By Dan Gilgoff and Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editors
(CNN) - On our sister blog The 1600 Report, CNN's Alex Mooney notes a discrepancy in the official White House transcript of a California fundraiser Monday night, during which a person who heckled President Barack Obama was escorted out by security.
Here's the White House transcript's account of the heckler:
AUDIENCE MEMBER: The Christian God is the only true living God, the Creator of the heavens and the universe.
But Mooney observes that the White House pool report records the heckler as being much more blunt, yelling "'Barack Obama is the Antichrist!"
The president interrupted his remarks at the fundraiser, held at Los Angeles' House of Blues, to respond to the heckler.
"First of all, I agree Jesus Christ is the Lord," Obama said. "I believe in that. I do have a question, though. I think the young man may have left his jacket... "
Ironically, the remark about Obama as the Antichrist came the same day that The New York Times ran an op-ed arguing that the Antichrist is assuming a bigger place in the public discourse, as evangelical Christian ideas about the end times gain traction.
In a piece titled "Why the Antichrist Matters in Politics," Washington State University history professor Matthew Avery Sutton argues that, for some Christians, Obama fits into ideas about the Antichrist, whose arrival is believed to be a portent of the end times and Jesus' second coming:
For some evangelicals, President Obama is troubling. The specious theories about his place of birth, his internationalist tendencies, his measured support for Israel and his Nobel Peace Prize fit their long-held expectations about the Antichrist. So does his commitment to expanding the reach of government in areas like health care.
The op-ed was the most e-mailed piece on nytimes.com for much of Tuesday.
In the 2008 campaign, Republican presidential nominee John McCain released an anti-Obama ad called "The One" that ridiculed Obama for what it said was his messiah complex. Some critics claimed the spot was a veiled attempt to paint Obama as the Antichrist, though the McCain camp denied it.
What do you think? Is there a gathering movement to paint the president as the Antichrist? Are such charges overblown attempt to discredit Obama's critics?
Read Mooney's full report here.
I don't know, there could be some validity to this. Has anyone seen how many people have been dropping off the FBI's most wanted list? And how about the way he handled the Libya situation, world cooperation? I tell you what, if Republicans start voting for policies that are helpful for the average american, I'm getting the f out of Dodge. The jury is still out on Obama as the Anti-Christ, but to me he's headed in that direction.
It would not shock me, as we have a lot of religious zealots in this country.
A movement to paint all Christians as insane?
Just about none of the belief blog posts have any resemblance to Christians I know.
Thank you.
Brad, may God bless you and keep you safe always! π
How could he be? There's far too much opposition to him. The real anti-christ will have the religious right falling over themselves to pledge for him.
lol
Does this heckler make us Christians look dumb? Yes.
Are Christians dumb? No.
Will there be an Antichrist? Yes.
Is Obama the Antichrist? No, we haven't been raptured yet. And Harold Camping is an idot.
You believe in fairy tales too.
Bring it on. These people are like the booers and haters at the Republican debates - they only serve to reveal how detached from reality and American values the Right is.
You mean the Republicans?
Please, can't we just put the lunatics back in the asylum.
I am seriously thinking about moving to some other country – anywhere. This goofy country is just getting way too strange.
You'll find all countries have their strangeness. Stick around, at least you're familiar with how to navigate the nuttiness at home.
Evangelicals are still mourning the loss of Peggy Rea, the actress who played Boss Hogg's wife.
Obama is no Antichrist, heβs just incompetent.
That deserves applause.
Competent Leader.,,OBAMA2012
I saw the video of this attempt to interrupt and heckle the president. It was clear that he was called the "Anti-Christ". But put it into perspective. Through out our history (especially history of the "western world") any number of political/social leaders have been called the Anti-Christ – including a few popes, President Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin and so on. But much of that which is aimed at President Obama now stems from the extreme right whose "Christianity" is a cover for bigotry, racism and lust for power at any cost. It's sad how religion has been used as a means to control, dominate and dictate. What is even worse is the number of people who don't realize how they're being duped.
Amen!
Bullseye. Your, "Christianity" is a cover for bigotry" is right on. Always has been.
I'm duped!
This man is not the AC. The AC would not need a teleprompter.
"Separation of Church and State" was established by our wise forefathers when they realized how ignorant are the people about GOD and religion, and they even go to war and kill in the name of religion. Unless, we evolve into higher species, this "separation of Church and state" should remain to protect us from barbaric society. Religion is a force which should be used for the benefit of mankind, not the other way around. But until we are enlightened enough about what GOD is, I would agree with the law of "separation of Church and state". I believe, this evolution is taking place and it would not take too long, when we shall realize that there is only one human race under one GOD.
But which god is the real one?? How would we know it was the one real god?
It is very unfortunate that one can continue to blame wars on religion and God after seeing the atrocities caused by man. The reality is that wars are useually started over human selfishness and arrogance (Hitler, Stalin). Fact is more people have been killed in wars and altercations in the name of superiority, greed, lust and envy (Hitler, Stalin, Sadam, Nepolian, Mussolini, Hedeki Tojo George W. and so on). Count up the dead and you'll all agree.
And then there was light....From the dark crawled man into the light of day where he could battle evil and free his soul from the eternity of hell fire......to do battle with evil to free our spirits so to attempt to do good . Here where evil battles with good for your soul... Only those worthy of the light shall be allowed into the warth of this love... DESTINY is down a road called FREEDOM !
I also want to point out that while I expect this from Fox and friends, CNN is just as bad here. This story is not worth the print. Giving voice to the idiots and then of all the pictures of the president you could find to put on this article, CNN deliberately had to pick this one with his mounth open, fingure pointed and his eye browse lifted all the way up. I am sure you could have found someone in your photo editing department to use some photo shop magic and put some horns on the guy as well.
Shame on you CNN. This is what you get from in a Nation where the News media outlets are are owned by a few Corporate interests. At one time in our history we used to have a media that was the watch dog for the mighty and powerful and actually did some decent reporting on the conduct of big business and big government so that the citizens would be informed. That actually was one of cornerstones of properly working democracy. However, now, you get this. Garabage news and mostly garbage politicians brought to you by those who have all the mighty dollar-
Let me guess, white, republican bigots had this idea. Oh yeah, they probably say they are christians too, WHAT HYPOCRITES!!!!!
They are all going to hell!
A confused and unhelpful piece of literature. In a context where fewer people are tried to mend differences between us, it would appear that responsible journalism should contribute to a positive dialog rather than inflame one camp with biased interpretations of what the other camp might have implied. How useful is that? Sad!
just an FYI, 24 hour news network are anything BUT real journalism...
I'd imagine the Anti-Christ would be a take charge guy, and Obama is anything but.
This is definitely an article for the minority of believers....a great example of the tail wagging the dog.
kinda like the GOP
2.2 billion Christians is a minority?? Go back to math class numbnuts!
JoeProfet,
You should hit reading class.
Will do, Patty, thanks!
my sister thought reagan was the antichrist because reagan sort of rhymed with damian who was the antichrist in the movie. im pretty sure she was kidding though.
"I am the anti-christ, I am the anti-christ, I am the walrus, goo goo g'joob."
Oh, so yopu'll hide behind these cheesy anti-christ label to avoid admitting that you are in fact THE EGGMAN!!!!!!!