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 agree he doesn't fill the characteristics (unless he pulls a rabbit out of his hat and wins a 2nd term), but he does fill one of the Nastradamus's qualifiers. The acronymn given to the Antichrist is in line with the President's full name. Fun reading, but when the world ends, it ends – get over it.
Except the world will not end according any mythology like christianity or nostradamus. How do people fall for religious garbage? Isn't it obvious? Your only a christian because you were born in the US. If you were born in the middle east you'd be muslim. if you were born in India you'd be seek. If you were born in any nation, you'd be that nations religion.
Parks –
Not necessarily. There are plenty of Christians that were born in the middle east, and plenty of muslims that were born here. People can and do change religious beliefs.
Let's get real. Obama does not fit the description of the anti-christ. He is not a world leader. He can barely lead this country. Let's concentrate on more pressing issues.
Sorry CNN, this stuff has no place in the "Belief Blog" and only serves to further your agenda of disparing Christianity.
The person shouting this was nuts and doesn't represent the mainstream Christian viewpoint in America.
Odumbo is too stupid to be the anti-Christ.
SOOOOOOO Does 'virgin wool' come from sheep the shepherd hasn't caught yet?
NO. I feel so Embarrass At Christian make heckler at OBAMA is a Anti Christ, NO he is not. I know that Anti Christ is a young man is 30 year old like same Jesus Christ was 30 year old starting was ministry for 3 1/2 year!
That Clear! and not yet world become one world.
GOD’s Love
We should Love GOD because “We are”.
We are living because of GOD.
We are learning because of GOD.
We are seeing our faults because of GOD.
We are always repentant because of GOD.
GOD’s Love allows us to be as “We are”.
You should Love GOD because “You are”.
You are living because of GOD.
You are learning because of GOD.
You are seeing your faults because of GOD.
You are ever repentant because of GOD.
GOD’s Love allows you to be what “You are”.
I should Love GOD because “I am“.
I am living because of GOD
I am learning because of GOD
I am seeing my faults because of GOD
I am ever repentant because of GOD.
GOD’s Love allows me to be what "I am".
thats right, keep saying it over and over and someday it will be true. thank you for summarizing religion, and why most of us stopped believing.
Good post, Richard. Thank you.
@ The Antichrist
If my posting would be the same thing "over and over" I could not post due to replication/duplication and would not be allowed. Find my changes is what one needs to do,,,,, 🙂
Father Dan, who burn your wallet? Here's some facts: In 2001 when Bush came in, the National Debt was $6 Trillion. In 2009, when Bush left, the National Debt was $12 Trillion.
The trouble with the USA is that the extremists- both sides- are shouting so loud as to drown out the moderate voices of reason. We who are sick of this are likely to soon start taking action.
Wow, almost 1900 posts! After reading a negative article and negative comments, I asked myself; if two people (groups) hate each other because of differing views, is one really better than then other? What do you think?
I think my vote would be, turn the other cheek and don’t give people attention they don’t deserve!
There are atheists, then there are anti-theists. Sad.
Put me down as an anti-theist.
Then there are the I-hate-everyone-who-is-not-a-True Christian®-like me. Really sad.
I am a believer in Christ and to sit here and judge others is your own choices but I see nothing wrong in Obama respecting other religions, that to me is a true Christian value.
We as people have lost a very important aspect of what the bible teaches.....respect...respect each other, respect each individuals decisions (don't have to agree but respect.) respect your neighbor enough to let them choose for themselves as god intended, believe, don't believe...its all each persons right.
The evangelicals/fundies only respect their vision, there is nothing else. They want to place thier church at the top of our government. They will trample over the freedoms of others in the name of their christ.
Who do you think you are Steven? "making sense" and "hitting the nail on the head". This is a place for religious conservatives to be complete hypocrites and liberal athiests to stir the pot!! Leave your "perfectly reasonable comments" to yourself!
