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November 14th, 2011
09:41 PM ET
Bob Jones III latest Christian leader to doubt Obama's ChristianityBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - Bob Jones III, chancellor of the fundamentalist South Carolina university that bears his family’s name, has become the latest conservative Christian leader to publicly cast doubt on President Barack Obama’s stated Christian commitment. "I've no reason to think he's a Christian,” Jones told National Journal in an interview published Saturday. “Anyone can say he's a Christian. “Some people will say whatever they think the politically helpful thing would be,” Jones said. “I say, 'Where is the evidence that he is a Christian?' " Jones is an influential conservative leader in South Carolina, home to one of the nation’s key Republican primaries next year. Bob Jones University, where Jones served as president from 1971 to 2005, is a popular stop for GOP candidates courting Christian votes. This year, evangelical leader Franklin Graham questioned Obama’s Christian commitment, telling ABC News that for Obama, “going to church means he’s a Christian,” while for Graham, “the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ.” Last year, Graham insisted that Obama was born a Muslim, though the president hasn’t said that. “I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim; his father was a Muslim,” Graham told CNN’s John King in August 2010. “The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. "Now, it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ,” Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, continued. “That is 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." Polls show that a minority of Americans can correctly identify Obama’s Christian faith. Obama writes about accepting Jesus in his book “Dreams from My Father,” and he regularly prays with a handful of Christian pastors. In the interview with National Journal, Jones said that he hasn’t endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, as he did in the 2008 cycle, partly because he believes that a Mormon candidate won’t face as many obstacles among Christian voters in next year’s primaries.
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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What's up, just wanted to say, I enjoyed this article. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!
This report is just ridiculous. Since when did CNN get in the business of doling out religious advice? Another curiosity is how King begins by saying "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all" and then procedes to verbally attack Jones.
Now I could understand King being bothered if Jones had said that Obama was a racist Hitler, or something like that, but come on, he just said that he doesn't see any evidence that Obama is a Christian. He didn't say that Obama IS NOT a Christian, just that he doesn't see evidence. I imagine he might say the same about me. And I'm not going to get my panties in a wad about it. I wish CNN and other networks would just stick to real news 🙂
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Good. I'm relieved that President Obama may not be a Christian. Now I can be optimistic that he actually respects women (most Christian men I know don't respect women but are very patronizing towards us), that he may come to support freely educating teens about effective birth control (Yes–Virginia–there ARE teens who get pregnant), and maybe eventually he'll discourage Americans from "worshiping" some bejewelled, plastic haired, loud mouthed preacher who lives off the people who think he holds the keys to heaven and hell so they send him their money by the truckloads. Nothing, absolutely nothing, requires the United States to have a Christian President.
Whose words carry more weight, our Lord Jesus Christ or Paul the apostle?
"Whose words carry more weight, our Lord Jesus Christ or Paul the apostle?"
Neither because neither of them wrote the bible so it's a load of crap.
gabe Whose words carry more weight, our Lord Jesus Christ or Paul the apostle?
If u r referring to the words of Paul NOT in Scripture, then Jesus. If u r referring to the words of Paul recorded in the New Testament then the answer is they carry equal weight: "...Scripture cannot be broken." [John 10: 35b].
Man shall not live by bread alone.... But by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4
if you deny the Word of God then you're accursed friend, and no brother in Christ of mine. Rather the Judgment of God soon be upon you.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 22:18-19
More self affirming blah blah...You have isolated just two sections of the self -arrifrming/brainwashing portion of your book of propoganda, too bad you can't see it for what it truly is.
It's seems like that, atheists just couldn't get over with the fact that the person holding the highest position of this powerful CHRISTIAN nation is a Christian. PITY!
ReLax,
Hate? Please. Strong views, but I see no hate from CSX. I have seen, heard & watched literal, blunt, vile, hate & 'intolerance' from liberals to those who dare disagree with them. Maybe focus on that. Strange, scant few leftists do & clean up your own verbal hypocrisy of chanting Love Tolerance Don't Stereotype' out of one side of their mouths, while contradicting themselves s a regular modus operandi.
On the issue if Obama is actually a Christian, see here:
Is BARACK OBAMA A Christian? – 12/8/2011
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=258589197529708
Easy to figure out. Does Obams serve and giver credit to the Lord? No.
Does he have fruit? No
He is a part of a counterfiet church and supports sodomites and baby killing.
