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Look at Obama’s faith draws criticism, praise
Some readers thought we went too far by asking why some thought President Barack Obama was the "wrong kind of Christian."
October 24th, 2012
09:50 AM ET

Look at Obama’s faith draws criticism, praise

By John Blake, CNN

(CNN) - People have all sorts of questions for presidential candidates in an election year. But there was one question I asked last weekend that scores of readers griped about:

Why do so many people doubt President Barack Obama’s faith?

Obama has talked publicly about his faith for years, but doubts persist. Why? Was it race? Was he a different kind of Christian than his predecessors? How can anyone judge whether another person is a Christian?

Those are some of the questions I presented in the article. The reaction was stunning: more than 8,000 comments, 25,000 Facebook shares, 700 tweets and citations on political websites such as Talking Points Memo and the Washington Monthly.

Praise and criticism came from all political sides - liberals and conservatives both liked the piece and loathed it. Some saw it as a ringing defense of the progressive Christian traditions that shaped Obama’s faith. Others thought I was trying to sabotage the president's re-election chances with an unfair question.

The comments from readers tended to land on certain themes.

He’s not Christian - no matter what anybody says:

I got the impression that if Obama were suddenly surrounded by an angelic host during a press conference, and the voice of God declared, “He is not a Muslim,” some still would not believe it.

A reader named “Paul” put it this way:

"Sorry, the premise that Obama is a new kind of Christian is, in my opinion, just flat wrong. He is a Muslim."

Who gets to determine if someone is a Christian?

Other readers took offense at some pastors in the article who declared that Obama couldn’t be a Christian because he never talked about being “born again” and he supported same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

The article mentioned several prominent conservative Christians - including Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and the Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham - who questioned Obama’s faith.

One pastor in the article, the Rev. Steven Andrew, author of “Making a Strong Nation,” even said that he thought Obama was “an anti-Christ.”

A reader identified as “C. J Mills” wrote:

"These ministers represent the kind of Christianity that makes me reluctant to say to people I don't know that I'm a Christian, and the kind of speakers for the faith that drove all my children out of churches because they would not put up with such judgmentmentalism. ..."

A ‘hit’ piece on Obama?

What was most surprising to me was the reaction of Obama supporters. The article featured several progressive Christians who said the sources for Obama’s faith are not sinister. The president’s faith is influenced by a brand of liberal Protestantism that dominated American public life during the early 20th century and a biblical perspective shaped by his exposure to the black church and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A “Cindy” called me Sunday and left a two-minute phone message skewering the story, and added a lengthy e-mail.

Her message:

"Your Sunday morning pre-election hit piece on President Obama is an outrage! ‘Is he the right kind of Christian?’ ‘He’s been called the anti-Christ.’ Really? It is disgusting, and doing it on a Sunday morning is an outrage."

I called Cindy at home and, after apologizing for her “cranky” message, she explained the source for some of her anger. She’s an Obama supporter living in a conservative state, and she said was on edge because of the election. She thought any article questioning Obama’s faith would convince people not to vote for him.

Another reader, “Muffin72,” had the opposite reaction. The reader thought the article was a puff piece on Obama:

"Nice CNN Obama PR piece trying to get a last grasp at another group of voters. … You can't support abortion and be a good Christian at the same time. ... Sorry, it just doesn't compute."

Other commentators asked when I would write a story asking if Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, was a Christian. One commentator frankly declared progressive Christianity was an “apostate form of false Christianity.”

One of most unusual comments came from a “Clarke.”

"John Blake, I do not care for your article. To be fair, please tell us in your own words, what is the right Jew, the right Mormon, the right Christian. Why CNN would let you write about any religion, is beyond me. Religion is a personal thing, and does not belong on your sleeve and for you to judge others is just wrong. Makes me wonder if there was not money exchanged for this article. Shame, shame on you and CNN."

I can assure you Clarke, no one paid me to write the story. Yet there was a payoff for me.

Most journalists love to get people talking about what they write. Though I’ll always wonder if some of the commenters actually read the entire article, I’m glad that a provocative question could generate so many follow-up questions, even angry ones.

- CNN Writer

Filed under: Belief • Bible • Billy Graham • Christianity • Culture wars • Obama

soundoff (1,150 Responses)
  1. Science

    Free speech helps educate the masses................POLITICIANS too !

    Where do morals come from?

