christian faith.

I have to agree with 186. Notmentioning that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God shows a clearly distorted view of the Christian faith.

Using terms such as "Religion" or "Spirituality" seem to detract from the truth. The truth is that Jesus came to save the lost, which we all are or were at some time. This crosses all racial, demographic, and geographical barriers.

Although Jesus and the first disciples and apostles were not necessarily political figures, they did interact with politicians, law, government, etc. Look at Peter's and Paul's speeches to rulers. Look at how Jesus interacted and responded to them. Read their teachings on how Christians are to treat non-believers and all people. You will see unconditional love and sacrifice for others, with no tolerance for sin (especially in the church).

It's okay to be a leader, politician, religious figure, whatever, and not compromise the Word of God and still have the love of Christ for others (regardless of their beliefs).

Thank you for posting this.

Some of what Obama says echoes Emerson. He may read "On Self-Reliance" from time to time.

I hate to hear people who think they have Christians figured out. They know the talk but their tone shows they don't know what they're talking about. The bottom line is this: he sat in a church listening to hate messages when he told the world he didn't. That to me is a lie. I would have rather he admit it up front and say he was leaving for a better church or even if he said he liked what he heard, but to blantantly lie. I see how he tries to make himself look "Christian", but the fruits aren't there. Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits". He may be spiritual, but I don't know what spirit he is talking about.

To the geniuses who denounce Obama's citizenship, I have this to say:

1. I regard Obama as a political fraud along with all the rest of them. He's going to be strictly a 1-termer when he proves incapable of bringing about any substantive change. I don't take any of this pro-abortionist's expressed religious views seriously, any more than I could take seriously the expressed religious views of any Kali human sacrifice worshipper.

2. BUT Obama is most emphatically a US citizen who can be (and is) elected president. It is a common error to think that a US citizen born outside the US is somehow ineligible to the office of president. The Constitution says that the president must be a "natural" born citizen, not a "native" born citizen. So all the hogwash about his Hawaiian birth certificate or whether he was born in Kenya is utterly irrelevant.

People who oppose Obama should do so on substantive grounds, and not dishonor themselves with invented technicalities.

Sorry to rock your boat, demablogue, but God is Love, Joy, Power and Wisdom, and when I am in alignment with God, I experience Love, Joy, Power and Wisdom. The instant I say, "You are damned because you don't worship God using the correct formula," you separate yourself from God.

In reply you will say, the Bible says such and such, and therefore I am right. I have one answer to that. The Bible is not the experience of standing in constant communion with God, and everyone is equally qualified to experience that communion, no secret handshake required. The Bible may point the way, but as the Zen masters say, "Look at the fool who points at the moon, then mistakes his finger for the moon itself."

God's children will never need a book, or a church or a community to tell them what their connection to God must be. Everyone's connection to God is a given, and the Love, Joy, Power and Wisdom that I feel in His presence is the only proof I need that His Love has not a hint of the hatred and exclusion that seems to be all the rage.

So, you know what is in President-elect Obama's heart? How is this? You know what his connection with his creator is? Amazing!

Having been a fire-and-brimstone Baptist Christian for seven years of my life, and having thereafter evolved into an agnostic with an atheistic philosophy, I greatly admire Obama's belief system. It is the right kind of mindset to have as a Christian.

My former strain of Christianity is a sect that degrades humanity and the limited time we have here on Earth. It does not promote the wonderful human virtue of tolerance. It does not promote fairness. It does not promote rationality (see the 4/5ths of the world in Hell statement). It does not promote realistic family cohesion and love. In fact, that faith broke up my family and continues to have unfortunate consequences to this day since I left it six years ago. I learned that religious certainty - as espoused heavily by my former faith - is truly a soul- and mind-killing poison.

Obama, with his beliefs, is what we truly need at the helm of government at this turning point in American history.

Why do we lambast a good man (Christians - hah!) for the way he states his beliefs, and if you don't want him in your club because of it, well then he's probably use to that, isn't he. I think if you confronted Obama on his wording, he'd say, "okay u got me there, but I think you know what i mean". We should all walk in his shoes, and we'd probably find that they look a lot like sandals. It just astounds me that people can be so nasty (what would Jesus do?) when it comes to people's faith bases - it's what has caused thousands of years of suffering in the name of an exclusive savior - ironic at a minimum. What did Obama call it? religious certainty - which sorta counters the meaning of the word faith, doesn't it?

Not sure Obama's too clear on the principles of grace,forgiveness of sin, redemption,and resurrection (calling yourself a "Christian" is predicated on belief in these concepts). If he believes that "What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don't presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing." then he's missing the foundational aspects of Christianity in that it's not how good he can be, it's acknowledging that none of us is "good" or ever will be, but that Christ came to take the burden of sin from us. By inviting Christ into our hearts, only through Him (or Her) can we lead "lives fulfilled" which entails acts of "goodness" as well as countless failures forgiven.

Also, he defines "sin" as " being out of alignment with his (own) values." This is frightening to me, since we all carry around values of our own. I wonder if Hitler thought he was "aligned in his values" as he went about massacring the Jews. As a Christian, I believe sin is anything outside of God's will. The concept doesn't rotate around my values. I'm thankful for that, since if you left it to me, I'd tell you that I'm a whole lot less "full of sin" than God would. This is called "rationalization." There's no room for redemption if it's up to me and my values.

I didn't really know what Obama's spiritual orientation was, so I appreciate the article. I think he's a very well-meaning person, but he appears to be what I would call a "roll your own" Christian. These folks are quite popular. I don't judge them at all - they simply shouldn't call themselve Christians. I share a lot of his views, particularly his points about proselytizing and having a monopoly on Truth. I don't have all the answers (either); my only point is that if you call yourself a Christian, there are some basic beliefs involved. Obama should tell people he is a "man of faith."

Then again, that wouldn't bring the votes in the US, now would it. : )

Here's the best part of this issue. You are accusing ME of arguing in the context of Christianity. I do not call Barack Obama a Christian, he does.

If you claim to be a Christian, and then the words you say are antithetical to Christian doctrine (ignoring the words of Christ himself) then you are incorrect. I don't claim to be right, I BELIEVE I am right, but I am going on faith.

Let's do a word excercise. Dictionary.com defines Christian as:

Chris⋅tian   /ˈkrɪstʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kris-chuhn] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings: a Christian faith.
2. of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ: Spain is a Christian country.
3. of or pertaining to Christians: many Christian deaths in the Crusades.
4. exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike: She displayed true Christian charity.
5. decent; respectable: They gave him a good Christian burial.
6. human; not brutal; humane: Such behavior isn't Christian.
–noun 7. a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity.
8. a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ: He died like a true Christian.
9. a member of any of certain Protestant churches, as the Disciples of Christ and the Plymouth Brethren.
10. the hero of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
11. a male given name.

This is about as non-religious an approach to the term as you can take. However, even in a purely analytical, secular view, you still have to defer to the SOURCE of the concept: Christ.