Nuff said. He is not even righteous enough ot be a muslim.
Your mouth foams, with hate!
EXACTLY, HE SUPPORTS KILLING BABIES, NO HE IS NOT A CHRISTIAN, NOT AT ALL. THOUSANDS , MILLIONS OF UNBORN BABIES ARE BEING KILLED AND HE IS A POSITION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND WHAT DOES HE DO. HE GIVES BABY KILLERS FINANCIAL FUNDING TO KEEP ON KILLING. NO HE IS NOT A CHRISTIAN.
I hope those who are passing all these negative comments read and understand the Holy Bible. I bet all the so-called infallible christians passing comments against the President are immaculate and without sin. Peace of the Holy Father be unto all of you.
"I hope those who are passing all these negative comments read and understand the Holy Bible. '
Most of us have and after reading about history, looking at fossils, we know it's a load of crap.
C S X: when is your next psychiatric evaluation scheduled? I hope you like the padded room you're in.
Hello, Maria. No, the president cannot do something about the thousands of "killed babies" (what are their names, social security numbers, fingerprints, eh?) It is a decision the people of this country make, you know, laws, democratic process, freedom, responsibility, etc. If a single person makes that decision, then we're in a dictatorship, not a democracy. And so it happens, even if you 're not in favor of reproductive choices (abortion, condoms, birthcontrols) others, many millions of other Americans are in favor of having choices. Don't like abortions? Don't have one! Amen.
Why does this matter? Isn't there supposed to be a separation of church and State? If he isn't Christian, good for him, he shouldn't be ridiculed for it. If he is, good for him, my life is still unaffected. Talk about a useless waste of an article. Go write about something that is important.
WHY DOES IT MATTER???
That is all right, Bob Jones isn't a Christian either.
I normally don't vote, but if he ever did admit to being an atheist he'd have my vote.
AMEN
You are already a reprobate, so it does not matter.
Hello. everyone.
would like to make new friends with you guys.
Christian "leader", my Aunt Bessie's bustle.
I read over at TMZ that Mr. T might co-star in Bob Jones IV.
FACT: Fred Phelps attended Bob Jones University.
Whether Obama is a Christian is meaningless in American Politics. For Christians, Matt. 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." None of us knows another's heart – only our Lord. So instead of perpetuating mindless discussions, why don't we get out there and feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and imprisoned and clothe the naked. There is so much to do and so little time. Let's glorify our Lord by carrying out his mission plan!
read 1 corinthians-judge those who call themselves christians-jesus calls us to judge unhypocritically-read the bible for all its worth log on to equip.org search judgeing
Whose words carry more weight, our Lord Jesus Christ of Paul the apostle?
Just to be perfectly clear as are the scriptures. Most people (so called Christians) erroneously think that being a Christian simply means they believe in or are a follower of Christ and may attend some "church" that also wears that label, HOWEVER, as stated, the scriptures are clear if one chooses to study them carefully on what a "Christian" really is and how one becomes a "Christian". The word means owned by Christ (not follower of or believer in). For a real quick study, note: Crhist is the head of the body which is the church (Col 1:18, Eph 5:23) the church was purchased with his own blood, Act 20:28; you become a member of his body (the church) by being baptized into it, into Christ in other words (Gal 3:26,27, 1Cor 12:13, Col 2:12, Rom 6:3, Rom 6:4. Thru baptism, your sins are remitted or washed away, and you become saved thereby, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Pet 3:20,21 and more. Baptism is a total emersion in water not a sprinkling, or pouring which are different Greek words; Rom 6:4, 5; You put on Christ thru baptism Gal 3:26, 7 and are burried with Him and "planted" with Him thru the act of baptism also Rom ^:4, 5. You're automatically added to the church (His body) by being baptized into it (Acts 2:41). You'll never find an instance of anyone other than an adult (no children or babies) being baptized upon a study of the book of Acts, and you'll always find that those that believed were immediately baptized upon their belief. So, if you've not been baptized into His body, you're not part of it, not a member of "THE church", and therefor, not a Christian (one that is owned by Christ)! Note the great commission: Mark 16:16 "He that believeth AND IS baptized shall be saved"; belief first, followed by baptism, followed by salvation. STUDY carefully, the book of Acts and all scriptures you can find thru your concordance relating to baptism. Contact your local Church of Christ, there you'll find the truth.
