OK, so it looks like Barack Obama is the next president of the United States. Lemme 'splain the title.
Chill out: Let's all just take things down a few notches -- liberals, dems, and Obama Girls, brotha is NOT Jesus. Conservatives, republicans, and Palinites, brotha is also NOT Satan. We've had a republican president for the last eight years; now we have a democrat. K. Let's roll with that.
Praise God: He's in control. "There is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1-2
Let's pray: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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15 comments:
One of my favorite hymns comes to mind: "whate'er my God ordains is right."
We survived 8 years of the Clintons and I have a feeling the Democrats won't keep their congressional majority for very long.
Still, I think we're in for four long years of "see, I told you so's," and I'm going to relish every chance I have to rub it in the faces of those who voted for Obama.
Amen sista! A very sensible response.
Should I insert the verse about vengeance belonging to the Lord here, Jacob? ;)
I will be praying that Obama shows himself to be the intelligent, level-headed man he seems to be, that he surrounds himself with people who disagree with him, and that God will work a radical change in his heart in the next few months regarding the disgusting abomination of abortion.
For purely political reasons, I hope the Dems will soon lose their congressional majority -- I strongly prefer a president of one party and a congress of another.
To my American friends -- praise God that you live in a democracy!
You can vote people in, and you can vote people out. Millions around the world are not so fortunate...
Thanks for another level-headed post Laura.
I'm not sure how I feel about Obama's pro-choice view. I believe that abortion is wrong (and I know that personally Obama does as well), but I know that there are many people out there who are not Christian and who disagree with me. How much of a right do I have to legislate my beliefs?
Let me use an example. Most of us nowadays would say that slavery is a disgusting practice. But looking back at Paul's writing, although he condemns slavery, he commands slaves to obey their master. There is no suggestion that the new Christian church form a lobby and try to get the laws changed. Indeed, many early American 'Christians' were proponents of slavery.
Just one of those thoughts poking around in my head...
Phil, If the big O is "Personally" thinks abortion is wrong, why did he repeatedly violate is conscience to vote in favor of it?
Laura, great post. Whether I agree with him or not, BH Obama is my president.
I read the 1 Tim. passage for devotions at PEO Monday night, but since we had a fashion show at the beginning, I continued on to the part about women dressing modestly and not with fancy clothes. Made for quite the evening!
Hey Phil, thanks for your comment. If you're asserting that Obama's pro-choice position is based on his reluctance to legislate morality, well, as they say around here, "that dog won't hunt." He obviously views economic inequality as immoral, and is perfectly willing to create laws to address that situation. That's basically the definition of legislating morality.
And yes, slavery is a moral evil. But abortion (which causes the actual death of humans made in God's image) is a much, much greater moral evil.
Let me give you a for instance: Obama's public voting record shows that he's willing to allow (perhaps in spite of his personal convictions) that hospitals be permitted to refuse treatment to babies born after botched abortions. The babies would then be allowed to die of starvation, dehydration, and their injuries.
The fact that he claims to be personally opposed to abortion while voting this way shows he's either deceiving the public about his true position, or (more likely) operating under what we call a massive cognitive dissonance.
How much of a right, in the face of the killing of millions of humans made in God's image, do we have to legislate our beliefs? Every right, and every duty. American Christians ought to work at every level to reduce the number of abortions performed in America, from pulpit to crisis pregnancy center to Oval Office, because abortion IS, in fact, wrong.
Yeah Phil, I don't think you can compare slavery to abortion. It's not like Paul would've encouraged babies to submit to their abortionists. If you're going to compare it to anything then compare it to murder cause that's what it is.
Or, let's take an example, Der -- pretty sure Paul wouldn't have told the Rwandan Christians to stand by while Hutu militias slaughtered Tutsis.
We are to submit to all authorities (parents, teachers, cops, judges, presidents, kings) as they command us to do good. When it begins to command us to do evil (or to tolerate evil) we have a duty to rebel.
To say that I was comparing abortion to slavery is a gross misrepresentation of what I said. My actual point was comparing Paul's reaction to slavery with a (potential) reaction to abortion, and what I see Obama's reaction to be.
Yes Obama is personally opposed to abortion, and wants to see a reduction in abortions. A quick search on his beliefs brings up an interview:
http://fritchie.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/obama-on-abortion/
(He also explains in the interview why he voted the way he did, Laura)
Yes I believe that abortion is wrong. But how do I communicate that with those around me? I don't think that banning abortion is going to change the attitudes of anyone who believes that it's a basic women's rights issue. People's hearts need to change. That is what frustrates me about simply signing something into law - it doesn't change a person's heart. And that's really where I want to see people change.
I absolutely agree that heart change is necessary. But does that mean we abandon efforts to reduce the number of abortions? Does it mean that parental consent laws, informed consent laws, waiting periods, restrictions on when an abortion can be performed, physician conscience exceptions, etc. (all of which would be wiped out if Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act, as he has promised to do), are worthless?
I think the way to communicate to people about abortion is with reason. Everything we know about life tells us that it's absolutely repugnant to kill people based on their intellectual capacity, but how many Down Syndrome babies are aborted each year for that reason alone? It makes no sense that, when a child is wanted, we call it a baby, give it a name, and prosecute someone who shoots its mother in the belly and kills it, but when it's not wanted, we call it "products of conception," cut it into pieces, vacuum it out and throw it into a biohazard container.
I honestly do struggle with this whole issue, Phil. I don't think believers should put all (or even most) of our eggs in this basket called politics. I recognize that political change is not the same as ultimate change -- Gospel change. I wholeheartedly affirm the grassroots efforts of Christians in crisis pregnancy centers and the like.
But what I categorically reject is the idea that laws cannot help change minds. We've seen it over and over in history. The law must reward good and punish evil, even if it does so in spite of the opinions of the masses.
Good thoughts, Laura. I agree.
oh my gosh oh my gosh ... the PINK is GONE!!!
Oh my gosh and so much the better for it.
I agree with you... what a refreshing, level headed post :)
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