Lacking Evidence, Republicans and Graham Take Obama at His Word

Christian or Buddhist? 

Wanna see something neat? No really. As you know, some Republicans and conservatives, the less responsible ones, have been pushing the idea that our President is not a Christan. In pleasant theory our system should allow someone of any religion, or no religion, to be president. There is no "Christians only" clause. But we can understand the impulse given our own inclinations. We (meaning "I") lean toward candidates that profess some belief in God, and better yet, in Jesus. That's how we are here. But we also recognize that politicians are likely to slant, fade or enhance the truth. Many people will talk God, but are far from him in actual practice. And many people will be silent, but in deed and quiet thought and inner beliefs are every part the authentic Christian.

And by authentic we mean a person who prays, who reads the Bible, who believes that Jesus is a part of the god-head and a component in our salvation. It's hard to be an authentic Christian without the prayer, Bible and faith parts.

In most cases the nation falls into the "cultural" Christian category. We like our churches and recognize the benefits of organized "do gooding". It's social, a good example for the kids. A nice way to spend a Sunday if we get there. Makes us feel good. It's just another American structure--like the government, the media, colleges, health organizations--that affirm to us that we are not on edge of backwardness or like the heathens (you know, like Africans or whatever godless communists are still lurking about).

The President has been under attack directly for having an odd name and being the son of an Islamic father. His father was mostly atheist, but the cultural bent appears to the critics to be Islamic. It's just very hard as an American politician to get labeled outside of our religious cultural preferences. Usually if not particularly religious, you at least put out the idea that you believe in a higher power and that you pray in times of distress. You may take on a certain vague spirituality, but you never say, "I am an atheist" or, "I sorta believe but frankly I am just too lazy or life is too much fun or too busy to focus on the religion stuff". No can do.

I suspect Obama is about as religious as the average John. John is a friend of mine. He is moral for the most part. He sends his kids to Catholic activities,  but without any great love of Catholicism. He rails against his hypocritical born-again type neighbors. He is a responsible worker and father who loves his wife and has been a huge asset to the companies he works for and the people around him. Good people person. Frankly, he does not feel he needs a really specific God, or set of rules that define that God down too much. He does not need a structure that limits his own freedom, given that he is not out really killing or hatching plans to fly planes into the tallest building in Iran. I suspect this is somewhat what Obama is like.

Obama is trying to play it low key as a marginally religious Christian, but comes with all the cultural baggage that makes him an easy target. An eclectic background with unusual name, growing up in other lands,  and with his differentness, it's harder for him to find cover on subtle vagueness. He is probably a little more honest than Clinton, who could periodically pop into churches, especially black ones, and nod his head and bite his tongue while daydreaming of Monica biting him down below.

We have an onslaught of people who are plainly just against the man, but are ginning up multiple straw reasons for their visceral dislike, including the idea of President Obama as Muslim infiltrator. That is not an actual disqualification for the job constitutionally speaking, no matter how much that might annoy us. (And, it would in fact annoy us to be honest).

Leaving the direct approach of slander to the loonies, Obama's political opponents are being more subtle. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says to Meet the Press host David Gregory, "The president says he's a Christian. I take him at his word. I don't think that's in dispute," (Huffington Post).

Notice here that Republicans have been willing to spend time on debates or theorizing about the President's Christianity. That's the first problem. Second, they always present it as something mysteriously vague, rather than just affirming the stated preference of Obama. After all, we never really know who is Christian since one can profess Christianity and live like hell, or not profess it and be thoroughly the real deal. The norm is to call a person who says, "I am a Christian" a Christian and not waste undue time speculating on that or saying, "I don't know but I will take them at their word." Or saying it's not in debate while continuing to foster debate.

Which brings us to Franklin Graham, son of the great Billy Graham and a decidedly more politically minded minister than his father. Oddly (and yet not), his tonality of response in addressing the President's Christianity is similar to that of Republican professional orthodoxy. Says Franklin on CNN:

"Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed and he has renounced Islam and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done, I cannot say that he hasn't. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said."

(Talking Points Memo)

Sounds similar doesn't it. It's such a mystery that we just have to take the President at his word. Christianity stands in for all that is normal, all that is American, all that is mainstream and yet, for some reason, nothing in Obama's actions leads them to suspect he is Christian. A man of one wife, raising two daughters, who went to American colleges and attending a Christian church (albeit not a good one), and yet it's a mystery.

The politicians doing the stargazing are not hard core authentic Christians per se, but their supporters are. Many of these politicians fall into the cultural Christian vein and should recognize exactly what type of Christian Obama is: a fellow cultural Christian.

But to voice instant support and say, "Of course he is a Christian" does not serve political ends when you could suggest that it's a total mystery and that we have nothing to go on visually and must accept on faith Obama's word. The same word that you have been knocking down when it comes to every other issue, from birth certificate to foreign policy.

We know how this works. We see the slight of tongue here. Don't cast outright doubt and put yourself on the line as being a total crackpot (and in defiance of American religious freedom to boot). Instead suggest that there is mystery and confusion about the facts. Plausible deniability and all that. It's like saying, "I am sure Obama probably does not beat his wife, as far as we know." It's all in the usage of language and some politicians are masters of language, but not policy.

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More:
Here is New York Magazine talking further about Obama and his Muslim problem, and how some are saying it's Obama's own lack of clarity that leads people to assume he is Muslim. NY Mag smacks that down.