Unfortunately, Skye, you can't burst my bubble. I'm basing my analysis of his words on the only actual reference for Christianity, Christ. I do not say that Barack Obama is NOT a spiritual man, or a child of God. I simply say that a Christian who ignores Christ is, by definition, not Christian.

Remember, HE brought it into Christianity...I did not label him Christian, he labels himself Christian. You can be a "good person" and not be a Christian. I'm not the judge, but I refuse to stand by while people dilute Christianity to anything OTHER than the following of Jesus Christ. If you don't like what Jesus said, did, or stands for, then don't be Christian.

You can cutely dismiss my argument because I quoted scripture; however, your dismissal will be revealed as invalid by anyone with even a rudimentary level of understanding. Let me explain this concept by analogy for you.

Barack Obama says, "I'm a burger king guy because I agree Big Macs, fries, and shakes."

You say, "SEE?!? HE DOES LOVE FAST FOOD!"

I say, "Wait, Big Macs come from McDonalds"

You say, "Don't you point to the menu!!!! HOW DARE YOU JUDGE HIS TASTE IN FAST FOOD."

I say, "He can like fast food all day but, Big Macs still come from McDonalds, so if he likes them, he's not a Burger King guy."

You have to take HIS argument in context...if you take it out of the context he frames it, you take your opinion out of relevance.

Cathleen, why did you hold off on posting this until after the election? Don't you think the voters are entitled to have all available information when making a decision on who should be leader of the free world? Would you have held off on posting an interview with John McCain if he had ties to similar religious figures like Wright and Pfleger?

On the interview itself:

Interesting, I always thought that sin was being out of alignment with God's values...

So Obama attended Trinity every week and he never heard Rev. Wright utter a racist or anti-semitic rant? I'm sure the President-elect is being quite forthcoming regarding that.

"Father Michael Pfleger is a dear friend, and somebody I interact with closely." Scary. Any person with common sense, left, right or center, would run, not walk, away from a Father Pfleger.

Deb,

We're not discussing abortion itself. What we're discussing is Obama's position on abortion, which includes his infamous support for even killing babies who somehow survive the abortion process. No such person can be regarded as being in tune with God in any religion or in any way a spiritual person. Obama is a good speaker, but not all of us are fooled by him. And after the disillusionment about him when he can't deliver his promised "change" sets in a year or two from now, a majority of us won't be fooled.

Oh, Your Name! That's the problem with the Bible or any scripture. It can be interpreted in any way you choose, and then you claim your interpretation is the correct one. So go practice your religion and call it whatever you like, and let everyone else practice theirs and call it whatever they want to! Why do you infernal fundamentalists want to force everyone into your terminology, definitions and system of religious practice?

This election was not the defeat of Republicans, but of narrow-mindedness, of us vs them, of intolerance. The intolerant are finally going to be more and more marginalized in the society & world. Palin was the last dying gasp of intolerance. Please God, let Palin be the 2012 Republican nominee!

PKFagan said:
“Also, he defines "sin" as " being out of alignment with his (own) values." This is frightening to me, since we all carry around values of our own. I wonder if Hitler thought he was "aligned in his values" as he went about massacring the Jews. As a Christian, I believe sin is anything outside of God's will. The concept doesn't rotate around my values. I'm thankful for that, since if you left it to me, I'd tell you that I'm a whole lot less "full of sin" than God would. This is called "rationalization." There's no room for redemption if it's up to me and my values.”

PKFagan, you may not realize it but when you claim that sin is anything outside God’s will you are rationalizing too. You are just not aware enough to admit that your view of sin comes from you. Obama sounds like he is aware of this, thankfully.

I find it funny that you claim to know what God would say about your sin, and then you accuse Obama of being the one who is disingenuous.

Tolerance is the key word here - be tolerant. We're all human beings, we all live on the same planet, we're all going to die, and we all have some belief about afterlife - yet no one knows for sure about God, it's all in your own belief system. There are billions of different believers. Let's all be tolerant and treat others the way you would want to be treated...respectfully. I'm quite pleased that our democracy worked - that people voted - and that we'll have someone who I consider enlightened and tolerant of others beliefs heading our country.

I find it a shame that some are so rigid in their dogmatic view of the world that they wouldn't find Obama's approach both refreshing and excitingly common. It's very close to what everyone I know from the small town I grew up in (a very Christen community) truly believes.

Thanks Ms. Falsani for a very good interview.

It is becoming apparent to me that Obama may well turn out to be a great spiritual leader as well as a great political leader. That is just what the world needs at this time--more inclusive spirituality, less devisive religion.

I did not find Obama's comments "refreshing" or "excitingly common". I found them somewhat contradictory, as Demablogue seemed to. He states he is a Christian, but based on his comments, doesn't practice Christianity fully. I believe he is like so many Americans who are more focused on themselves and what makes them feel good rather than living to honor a God or the basic truths of Christianity (or any other religion). I also found his comments that Fox News and talk radio were "dangerous" to be quite disturbing... Not very open minded. I'm also not surprised to see the comments discribing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright as a "good friend" -- contradicting his comments during the campaign. The more I learn about Obama, the more scared I get...

A W Tozes in speaking of the liberal churches of the day said " These will not quite give up the Bible, neither will they quite believe it"

Your Name wrote:

"I believe he [Obama] is like so many Americans who are more focused on themselves and what makes them feel good rather than living to honor a God or the basic truths of Christianity (or any other religion)."

You've got that 100% right!

And I will add that Obama's false god isn't just the idol of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman that he carries with him (see the Google News link I'm posting with this) Obama's false god is really the solipsistic Obama himself, making it all up as he goes along with neither reverence nor reference to the highest power.

Your Name wrote:

"I believe he [Obama] is like so many Americans who are more focused on themselves and what makes them feel good rather than living to honor a God or the basic truths of Christianity (or any other religion)."

You've got that 100% right!

And I will add that Obama's false god isn't just the idol of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman that he carries with him. See this Google News link:

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=hanuman+obama

Obama's false god is really the solipsistic Obama himself, making it all up as he goes along with neither reverence nor reference to the highest power.

Living by the "Golden Rule" should be the only religion any thinking person should need. Forget about the Bible, or the equivalent texts of the other great religions, I'm sure they all have passages that are educational and inspirational, however they were all cobbled together by flawed human beings and as such are tainted. One should approach the comparative study of relgions as an academic exercise, gleening from each whatever brings the intellect and the emotions into harmony. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

the commenters who say they do not believe that Obama is a christian just because he did not say in so many words that Jesus is the 'Son of God' etc. is disturbing because in many of the churches I have gone to just saying Jesus is enough to identify Him. Nothing else need be said. And in many churches

Sounds like Patrick is heavily into retribution. But of course, only in the loving Christian tradition. I say give him a break, his thinking must be clouded by the sleep deprivation caused by caring for so many of infants he's adopted. Try a little love, Pat...

This is a very revealing interview. Three things I learned: 1) Obama is not a true Christian (he essentially debunks the Bible's authority on Jesus Christ being God Incarnate) 2)He is more secular than I had originally thought and I fear that his policies will reflect this view 3)It's astounding how many people have written in support of his unitarian "religious" beliefs to the point of deifying him as the Messiah. It boggles the mind and does injury to the soul.