What they want is for the President to agree with their views and "obey" them.
I grew up in South Carolina, and NOTHING that comes out of Bob Jones University would surprise me in the least.
I do agree, however that Obama is probably NOT a Christian, instead I think he's an atheist, but what do I care?
I suppose this fellow must have supported the 'Christian' president who sent thousands oy young people to Iraq for no just cause. I'm a follower of Christ, but when I hear jokers like this sitting in judgment over who is or is not a Christian, I remember all those 'Christain' pastors in South Africa who tried to justify apartheid by quoting from the Bible. I know a self-righteous WASP when ihear one. Just because the president is not a WASP doesn't mean he's not a Christian.
There hasn't been a Christian President in the White House for over a hundred years. Every one of them have sent our young men off to die for the business interest of the Military Industrial Complex.
I totally agreee with you. Austib-inyang......Excellent response..Innocent men and women went to their death over a lie. And no says anything about that. Basically they are murderers hiding behind the justice system. He Bobby Jones is confused in his own way of thing. I wonder when he going to come out of the closet
Careful boy lest you bear the fruits of your own bitter medicine.
The man Obama is in complete rebellion from God, he has the greatest pulpit of all the earth and if he is a Christian he is called to preach, yet in his own person he has brought about more unbelief and idolatry than any man, they worship this man in the most vile, blasphemous ways and he has not a word of chiding, nor does he live by a single utterance of our blessed Savior.
I'll measure a man by his fruits, and this man bears naught but rotten death in his wake, if he be anyman of faith he be the anti-Christ, or the John the Baptist to the Anti-Christ, for he has prepared the way.
You misinterpret the precious Word of God and twist it to your own wicked end my friend, that's sin, and it shows me you've never known Him.
For do the righteous children of Light seek to hide themselves from God's eyes that their iniquity might go in darkness?
No, they present themselves freely and fully, that it can be sure that there is no blemish of sin that is not under the Grace of God.
You want the President of the United States, to use the platform WE as Americans give him to preach religion? How unpatriotic, un -American can you get?
Who cares what the man believes, as long as he doesn't let int interfere with the job he has to do.
Keep your religion out of politics. It does not belong there.
"Keep my 'religion' from my politics?"
Impossible, I don't, I can't and I won't go 3 seconds without thinking of my Savior, of the ol' rugged Cross and the mighty debt I owe.
I'll never repay it but by the Grace of God I'll give it my all as long as I draw breath.
The whole concept that you'd ever make such a proposition shows me you haven't the clearest clue what true faith is, do you understand? I will die for this, behead me, cut off all my fingers, rip out my tongue and I'll smile and bless you with my eyes, for I know where I'm bound, that's the only true thing I've known and the only thing I'll take with me, my soul, made as white as snow by the crimson blood of Calvary. I'll be raptured to a mighty mansion in the Gloryland, and praise the Lord if I see but one of my killers shocked by the faith found in the faithful of the blessed Son of Man, that they might fall on their knees and be transfigured from death unto life, praise the Lord.
Furthermore where is it you think politics come from?
2nd Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
--
When we're saved brother it's once and for good, we don't just add God into everything we already believed, we are transfigured and transformed, my mind is given over to Christ, He is mine and I am His.
First went the profanity, then the cursed liquor, then that ol' heart of stone, the root of bitterness, the hatred, the envy, the lust, the laziness, the lying, lately it's the cigarettes, God willing I'm dead and done to that junk, I got something better.
And praise God this'll last eternity.
My life is to be lived as a lifelong testament to the Glory and saving Grace of God.
You can immerse yourself in the delusions of religion all you want, just stay out of politics. The last, most inappropriate place for your religion is in the White House. The President has to represent ALL Americans, not the self righteous, self important, self deluded religious zealots such as yourself.
It is arrogant people such as yourself that violated the copnst!tution and hijacked the PLedge of Allegience, and the National motto from what it was to the lie that now is on all of our money.
You should be ashamed of yourself ( at least according to your Jesus character) but you clearly have not learned anything from him.
YOU are the reason we need to be very wary of religions that teach such immoral things as in the bble. You are the reason we need to insure religion stays out of our laws, and where your religion has been passed into law, we need to remove those laws as the unconst!tutional idiocy that they are.
Keep your religion out of the poilitcal arena. It does not belong there any more than a meeting on zoning laws should start your religious services.
