Months of posts have made it crystal clear that I do not like Barack Obama politically or even personally. But today he will be sworn in and become my President, and I will pray for him.
I think his policies are stubbornly wrongheaded. They will grind our already-struggling economy to a halt and make us weaker in an attempt to make us better liked – which is itself a stupid goal. He supports unrestricted, taxpayer-funded abortion – he’s promised to sign FOCA, which will undo decades of reasonable restrictions on abortion like informed consent and parental notification and legalizes partial birth abortion again. In my opinion, that is evil. Yes, evil. Whether Obama himself is personally evil is not for me to say, but certainly in the case of that policy, he’s choosing to support evil. It will result in the deaths of thousands of innocent human beings.
Now, people on the left – who as a group don’t call those babies human beings – might respond that George Bush did the same in his conduct of two wars. I don’t find that case persuasive, but I certainly support people’s right to make it. All of this is to say that my opinions about Barack Obama have much in common with the opinions of Bush Derangement Syndrome sufferers. My feelings, however, are quite different. I don’t hate the man. He doesn’t raise my blood pressure. I don’t wish him evil as repayment for the evil he intends to conduct.
I will pray for him, probably daily. I will not pray for his success - not when I disagree so heartily with his stated intentions! But I will pray for his health, his safety, for wisdom, discernment, patience, good judgement, for his family, and above all for his spiritual condition and growth.
Those are the same things I normally prayed for President Bush, in fact, because in many cases I did not wish him success in his goals either.
I may on occasion become angry with President Obama and be outraged by his policies. It is my job to rise above that anger and not sin. It is my prayer that other conservatives will as well; that we will hold fast to our principles and fight hard for them honorably and graciously. I’ll fail sometimes – we all will. But we can choose not to wallow in the muck as a good portion of the left has for the last eight years.
It’s time to – as Sam Gamgee put it – “show our quality.”
Very well said. I will take this into consideration when I pray for him as well.
In paragraph one you state, “and I will pray for him.” In paragraph two, you spew hate all over again. This is not godly, but is worldly and spiritually immature.
In your past comments you blindly push for the republican candidates, yet I do not hear you addressing the fact that President Bush last November admitted on ABC News as he exited the White House that he does not believe the Bible is literal, and that there is strong support for the likelihood of evolution. The fact is, the republican party hoodwinked votes from Evangelical republicans.
Why are Evangelical republicans married to the solo issue of abortion, yet ignore the issues of poverty and injustice? Yet in the Bible Jesus directly teaches that we are to care for the widows and the orphans. Yes, the Commandments tell us “do not murder.” And yes, abortion is murder, but why do Evangelical rebublicans only choose the abortion issue at the exclusion of all the other forms of murder?
I am praying for you.
Thanks for your prayers, Marie, but I still won’t bow to your straw man that unless I criticize everyone you think I should criticize, I’m not entitled to criticize anyone. Bush and Obama stand on their own. And I haven’t “spewed hate.” Grow up! Having a contrary opinion and expressing it forcefully is not hateful.
I do not ignore the issues of poverty and injustice – I’ve addressed that in detail here and in many other places in this blog, and according to the biblical standard, in fact – not by pushing our Christian responsibilities off on government, which has the net effect of harming the church.
Nor have I “blindly” pushed for GOP candidates. I’m not even registered Republican and McCain had my very reluctant support. I was quite specific in why I was so reluctant to support him, in fact; had you done even a cursory search before commenting you would have known that. Judging between two evils and choosing the lesser is hardly being hoodwinked.
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)
The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, Who can bring me down to the ground? Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD. (Obadiah 3)
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
(John 7:24)
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler–not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
(1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
Not to mention, Proverbs 18:6.
Marie, since you brought up poverty and “injustice” – can you explain why the right gives far more than the left in fulfilling the gospel mission of caring for the poor? No comment on how the left’s version of “christian charity” via forcible wealth redistribution does not glorify God or spread the gospel?
What are your thoughts on the fact that Jesus could have eradicated poverty with as much ease as he calmed the sea, yet didn’t? Do you think it’s possible that he permits poverty for reasons of his own, and that his specific instructions to Christians on how to address poverty might be in service of some larger goal?