Jesus as the Son of God is equal to God the Father,Himself. A true Christian believes in the Trinity, God the Father, God, the Son and God, the Holy Spirit. Obama has no revelation in him concerning who Jesus is and what He has done for mankind. Jesus died on the cross and paid for all the sins of mankind. There is only one way to be saved, and that is through a confession of Jesus Chrit as Devine Savior and Lord. Obama has no revelation from the Holy Spirit in him, and attributes his wisdom and knowledge to an inner dialogue with self. This revelation comes out of a mixture of hinduism and secularism which accepts Jesus as a teacher or prophet of one of the religions, but not as the one and only Savior. That is the reason he can kill babies and compromise virtues on behalf of what he calls a greater good. The devil himself can give inner nudgings to Obasma and pervert the real truth. The reason he dislikes Bin Laden is not what he stood for, but his method of achieving it. What is the difference between killing defenseless babies in the womb and Bin Laden killing people who are alive to achieve his aim?

The dogmatic posts here are an affront to faith and to any notion of tolerance and charity.

Don't presume to tell others what a True Christian believes. You may have noticed that there is no universal understanding of what Christianity is even among the standard sects, much less in the world at large, where Christianity is a minority religion and always has been.

If you were truly a faith-holder, it should be enough that you believe something yourself, don't try to inflict your faith on others.

Do not underestimate the power of dogma - a specific tenet or doctrine. To Christians it represents the teachings of Jesus Christ. Far from being an affront to faith, it defines it. Despite our own Cloud of Unknowing, and in spite of our efforts to claim truth as our own invention, universal truth is found in the Logos inscripted in the Bible. Ask for wisdom and ye shall receive.

This is one of the most terrifying statements yet made:

They will know we are Obama's kind of Christians by our love.

Thanks, Luke, for pointing out just how dangerous it is for individuals to define their own faith.

As a Christian, I will follow the words of Christ. As whatever you are(Obamian?), you can follow the words of Obama. Unfortunately, you still will not be Christian if you reject the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Aghast, you are incorrect. ALL Christians, regardless of denominaiton, belive in a core set of tenets (Christian doctrine, Christ is God, Christ saved man) They disagree over prejudices fostered by 16th century European propaganda that linger to this day, and mere technicalities. However, you cannot find a Christian church that denies the basics about Jesus Christ. It is impossible, because to be Christian, you have to follow Christ.

It's not religion, it's not dogma, it's definition. The word Christian means follower of Christ, if you don't follow Christ, you can't be defined as Christian.

Freudian psychologists cannot, by definition, reject the teachings of Freud...when they do they change to something else (Jungian?) they redefine themselves, but they can no longer be Freudian.

You are continuing to fail in the argument category. Argue in context. Or have you figured it out yet that this is a non argument because it's definition by empirical evidence?

-Demablogue

As a Christian I am not allowed to judge a person. Period. That task is up to God. What Obama said in this interview, even if evasive and incomplete at times, made sense. Obama believes in the separation of church and state. He believes in choice, rights, freedom and equality. He has to manage his moral values, based on his Christian beliefs, with his civic values, based on his view of government. We do not live in a theocratic society, we live in a democracy - a republic, founded in the name of God, but not exclusive to one belief in God. "Freedom of religion" means just that, the good and the bad (in whose ever opinion you might choose). In "Freedom of speech", you have to tolerate the hateful words of the Klan as well as the angry outbursts of homosexuals. The Catholic Church and other fundamental ecclesial communities are at war, not with Obama, but with democracy. The challenge is in finding ways to cooperate and live together even though there may be many differences. I know in my hearts that as long as we are consumed solely on the symptoms of social degradation, like the so-called right to life issues: war, abortion, research, capital punishment, euthanasia, disease, famine or torture; then we will be doomed to fail because we are not focusing on the causes: loss of morals, decline in ethics, disintegration of the family, greed, avarice, or if you wish the seven deadly sins. It takes time to deal with the causes but that is our challenge and I think Obama knows this.

I feel in tune with Obama and most people who may have realized the purpose of religion may fee in tune with him.

To be religious is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence. God wants us to live in peace and harmony with his creation; that is indeed the purpose of religion, any religion.

Oneness of God is also expressed as oneness of the creation, oneness of the humanity and oneness of the people.

The phrase like God is one; world is one express Unity of the universe referred to as numerical number “one”. It is a large embrace of diverse people to live together without conflict, when you do that, you have embraced them all and a sense of oneness surfaces. A conflictless world is one.

If we can learn to accept and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge; peaceful co-existence.

One may wonder how each group praises the lord, to many it remains a myth as they are afraid to explore the truth; they have a sneaky suspicion that other ways of praising the divine is as legitimate as their own and erroneously believe that it would amount to infidelity to their own faith.

The guardians of the faith have a vested interest in promoting the idea that their faith is the best, and others are deficient, or even inferior or illegitimate. This protects their interests, but spiritually they are wrong, a majority of the people believe otherwise, they simply want to get along with others and do not believe for a moment that, their good friends who follow another faith will not receive God’s grace, they instinctively know that God will not cheat them.

When my daughter Mina was little, I took her and her brother Jeff to every place of worship… and then I would share the essence of what they pray or sing…One day, Mina’s excitement floored me; she exclaimed “Gee dad, it is cool that God can be worshipped in so many different ways.” Indeed, each way is beautiful to the believer. Like they say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, I would say “faith is in the heart of the believer”.

To be spiritual is to live in humility. Arrogance and spirituality are mutually exclusive or inversely proportional to each other; the greater the arrogance, lower the spirituality and vice versa. Claiming a faith to be superior is sheer arrogance as it knocks the humility and spirituality out, indeed, it is the source of conflict and puts one on missionizing exercises.

The goodness of one's faith does not hinge on the perceived or propagandized badness of other faiths, each faith is good and beautiful to the believer. When we can get to the point of appreciating every faith, it brings liberation to you from the binding emotions, and you achieve Nirvana, Moksha, Mukti, Nijaat or Salvation.

Mike Ghouse
www.Foundationforpluralism.com
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
www.MikeGhouse.net

Turquoise, the key is to look at the Freedom of Choice act and Obama's pledge to sign it into law as "the first bill [he] signs into law"

This quote is from BarackObama.com I'll let him speak for himself:

"When South Dakota passed a law banning all abortions in a direct effort to have Roe overruled, I was the only candidate for President to raise money to help the citizens of South Dakota repeal that law. When anti-choice protesters blocked the opening of an Illinois Planned Parenthood clinic in a community where affordable health care is in short supply, I was the only candidate for President who spoke out against it. And I will continue to defend this right by passing the Freedom of Choice Act as president."

From Wikipedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Choice_Act)

"The Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) is a bill in the United States Congress which, if enacted, would abolish all restrictions and limitations on the right of women in the United States to have an abortion prior to fetal viability, whether at the State or Federal level."