What we need to do as a Nation and As a body of Christ, is to pray.
Pray that God would break through to Obama so he may turn to Christ.
Pray that we as a Nation will be a united Body for Christ.
Amen, Josh. Good post.
Josh – I'd really like my national leaders to lead in the real world and not be beholden to a single religion's view. And you realize not all Americans are Christian? Those that aren't have other (or no) beliefs, and will not be part of yours...
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest end up drowning as well?
if you are under 16 and mas.turbate, are you a kiddie-fiddler?
To Say, that Obama is the Anti-Christ is really dumb. You need to go back and read your Bible, you're way off-basr on this issue.
To the racist christians he is the anti christ. Myself I do not care for his policies and my dislike has nothing to do with his religion or color.
While I don't know whether or not Obama is the anti-christ, it is not racist to say that one believes he is. As the article says, "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". Since the Bible prophesies that the Anti-Christ will unite 10 nations that were once part of the Roman empire, I have long thought that the Anti-Christ could be the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize, and that he would likely be very popular in Europe and other nations as well. These standards could apply to someone of ANY race.
It's a mystery that these 3 religions came from the same place and spread divisions and hatred across the globe.
Spreading hate, fear, division, war, and death.... sounds like the 3 religion complex, is pretty anti-christish.
Are we even having this conversation if the guy yelled at W. the same thing? I think Obama is the most distrespected President we've ever had. We are going through the worst economic times since the depression and we have random idiots calling him a fascist, socialist, communist...and now the Anti-Christ...thanks CNN for giving more credit to the looney Right.
no, obama isnt the anit-christ. he is a goblin. or an elf king sent to prepare us for invasion. he has a moon base that he visits when he is supposedly on vacation at martha's vineyard. he meets josef stalin there and they compare hammer and sickle tattooes while feasting on roasted puppy meat. i have seen the proof and can demonstrate it on an etch-a sketch. the liberal media hides the truth. why do you think lord of the rings is so popular ? because they are inuring us to the fatal threat of evil little people who are bent on stealing our rings.
that was funny.
Wow, just when I think people can't get any dumber. Are there no intelligent Christians left in the world? If there are, you need to start speaking up, your religion is being taken over by crazy idiots.
I wanted to make a point, but you said it for me. I agree. How do these people get thru the day???
Pam,
Pastor Matt Chandler has an excellent video resource on youtube, where he describes the difference between a Christian and a theologian. Religion, he says, is evil and God hates it. He provides many scriptures and resources.
He comes highly recommended. Type this into the youtube search bar and enjoy a good mini sermon. "Matt Chandler – The Gospel Sermon Jam"
God Bless
It would really be nice – then all the Christian crazies might go away and leave the rest of us alone...
If there is no God, who pops up the next Kleenex in the box?
Dude, Hilarious!
Most people fail to understand that true Christianity is not a religion. A Christian is a follower of Christ, one that constantly seeks to follow his teachings and that knows that the greatest commandment is to love God with everything they have and the second greatest commandment his to love their neighbor as they love self. Therefore, when people profess to be Christians and do not love their neighbors is a clear indication that they are not followers of Christ.
Religion is about following traditions; Christ rejected the Pharisees because they were steep in the traditions of their time. Today, like the Pharisees, many professing to be Christians are also steep in traditions that are not Christ-like. For instance, they support the death penalty, deny healthcare do the poor, and disregard the imprisoned, reject those that they perceived to be sinners, and so on. So, let’s not confuse religion with true Christianity.
I totally agree. Religion itself is the true Anti-Christ
Very well said.
Very well put Ellis . . . wish there were more Chritians like you. As Ghandi put it, "I like your Christ, I wish your Christians were more like your Christ."
LauraJT,
Ghandi's quote was "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians." The difference is subtle but important. I don't think that Ghandi's ideal worldview actually included Christians, even if he did admire some of the attributes of Christ.