I should be ashamed? of whom? Christ? Never, kill me now. Much better I be dead than disobedient.
You make claims, I merely state the results I've seen since coming to Christ, blessed be His name.
That a poor wicked sinner like me, a hundred thousand miles removed from the slightest ebb of righteousness might be saved and set on the Lord's narrow path, what a miracle, an evangelical atheist brought to the Light of the Lord, and washed clean in the precious blood of the Lamb.
You can have your ponography brother, your devil-drink, your revelry, riotous eating of flesh and mud music, I'll stand right yonder on the Rock of the ages.
I'll pray for you, ask God to bless, pray that you might see the Light that is our Lord, who died for your sins, but ultimately I cannot turn aback from the devil twice, it's up to you and your Heavenly-bestowed free will to freely choose sin or salvation, death in the Devil, or Joy in Jesus.
Brother won't you be saved?
"My life is to be lived as a lifelong testament to the Glory and saving Grace of God"
Sad that you have chosen to waste the only life you will ever get on the unproven. You do reside in a Secular country, not a christian country thus your belief has no place outside of your home or church.
Waste my life?
No brother, on the contrary in Christ I have found it.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:25
What life did I have to look forward to? Maybe stabbed to death in the penitentiary at 26, maybe a drug-abuser dead of his own wickedness and sin, maybe a self-righteous unrighteous blasphemer like such as I witness to.
There has never been a 'Christian country' on the face of the earth, and until the Savior returns nor will there ever be, this wicked world won't allow for it, the world has always misunderstood and hated the truly faithful, even as the Pharisees persecuted the Savior He reminded them of their fathers who persecuted the prophets.
And like I said up above, if you want to shut me up it'll have to be behind bars of iron or tons of dirt, your manmade laws are void and null when they attempt to contravene the Law of the Lord.
Just as Daniel was thrown in the lion's den for praying to the Lord, yet pray he did, and those ravenous lions touched not a hair on his blessed head.
Just provide evidence for any of it and you might be taken seriously, until then you are wasting your life-there is nothing more than the one you have and it is sad that you think there is-it is people like you who don't care and are happy to wait for the end that are dooming. No god is needed in this world, just some common sense and sadly people like you seem to lack it.
Keep it out of the public and in your home/church-it has no place otherwise.
I told you brother I'll be long dead, martyred for the cause of Christ before I'll reject Him in the least, He is part and party to all my actions, He lives inside me, how can I go someplace without Him?
Was our nation not begun with an invocation? Did Mr. Washington not postpone his inauguration cause it was on a Sunday, the Lord's day, and swear his oath in the name of Almighty God on the same exact Bible I bear? a King James?
Who guided our nation through all the tempest of time if not the Lord in Heaven?
And now that we have become wicked and boastful we arrogantly ask "Who's He"?
And so He casts us down.
Do you think it a coincidence that this was the most God-fearing nation the world has ever seen when we were being made mighty?
And that now that we are rejecting Him we are being destroyed?
It's the same way with all nations, always has been.
Yeah well you keep the delusions alive while the rest of us work hard to save your lazy ass.
Oh and sorry to burst your tiny bubble but your imaginary friend won't be returning...it's simply a story told to make the gullible be good and think they are more special. No-one returns from the dead and it is very childish of you to think so.
You may think yourself just so fine and intellectual here but brother know that you offered nothing, just revilement and base, ignorant insolence, I read the Bible everyday, you've likely never read a word, yet you are the greatest pointy-headed brilliant, smart-alec to grace this world God gave us, you know the things of God front-to-back, you judge God 'cause you're so much greater than He. You've never sinned in the least, you've never failed in the least, why you must be god!.
Cause you think you are, therefore it must be right?
Well next time you think to yourself how great, upright and moral you are remember what I said, and remember that I know I'm a sinner and remind myself everytime I'm told I've done something good.
Filthy rags in the eyes of God.
God bless you and save you all the same, brother, we've still got the same Heavenly Father.
I've read the bible...I am a recovering christian. I do not fear that which can not be shown with evidence to exist (the bible is not evidence). I feel sorry that you've been brainwashed to feel you need saving.
I don't need saving...my life is good with imaginary friends. Not all of us are so weak that we need to depend on such a horrific, vindictive god to survive in this world.
As says every unbeliever I've ever met on the internet.