And here's a transcript of the bill from the Library of congress:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020:

This is as nice a manner as I can provide. I won't lecture on the contents of the Bill. I've linked to the bill, and provided Barack Obama's own words to describe it. The rest is up to you.

Demablogue

LIKE THE POPE SAID there wolfs in sheeps clothing__ it take a more then smart answers__ his actions will speak louder then words__

Links to Barack Obama's votes on IL's Born Alive Infant Protection Act

http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/02/links_to_barack.html

This interview with Obama comes in full text to us, only AFTER the election. If you are indeed open to alternative trains of thought, (as I have surmised from reading this board), this alone should raise your antennaes about his religious views, as well as his political aspirations.

Many people state religion and politics should be kept separate - and to a great extent, I agree. But it is a reality that anyone's views on religion, certainly enter in varying measures (depending on the extent of their religion and spirituality) into many areas of their life and their world views. I have to wonder why it is that this candid interview about his universalist views was not available in its full entirety, until now, after the election.

It appears to me that it was not made available, because it quite simply, would have turned off many conservative and moderate voters. And since he needed those votes, this candid interview was not fully available to the public. I am not certain whether it was the interviewer's decision, and/or Obama's, to not make the full extent of his spiritual views fully known until now - but whether it was him and/or the interviewer, I have to seriously question how religious or spiritual the person(s) are, who withheld this information.

Because you see, that is not only withholding with an underlying motive to covertly manipulate, it also smacks of deceit ... and I have yet to find any religion and/or spirituality, which upholds non-disclosure and/or deceit, as virtues.

It is true that Obama eluded to some of this in his election campaign, (so I am not completely surprised), however, he held out just how deep his universalist views really were. If he had a part in withholding the full extent of this interview until now, then I have great trouble with agreeing that he follows an internal moral compass.

Calling his views Christian, is not scripturally correct, as Christian tenets come from the Bible. It is impossible to embrace other religions, and also follow God and have that be a belief of Christianity, as Obama and many posters on this board, allege. Here's a bit of scripture on that: "I am the Lord your God, and there shall be no other Gods before me". And "you shall love thy God with all your heart, with all your mind and all your soul", and adds that this "Is the greatest commandment of all".

There is nowhere in the Christian bible where it even eludes to following other Gods and other religions, and/or being amenable to these, as being Christianity. And if you want to talk about Jesus, it is well-illustrated in the Bible that there were many in those times, following other religions, idols and false gods, and Jesus in no way welcomed or embraced these other religions or gods. Understanding that others are different than you, yes - for Jesus loved everyone (including those who treated him horribly) - but welcoming other religions with open arms like Obama does and believing that it is acceptable, no - that was not Jesus, and it is not God.

As for the paths that one poster talked about, and how it is okay to follow whatever spiritual path you wish (I remember Oprah claiming this, also), that doesn't follow Christianity, either - this is what Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life", John 14:6; and another scripture, that there is "only one way to get to the Father (God), through me (Jesus)". You can't get to Jesus, nor to God, if you embrace anything other than Christianity, or go down some other road or path. I'm sorry, but there is no other way.

It is that black-and-white and I hasten to say it, because so many people are led into the gray - and I realize that large mass of gray is very, very inviting - but this is scripturally true in Christianity, and it is very clear.

I did appreciate reading the full text of the interview, but sadly, it confirms that Obama does not understand Christianity.

I appreciate that people say not to judge Obama, but it seems sad to me that so many judge him in the same breath.

I find his words to be the most uniting, the most understanding of all faiths etc, of anyone I've ever heard speaking politically. I think that takes a great man and a great mind.

I think you would be hard pressed to find any Christian today who actually closely follows the scriptures and doesn't invent their own personal version of a personal God even going so far as to intentionally ignore whole uncomfortable swaths of scripture.

Faith is between a man and his god, a matter of personal conscience and I applaud Barack for being such a fine illustration of a faith that can be a uniting and not a dividing force in life.

Having been a Christian and a youth minister for decades, I applaud his courage to speak frankly about his personal faith, whether or not it would have self righteous Christians judging him for not being Christian enough. I thank heaven he's not the type of Christian many commenters here seem to be.

We should all be hoping and praying for the best from Obama in the coming years that our country might reap the rewards of such a bright, knowledgeable, charismatic and ambitious man leading us out of the dark times of the past 8 years. We should hope that he can rekindle the spirit of pride in this country, not only in some of the people here at home... but throughout the world. The world wants back the America it knew and loved and that is simply something we have not been as of late.

Bravo Barack Obama. Bravo.

Let's be clear about one thing: Barrack Obama does not subscribe to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and hence, is not a Christian. His views as gleaned from this interview are pluralistic in nature, embracing the "all roads, faiths, and religions ultimately lead to God" philosophy. In telling us he is a Christian, while at the same time downsizing Christ as a great teacher (and not God Incarnate), he leaves us no choice but to doubt his avowed Christian faith. As a Chrsitian, I can give Obama great latitude in his spiritual search for the truth, but there comes a time when I must separate truth from fiction. If indeed he has yet to find his faith - however defined - it is deceptive for him to claim the Chrsitian faith. This interview, along with the one at Saddleback (where he said the issue of abortion was above his pay grade) - reveals a man unable to categorically tell us exactly what he believes. With regard to abortion, it certainly wasn't above his pay grade to heartily support complex pro-abortion legislation time and time again. I am not so naive as to not realize that political posturing on the question of his faith was part and parcel of his presidential campaign. But we should not be fooled into thinking that, given this interview and the one at Saddleback, Obama believes that Christ is God, or that his faith is firmly grounded in the Chrsitian religion. I respect those with postings here that believe Obama's all-inclusiveness agenda will greatly help in mending this country's and this world's woes. Or that his election as President offers hope for a better future ahead. Those postings that defend Obama's pluralistic spiritual worldviews seem heartened that, finally, here is a leader who will be tolerant of all religious viewpoints, making for a better world where, absent partisan religious bickering, problems can finally be solved and we can live in a more peaceful world. To those I say the following: Never in the history of the world has "man" been able to bring about peace. Why? Because he is simply "man", who has sinned against God, and has lost his relationship with Him. Here is where Christianity and belief in Chrsit makes its profound impact. Chrsitians and non-Christians alike need only ask for forgiveness of sins and the connection with God is re-established. This is the power of God, through his Holy Spririt, enabling us once again to be in unision with Him. This is Christ's teachings. This is God's promise for those who believe. As a Chrsitian, I can attest to this God-power. I am not ashamed to dismiss the claims of other religions, to defend my own, nor do I struggle with the question of Absolute Truth. Religious pluralism is for those who continue the seach but have not yet found, who believe that man alone can solve the world's problems (mankind has yet do come close), and who believe more in the power of self than the power of God. Yet, I am not close-minded to those with different religious views. I respect the fact that they are seekers and, as a whole, aim to do good. There IS an answer. There IS a Truth. In large part, Obama seems to have won over those who profess allegiance to man rather than allegiance to God. Given his pronouncements, or lack thereof, I am one who does not put much faith in him. Why proclaim Christianity when his spiritual/religious worldview goes against its very tenets? We as Chrsitians are not deceived, and it is my hope that in the months and years ahead, the spiritual Obama will speak the truth. In today's world, when we seek more than ever to address the ever mounting problems of society, it is too easy to place blind faith on someone who inspires us, who tells us that change and renewed hope is coming. Let us not get too far ahead of the game. The truth shall set us free indeed. But whose truth are we more prepared to follow?

Just read the George ? comment. I am a stronger atheist for it. Thanks George.

The problem with George's possition and post is that he doesn't realize that he is not making claims for what he calls "Absolute truth," so much as he is making claims to be an absolute vessel. He is not claiming that his religion is perfect, so much as he is claiming that HIS articulation and HIS interpretation of it are perfect. This is nothing new in history, and it comes not from the perfection of his religion, but the perfection of his VANITY!____Compare:__"Lord,I thank you that I am not a sinner as other men are!"__With:__"Lord, be merciful unto me, a sinner!"____.... and you will begin to see the error of George's approach to religion.__

He was not hearing voices,Mr Your Name! "Internal monologue" is a literary term used over and over again by intellectuals like himself. It was first used by a writer called James Joyce who used the device in his book, "Ulysses". The addition of the word "dialogue" is again not original, but many commentators add that on to indicate the format which such a monologue usually takes.

Dear Mr/Ms "Your Name",____Really?! This is the best criticism you can come up with? Clearly your mission in commenting is to denegrate Obama in any way you can find, but your remarks are such a reach, I'm stunned that you're not falling all over yourself (maybe you do/are). ____Disgraceful!____"But the most disturbing thing in this interview is that Barack Obama hears an AUDIBLE VOICE guiding him. Besides the fact that if Sarah Palin had said that, she'd be thrown in a loony bin, this is extremely frightening to me because, if that AUDIBLE VOICE is not the voice of God -- and of course it's not ..."

I know that saying "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right, but take this posting from above:

"What is the difference between killing defenseless babies in the womb and Bin Laden killing people who are alive to achieve his aim?"

In place of Bin Laden you can insert the name of any US President that has claimed to be a Christian. I know the whole "Thou Shalt Not Kill" thing was in the Old Testament, but I can't be the only Christian that thinks it's also part of Jesus' teachings.

We expect, no, demand, that our President make the tough decision to order people to die and to kill. That would appear to be rather un-Christian.

It seems that we long ago decided that Christian love has no place in the White House, and we expect the President to be a Christian in name only.

George says that:__"Never in the history of the world has "man" been able to bring about peace."____Unfortunately, it would appear that neither has _____(non-man).____So much blood has been spilled in the name of God (and perhaps at God's direction - but, oh, how I hope that is not the case - but who am I to know).____And brisonc now suggests that Bush lived out Christ's command through killing.____I must be some kind of intolerant, dogmatic Christian because I cannot for the life of me comprehend how one reads the Gospel and comes to the conclusion that Jesus wants us to kill other people. ____Are they not children of God, no matter how lost or sinful? I, too, am lost and sinful. I guess I'm just lucky that my sins are more palatable to you, or you might see fit to kill me in Jesus' name as well.

Turquoise,

Thanks for the link, but let me point out two things. The link you provided is in reference to the Born Alive act. It also fails to refute the FACT that Obama voted against the bill in one instance, and present in another. The website attempts to justify his votes, but the voting record is still fact.

Two, I gave you Barack Obama's words about the Freedom of Choice Act. His words, not someone else, not a third party source. His goal is to preserve Roe vs Wade (as stated in the townhall debate with McCain) This is also stated on his website.

As abysmally small as his voting record is, it's 100% pro-(abortion)choice. You asked for sources, I gave them to you.

-Demablogue

thanks for bringing this interview forward at this time. obama doesn't talk much about his faith publicly (thank god for that), so it is wonderful to get this insight into his views. the fact that this interview was held long before the presidential race began make it, in my opinion, even more valuable. no one can accuse him of posturing or playing to the grandstand, because he didn't have this grandstand back then.

Dear Walker,____What absurdity. Bible is written by Humans with all their faults intact. If you read all the scriptures, only 2 of the religions have this dogma " You can reach God only thru Me". That's christianity and Islam. And this particular statement has been the cause of all religious wars. Before these religions came into this world, there was no war faught on the basis of religion. I am a christian and by reading Hinduism I clearly understand what Jesus meant. Hinduism says" All paths to reach God are true and wise men know it by different names". Jesus wanted His followers to be not wavering in their belief. That's why this statement from him. Lord Sri Krishna who lived 3000 years before Jesus Christ said the same lines in Bhagavad Gita. But He never said about rotting in hell if you do not follow. His message are one of love, compassion and the true way to attain God. No threats, no compulsions, no dogmas, no apostles' talking about hear-say 60 years after Jesus died. Got it??? Be open minded and all the ills of the world will vanish and there will be heaven on earth.

Very enlightening interview. This man is not Christian and does not confess Christ. The man says he has read the Bible but clearly is either lying or did not understand what he read. He, like millions of others in this country, have devised their own personal god and named him 'MY'.

Terrific! This is the kind of President we need in a diverse world. To the "real Christians": I should shudder at the idea of a President who honestly thinks that belief in Jesus is the single most important thing for everyone. Let's focus on feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and protecting the weak

Very reasonable, for a religionist. Nothing extreme. That's why I voted for him. I've never had the opportunity to vote for someone who ISN'T a religionist, much to my chagrin. Therefore, I'm forever simply choosing whichever seems the most reasonable, rational religionist. Cheers.

I was disappointed in some of his answers. Basically, in Obama's view of spirituality, the cross is essentially worthless. Why would we even need Jesus, if all it took for us to get to God was to "be a good person".

I also found his defintion of sin quite telling. Sin has nothing to do with my values. It is defined by what God values.

To everyone on here saying that we shouldn't be analyzing Barack Obama's faith, or criticizing him on theology or whatever other nonsense non-defense you can conceive, I say this.

No one on here is saying what Barack Obama SHOULD be. The person who brought religion, faith, and semantics into the debate is Barack Obama. By claiming to be a Christian, you open yourself up to scrutiny from other Christians.

If Barack Obama said he was anything other than Christian, people would be having the same discussion in different context.

Here's a scenario:

Barack Obama says, "I'm an atheist."

Interviewer, "So you believe in a humanistic approach based on compassions for others to relieve suffering on earth."

Barack Obama responds, "Pretty much, except I listen to the voice of almighty God for direction, because my own voice is inadequate."

Interviewer, "really? I thought you would derive your value system from the core ideals of atheism, self reliance and humanism?"

Barack Obama, "that's what I said, I am a teacher, a bridge to the core of humans, but I can't have all the answers. I must recognize that God is in control."

Thus I conclude my Bizarro version of this same conversation. He claims to be atheist, but then adheres to tenets of other faiths instead. It's the exact same argument. If you claim to be a Christian to win votes (let's face it) then be a Christian.