And yet statistics (and experience) show that unbelievers are wholly ignorant as to the Word of God, I've not yet been able to convert my family, who are all athiests, not one has read but a Word of Scripture. Only my brother has gone to one of these smart-alec websites on the internet where they cherry-pick verses from Judges, Deuteronomy and Leviticus, not knowing a Word of which they speak, just to give infidels a friendly biased source where their work has already been done for them..
Maybe you've done that, maybe, possibly, if you're old enough you've known religion.
But you've never known God, not ever, you've never been saved, not possible, God keeps His children
Now I can't prove what you are or what you know here on the internet thanks to google but be sure if you lie, your sin will find you out, surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, your sin will find you out
Still, I've met many an atheist and not one has ever been able to quote me a single verse.
Wow...who exactly are you to say what I know and don't know about your belief? Don't go assuming in this world, it's very arrogant to do so.
I will say that your last statement shows how FEW Atheists you truly know...look at this blog, many are quite capable of quoting scripture.
Yoy say I've never known god but yet nor have you! You know what you have been taught or told about god but you can't possibly know with 100% certainty-to claim you do is blatant dishonesty!
likker
"Law of the Lord."
Too bad you have no idea what that is. For all you know, Satan inspired you immoral book, and considering the destructive violent history belief in the bible has caused, it is far more likely that Satan inspired it.
Just look at what you said earlier, trying to invoke your god magic...that is witchcraft.
You are following the rods of Satan. No god would have gotten as much wrong like what is in your bibile. How horrible your religion makes you feel so horrible about yourself.
Either way, keep your religion off our laws.
likker
"Was our nation not begun with an invocation?"
So what, it still lends no crdibility to the belief, just shows Washington believed.
"Who guided our nation through all the tempest of time if not the Lord in Heaven?
The people of this nation. You have no cause and effect relationship showing any god did anything anywhere at any time.
Clearly you are having a difficult time seperating reality from belief. Perhaps you should see a professional therapist. ( a non-religious one)
So you have faith in your own storyline, what argument of mine have you broken? You've not even tried, just done your best to ignore my testament, revile me, make your little smart-alec jokes and then state how you intend to persecute me and every faithful believer.
Yet I pray God to bless you all the same, God willing He will convict you as to your sin, and then once the prescription has been pulled, good Dr. Grace will do the cutting.
Major heart surgery is what you need, lucky for you a heart's been provided already.
God bless you brother, have yourself a fine un'
likker
My heart is just fine. No god delusion needed here.
You still have no idea if there are any gods, or if you are following satan's word or not ( your bible),
I hope you get some professional help.
God bless you now sinner, can I get your name or would you rather stay hidden in the darkness of anonymity?
likker.
you said "Much better I be dead than disobedient."
and then you disobey one of your top 10 no-no's by bearing false witness with "You can have your ponography brother, your devil-drink, your revelry, riotous eating of flesh and mud music,"
Which is you bearing false witness. You have no idea what I partake of in this world , but not only that, what exactly is devil-drink? Is that alcohol...like what Jesus turned water into? and what is riotous eating...I use a knife and fork, and it is normally quite calm and relaxing. Mud music? I don't even have a clue what you are talking about but that's ok...neither do you.
You clearly have learned nothing from your Jesus character.
No I do not know what YOU do but I was not referring to YOU 'igaftr' in person but 'you' the reader, read it as 'one' or 'there' if you will, but I doubt there's an unbelieving man today that has not partaken in those sins, are you denying it?
Mud music is how we refer to 'rock music', sounds like mud to me, with the beat of the jungle and not a mouth or tongue to be found praising Jesus.
There is not one Word in the Bible saying that Christ took a drop of liquor, nor that any wine around was alcoholic, But there are many which speak against winebibbers, drunkards and revelers.
The body of the believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, liquor-drinkers, tobacco smokers, drug abusers are therefore defiling the temple of God.
And if a lot is bad then is a little good?
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. – Romans 3:8
But I see the finished work of the brewers art, and it is evil in all regards, not a drop, you can say whatever you will about my old-time puritan stand, but stand I will
likker
I am not a sinner, you would have to PROVE there are gods ( and YOUR god specifically) for there to be sin, and you can't.
Do not bear false witness on me...that's twice you broke one of your commandments on me.
And don't practice your witchcraft on me.
You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God"
Romans 3:23
I don't need to prove a thing, God does not answer to you , you answer to Him.