If you aren't Christian, who cares? Be honest about it. Being non-Christian doesn't mean he's going to axe-murder the White House staff. A president should have the integrity, and the courage, and the actual understanding of his spirituality. Barack Obama has demonstrated none of that simply because he decided to frame it as "Christian" to win votes.

He could have simply said he was deeply spiritual, and believed in God, but wasn't sure if man could adequately contain God in such restrictive terms as Christianity. At LEAST he would be honest then.

He framed the argument, he's still not a Christian, he's a liar at worst, he's ignorant of Christianity at best.

-Demablogue

It would have been far more helpful to the American voting public if this article had been released IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE the election, yes? You're a bit too late Cathleen....Why didn't you do this week ago??????

Interesting article. As an atheist, Sen. Obama's belief system is one I can appreciate. It is encouraging to see how many believers find his beliefs to be in accordance with their own.

To all the you True Christians (tm) posting on this thread, your posts demonstrate the perniciousness of overly dogmatic belief systems much better than anything someone like me could. Keep up the good work!

I wish everyone who thinks he is a Muslim would read this. I personaly don't have anything against the Muslim religion, but a lot of Americans immediatley think "terrorist" when they hear the world Muslim.

Re: Last post. I would say almost everyone here agrees with you on this. The debate centers on the veracity's of Obama's claim to be Chrsitian when all indications by his own words says he is not. If he is not - fine. Just don't claaim to be for poltical expediency.

President-elect Obama should reconsider his definition of sin. For him, sin is, "being out of alignment with my values." Since I'm pro-life, I'm in alignment with my values when I oppose the Freedom of Choice Act. Say that after the Freedom of Choice Act becomes a law, it forbids pro-lifers to publicly protest abortion. If I need to protest abortion to be in alignment with my pro-life values, then by Mr. Obama's definition of sin, to be in alignment with those values, I need to sin. Maybe sin is being out of alignment with God's values. If that's what sin is, and if my values are out of alignment with His values, I need to change my values to align them with His values.

I'm sorry, friends. I made a mistake in my previous note. My point was that by Obama's definition of sin, to obey the Freedom of Choice Act after it becomes a law, I'll need to be out of alignment with my values. By Obama's definition of sin, to obey the Freedom of Choice "law," I'll need to sin. But if a law requires me to sin, that law is immoral, isn't it? I believe that we sin when our behavior is out of alignment with God's values. So I need to value what he values, and he values the lives of unborn babies.

He is sensible only to the beguiled.

Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are FEROCIOUS WOLVES. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise evry good tree bears a good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and A Bad TREE CANNOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT. 19. Every tree that does not bear good truit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20.Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.____30. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord,Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'____above is from Matthew 7:15-23____Freedom of Choice Act is a bad fruit.____very bad fruit. stink fruit. obama is on utube saying to planned parenthood, the national abortion clinic: "the first thing i'd do as president is to sign the freedom of choice act." obama's "economic development" and "job security" for evil abortionists at the expense of babies, and women and fathers who would want to KEEP their babies. "the blood of the children"____where is it in the BIBLE about "the blood of the children" run across the nation? GOD doesn't put up with that. God HATES sacrificing children.

Obama is not a true Christian? Great! Thank God for secular government.

As much as I disagree with Christians fundamentalists, I think they have so-called "spiritual" Christians by the theological short and curlies. Come on people, you either believe the Bible is of divine origin or you do not. If what it says is true, most humans are going to Hell when they die. This includes Obama, non-Christians, liberal "Christians," and evil nonbelievers like me.

Yes, Jesus said some nice things, but you don't need to believe he was God in order to embrace his message of compassion and nonviolence. Besides, that's not all Jesus preached. Jesus was NOT a Universalist. Read the Bible! Read about the vipers, the goats and the sheep, the worm, the darkness, the firey furnace, the wide gate to death and destruction, etc. It is a distusting worldview, in my opinion, but that is what it says.

Yes, it is comforting to believe there is a loving Father looking after you, but when you get rid of the wrath and fury of God, whose name is Jealous, it is no longer Christianity that you practice.

Be honest, spiritual ones. Read Genesis and ask yourself if you really believe that stuff happened. Read Revelation and ask yourself if you really believe that stuff is going to happen. See if you really want to call yourself a Christian. I certainly do not. But if you still do, that's fine. In America, you have the freedom to believe in anthing you want, and worhip in anyway you want! That's why this counrty is so great! Even this heathen can see how much of a blessing that is.

George,

We both agree that people should be honest about what they believe. If one believes in universalism, why call oneself a Christian? I suspect most moderate Christians (or liberal or spiritual or whatever you may call them) simply do not know what the faith is all about. I would suggest they take the next logical step and get rid of the Christian label. Of course, this is going to go right over most people's heads. To be Christian is the norm in this counrty. People don't even think about it.

As for the rest of your comments, I appreciate the sincere and respectful tone. I do disagree with most of what you say though. I suggest that people read Genesis to see how myth-like it is, the age of the earth question did not actually occur to me. The age of Adam is what I would point people to. And the flood story is one of my favorites.

Recruiting Einstein as a Christian apologist is an unfair move, I think. I'm no scientist, but I have read some of his writings on religion. He did not believe in a personal God. There are some brillant scientists who are Christians (Francis Collins, for example), but Einstein was not one of them. And no, I'm pretty sure most physicists do not believe the earth is both 6,000 and 15 billion years old. But once again, I'm no scientist.

You incorrectly stated that the Bible's position is "that sinners (non-Christians) will fry in hell for all eternity." Sinner does not mean non-Christian. If it did, it would mean no one would be saved! No, the Bible says all humans are sinners. There are sinners who beleive in Christ, and thus are forgiven and saved, and there are sinners those who do not believe, and thus are condemned. But I'm sure you knew that already. I'm just pointing it out because many Christians seem to forget it.

The modern "separation from God" view of Hell- I didn't realize you were Catholic, ha ha. No, I would guess you are Born Again. I will further predict that you read alot of C.S. Lewis! There are some truly brillant Christian apologists/philosophers (I personally love Kierkegaard, and William Lane Craig can be very eloquent sometimes), but C.S. Lewis is not one of them. Hell in the Bible is clearly the experience of God's wrath and fury, the separation metaphor is quite a stretch.

Getting back to Obama- his Christianity may be lukewarm to some, laughable to others, but his message of tolerance is what is important. We should all stand together in support of religious freedom, and be thankful we live in a counrty where religion can flourish without government intervention, and citizens do not have to pay taxes for a State Church.

Wow, I have read all the proceeding comments and I am more than just a little overwhelmed. The deep convictions and enlightenment are all inspiring opinions based on limited knowledge. Please I don't presume to know the complete or even partial mind of God, however, I can only imagine the thoughts of the Son of God as he prepares for this next hour and reading your comments... "What?" ____I love pietas and bias but there is no time for such things. __Some of you will hear and some will not.

What a great interview. He was totally open and thoughtful, something we rarely allow politicians to be without paying a heavy price. He's obviously a very intelligent and deep person. I'm so very glad he's our president. I could care less if he passes the Christian test

The Bible is God's word. It is what He says about Himself and about man. Obama's read the Bible, but he doesn't believe it. The definition of Christian faith is believing God. Obama doesn't believe the Bible; he doesn't believe God. The Bible says nothing about many paths to the same place; it says no one comes to the Father except by Jesus. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. The Bible doesn't say that all go to heaven. It says that God is sin is punished. The only way to escape that punishment is by placing your faith in Christ's redemption of those sins (not by placing faith in your own values, whatever that means). The Bible says that Christ bore the wrath and judgment due us; that by faith in Him we are saved.

Obama does not believe the Bible at what it plainly says. He doesn't believe the gospel. By definition, he cannot be a Christian. That's the plain truth.

It doesn't change the fact that we ought to pray for him, nor does it change the fact that he's really not all that different from presidents past. But this interview sheds light on where he is spiritually. He's lost. His religion is nothing more than his own opinion and experiences; it has nothing to do with Christ.

If this was a statement of faith by a baptismal candidate, I would advise re-reading the book of John, offer personal tutoring and fellowship,and advise waiting until the faith was clearer before moving forward. This is the testimony of a nice fellow, but not a committed Christian. Too often he leans on his own values and his own deeds instead of on the Lord's.

"I'm always stuck by how much common sense the American people have. They get confused sometimes, watch FoxNews or listen to talk radio. That's dangerous sometimes. "
i think that's my favorite quote...everything else is just depressing

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought" Basho

Belief is not experience, the path is not the goal. I am very comfortable with Obama's use of Christianity.

Your Name: I don't believe that being a Christian is required to run a government. Many would say that George Bush is a born again believer (to be honest, I have no idea). If he is, then he is proof that a born again believer can screw up the country just as well as an atheist. I know a lot of great Christians that I wouldn't vote to become mayor, much less president. In the same way I know a lot of non-Christians that would do a great job at such executive roles. Christ didn't preach political revolution, he preached a revolution of the soul. Therefore I think it is pretty naive to base a vote on who you think is the best Christian. I wouldn't say that McCain's testimony is all that strong either, he just happens to be a Republican, so I am not sure who you voted for :)

Lets face it he is a universalist and any attempt to do say otherwise is a lie. All politicians lie about their resume and character. Lets not kid ourselves. All of us do as well. It is just clear that after a personal conversation with Obama regarding faith you know that He is not a Christian. I mean he has no concept of true Christian faith. If you cast a broad enough net out there you will catch all the fish. that is simply what he has done.

Isn't it nice to hear an intelligent person like Obama articulate the American concept that both believers and freethinkers are welcomed in our nation?

Sounds like a secular humanist to me... using christian contextual vocabulary since 1. this is his cultural background 2. political expediency requires it. If Christianity could morph itself into what he describes I would not oppose it so stongly. So, for now, as a Secular Humanist / post-theist American, I can forgive him for his "Christianity". __PS: Check out a new ad on busses in Washington, DC: www.whybelieveinagod.org

Secularization would simple be the absence of religion... or at leaset its slow retreat in the political sphere. Less of "God bless America" at the end of every political speech. Less influence by religious leaders on political policies, Less pandering to the religious right, less budget for the Office of Faith Based Initiatives. More money for Science education, the office of Science and Technology. More science used to make policy decisions. ____See Obama's speech on religion at You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Kh-xzerjE

That's a possible problem here. His alledged inclusionary vision of society may very well come with strings (laws) attached. Given the secularization of society as a whole, Obama is in a position to quell religion as we know it!

Obama's views are very much in line with the church he belongs to, the United Church of Christ. His comments represent a wonderful trend in christianity. I am someone who was born in a very fundamentalist church in which judgements were constantly hurled in every direction. It was such a spiritually depressing and hurtful environment for me. I rebelled and rejected christianity for many years before re-reading the bible and realizing that there was nothing Jesus warned of more than judgement and intolerance. I find that most churches have long mangled god's message to suit their purpose. Gods words are there for everyone to read and the scriptures are living, meaning that you must read and re-read them yourself and pray and come up with your own version of what is right. If you just follow a set of rules provided by your church that is totally missing the point. The bible says that Gods laws are written in the hearts of all men. I truly believe this and it's why I don't require that someone else become christian to believe they will be rewarded in heaven. I also don't believe that church leaders are any more inspired in their reading of the bible than any ordinary man. Or that the boy in a village in africa cannot know of Jesus' love if he has never read the bible. That's the whole point - God's law is the truth and there is no escaping it. Everytime you are aligned with God's law you will feel him. That's what Obama is saying. And no one else can tell you exactly how to get to that place, even the bible does not tell you exactly what to do. You must ask God for guidance and then LISTEN, that's the most important part. Christians need to realize that dogma is the enemy. The bible says "there is no one Good but him... and that there is not one that is worthy". So let's get our off our high horses and remember how little we know and how small we are compared to God. We must consistantly pray and ask for God's guidance in every aspect of our lives. We pray that every moment, our actions are aligned with God's truths, but we can never claim to know how God might judge us or another. It's dangerously arrogant and blasphemous to believe that.

Your Name (1)
Perhaps religion as we know it is something that needs to be quelled?

Re: Previous post: very well said. The only thing I would add is that in addition to "The only way to "know" God is to listen to His word, which is Holy Scripture, the Bible", we also come to know Him in our hearts and in the subtleties of veryday life wherein He speaks to your heart, making us understand things that we might otherwise miss.

Great discussion everyone, and for the most part very sincere and without condescension. Nicely done.

I just want to offer that as a Christian, I have never felt it was about getting "God's man into the White House." Jesus entirely ignored the political events of his time, because God's goal is not to establish Christian government, it is to redeem the human race and bring us back into relationship with Himself.

To my knowledge, Church and State together has never been a good thing, so why strive for it in the half-measure of wanting the president to follow Jesus? In China the government is ruthlessly athiest, and weekly I hear stories of how the Chinese church is exploding in secret house churches all over the country. Faith thrives under hardship and falls asleep when generally culturally accepted.

You know the Chinese Church has been praying for years that Christians in the U.S. would come under hardship and struggle? Hardship wakes us up. The economy is tough right now, there are serious problems all around, the question is: are we looking to Jesus or Obama as our saviour?

Obama could be intelligently universal about his faith to gain the widest appeal. He could also very easily be the product of a cultural christianity that forgets Jesus said He was the one and only way. I'm not sure. But Obama will hopefully do a good job being a tolerant president that governs for the entire nation, no matter what their belief. Christians won't be locked up for not being pluralists, I will be able to debate and discuss and show people the love of God without worry. America is still a great place to live.

To summarize, I like Obama, regardless of whether his faith conforms to mine. As individual yes, I want him to know Jesus truly and follow him. But I do not require it of my president.

Ultimately, I don't believe that wanting the U.S. to be a Christian Nation with a Christian President is biblical or desirable. Faith can't be legislated. Jesus doesn't work from the top down, He works from the inside out. No government is even remotely near the center of Christ's focus, loving each and every human heart is.

In Obama's defense, which I never thought I'd be doing, Phil 4:8 says that we can and should find inspiration in other things in addition to the bible. Also, while I believe that no "truth" can contradict the Bible, I do believe that a person can learn about God simply by having his Spirit's guidance. If thats their only influence then their beliefs are going to be culturally influenced, but if they have Jesus as Savior and Lord than on some level they have truth. Paul, only having the OT, learned from Jesus without having any instruction from others. I believe that because the bible says Jesus is the only way that we should put our faith in this and act as if this is true, but I'm sure we will all be surprized on who we'll see in Heaven someday. And as to those who think we should oppose Obama, hes elected God to be his judge... we should follow Jesus' advice in Mark 9:38-41. And Jesus even advocated following the Pharisee's teaching as long as you didn't imitate their actions... give thanks for what good Obama brings and be aware that he is just a man and you'll go fine.

Great interview, disheartening comments as usual. I'd like to ofer that as God Incarnate myself, my brother Jesus would like you all to take him off the pedestal as some sacrifice for our sins. And no, I'm not being biblical, because the Bible is just a book of wisdom, not the Word of God. And yet, just like Jesus, the Father and I are One and our love for you is eternal and unconditional. I love you because Love is Who I AM. When you wake up to this truth, you can come to know Jesus as a reflection of our own Christness, not some otherworldly incarnation of God in a profane world. Your faith, sadly, blinds you to your Truth. Burn the bible, take Jesus down from the cross, and open your heart to the one and only thing that matters: Love and Compassion. Obama's intuition is taking him down this path and that is a wonderful thing.

Now, to prove my point, if what I just said upsets and offends you, why is that? Why should anything matter about what I say or do other than whether I love you and treat you with compassion. It doesn't, but your certainty in your faith has shacked you to one way of knowing good--whichever way you interpret your scripture of choice. God is great. God is infinite. And God is beyond the limits of your petty faith. If you could only truly see... but that would take an open mind and heart, and the willingness to educate oneself about such things as the historical Jesus, biblical exegesis, and world relgions. Are you willing to do this at risk of learning you are wrong about the big answers to life?

Your posts are all too sad...

I find this fascinating. Absolutely astounding that our clergy was either hushed or ignorant to this. If that had been a GOP he would have been dragged thru hell in public. Pitiful that the church cares more about tax free status than they do truth. Sickening that USA has lost it's moral compass. Because Obama's moral compass is obviously as fake as he is.

....so it would appear that he is in fact not born again at all.

If you need to know if Obama is REALLY an American citizen...go read The William Holmes Blog. There is proof, including his birth records there.

Oh and another thing...Obama is wrong anyway, as God did give room for
all others to be saved, as it is written in Acts 11:16..."John Baptized with
water, but you will be Baptized with The Holy Spirit." In that regards all that believe
in their God, in and of which is all our God and their God is a Ghost or Spirit, of course...Can be Baptized with The Holy Ghost and who is it that thinks they can oppose God, as it says in the Bible?

My mission from God is to one day soon prove to the whole world that we all
are a Living Ghost, as only I can and will because I believe also that these are our last days as we know them to be...the signs are all around us that it is.

Ron D. A Quantum Fundamental Spirit Force of The Great Fundamental Spirit Force = God on high, as the God of all.

PS...Must not have read his Bible as good as he thought he might have.

Since when is it a bad thing to express your own religious beliefs and values while still respecting the beliefs and values of others? I don't think Obama's religious views are jumbled at all; I think he's right on target. He clearly understands his own beliefs as something not to be ashamed of but to act on in a manner that both reflects what he holds close to himself as morally important to him, but also tolerates, understands, and respects others to have different religious beliefs that they hold just as dear to themselves. Obama is both unafraid to voice his views and also willing to listen and understand the views of others. He also isn't going to let his own, PERSONAL views affect his politics in any way other than to stand up for what he thinks is right; for example, unlike Bush, he won't try to make laws out of his beliefs or try to apply his religion to everyone who lives in the United States by trying to ban gay marriage or illegalize abortion. Bush takes his religious views and assumes that everyone else should think and believe exactly what Bush thinks and believes. Obama, on the other hand, believes something, but lets others believe what they believe in return. It's very refreshing that we have elected someone who can understand how to RELATE his own values and beliefs to his job, to this country, to his decision-making process without just APPLYING his values and beliefs to his job, to this country, to his decision-making process.

Anybody who can say anything less or more when nobody knows is at a loss?

SAY WHAT? That's exactly what evil wants you to think or ANYONE else.
You know and EVERYONE KNOWS what is right and what is wrong and if you
believe that you don't...you believe only what evil wants you to believe,
as it misleads you, creates doubt within you and misleads you to think
somehow you don't know...YEAH RIGHT! Look all around you and you can see
and hear evil everywhere, as people claim they don't know what's right
and what's wrong. When are we going to take a stand for what's right and
what's good and not act like we don't know? Give me a break!

I tell you the truth...Obama is and will be The Antichrist as he will turn
this world into a one banking system and New World Order. First thing
to look for is when he attacks Pakistan, as it seems he can't wait till he starts
his own war and then WW3 Armageddon...Mark my Words!

Florida WINS SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME in College Football and Tim Tebow,
Florida Gators QB...Says, "ALL THANKS TO MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS
CHRIST...and again on Nation TV "May God Bless!" as he is up for The
Heisman Trophy and looks like a shoe in. His mother and father are
Missionaries in Bangladesh, as the announcers reported that too on
National TV. This means more for our young adults, as to have faith
and believe in ones self...more than any other thing in modern times
could ever do....that is, as to all the vile things that are on TV
nowadays. All Glory be to God on high!

Just thought I would mention that and it is truly a great thing for
a Super Star in College Football to announce before all...his Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.

Ron The Baptist, and A Quantum Fundamental Spirit Force in and of all
Nature, as He that is in me...it is I that is in Him! Believe!

Hey! I know...why not tell them what we did to the Indians when we came
here too and what was Columbus really looking for...maybe opium. Or how about
what the Brits did to China and their people when THEY DECIDED TO END THE SHIPMENTS
OF OPIUM and because the Brits didn't like that they started a war with them.

How about we just all lay down and take everything for granted as good for us all.

How about you maybe post your name or maybe you can tell us about what really happened
on 9-11? Sheesh guy I don't know where I would be without your so good advice.

Oh and how about you tell us all about Nixon and how of such a good guy he was too.

Or you could tell us all about the United States that wants to combine all 3 of North America as one and our next dollar will be called Amera-euro. You know...just like what Europe did and are now have the Euro's instead of The Pound and are called The European Union.

Yeah big man or whatever...tell us what is what and why and how we need to shut up.and just lay down and take it, as we have over and over again and again and again...since they started wars and the children couldn't wait to join the Army that killed their grandparents and bring home good money and wear them mighty fine medals. lol

NAH...I think I will keep my free speech.

The Bible defines sin succinctly in 1 John 3:4 "Sin is the transgression of the law.".