    By Kelly Murray, CNN

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/12/where-do-morals-come-from/#comments

    Gravity is not up for debate ! ............E = mc2..........(U–Pb).................two math formulas..........that do not lie or sin !!!..........

    BY the way ...................Splat goes a fairy in the sky !...............bye bye tinker bell !

    Einstein's Gravity Theory Passes Toughest Test Yet

    Apr. 25, 2013 — A strange stellar pair nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth has provided physicists with a unique cosmic laboratory for studying the nature of gravity. The extremely strong gravity of a massive neutron star in orbit with a companion white dwarf star puts competing theories of gravity to a test more stringent than any available before

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142250.htm

    Hey James Madison................religion has none it looks like.............with the comments on this blog.

    The Big question is ETHICS ! does religion have any ?

    The Ethics of Resurrecting Extinct Species

    Apr. 8, 2013 — At some point, scientists may be able to bring back extinct animals, and perhaps early humans, raising questions of ethics and environmental disruption.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130408165955.htm

    April 30, 2013 at 4:16 pm | Report abuse |

    May 1, 2013 at 12:42 pm | Report abuse |

    Dinosaur Egg Study Supports Evolutionary Link Between Birds and Dinosaurs: How Troodon Likely Hatched Its Young

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130418104324.htm

    And NO ANGELS the pope KICKED them OFF the TEAM last year !

    From Soup to Cells—the Origin of Life

    http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIE2aOriginoflife.shtml

    the wrong path is Adam and Eve !

    Human Y Chromosome Much Older Than Previously Thought

    Mar. 4, 2013 — The discovery and analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome pushes back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305145821.htm

    No god(s) needed or required to graduate from public schools in the US

    Remember : Adam had to POKE himself hard with his OWN BONE to create Eve.

    No god(s) needed................... Old. DNA works..................also catches crooks !

    Ancient DNA Reveals Europe's Dynamic Genetic History

    Apr. 23, 2013 — Ancient DNA recovered from a series of skeletons in central Germany up to 7,500 years old has been used to reconstruct the first detailed genetic history of modern Europe.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130423134037.htm

    Ca-nabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®) – National Cancer Insti-tute

    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/.../page4

    Mar 21, 2013 – [1,2] These plant-derived compounds may be referred to as phytocannabinoids. ... have a protective effect against the development of certain types of tumors. ... In lung cancer cell lines, CBD upregulated ICAM-1, leading to ...

    Good stuff !

    The fact...............the earth is to old for this nonsemse ! Time to EVOLVE !

    Ancient Earth Crust Stored in Deep Mantle

    Apr. 24, 2013 — Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth's crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie's Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130424132705.htm

    For what...................... ? Make sure to read what the pope said !

    Where do morals come from?

    By Kelly Murray, CNN

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/

    Learning is fun with facts.......................... and facts work when teaching children.

    Atheist Prof. Peter Higgs: Stop calling Higgs boson the ‘God particle’

    Professor Peter Higgs said recently that there is no God and so people should stop referring to the theoretical partial that
    bears his name as the “God particle.”

    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/08/atheist-prof-peter-higgs-stop-calling-higgs-bosen-the-god-particle/

    Pope praises science, but insists God created world updated Thur October 28, 2010
    Stephen Hawking is wrong, Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday – God did create the universe. The pope didn't actually mention the world-famous scientist, who argues in a book published last month that the laws of physics show there is no need for a supreme... \

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/28/pope-praises-science-but-insists-god-created-world/

    Science

    Heaven is 'a fairy story,' scientist Stephen Hawking says updated Tue May 17, 2011
    By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor The concept of heaven or any kind of afterlife is a "fairy story," famed British scientist Stephen Hawking said in a newspaper interview this week. "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when...

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/17/heaven-is-a-fairy-story-scientist-stephen-hawking-says/

    April 7th, 2012

    08:32 PM ET

    The Jesus debate: Man vs. myth

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/07/the-jesus-debate-man-vs-myth/comment-page-137/#comment-2281915

    Make sure to read comments

    April 18, 2013 at 3:10 pm | Report abuse |

    Breaking News

    NASA: Three planets found are some of best candidates so far for habitable worlds outside our solar system.

    http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/us/planet-discovery/index.html

    NASA: Mars could have supported life

    Star Dust we are

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWdU_px9ApE

    Holy Hallucinations 35

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XTCRdC8Dlo

    The ORIGIN story is bullsh-it...............so is the bible............... nasty !

    From Soup to Cells—the Origin of Life

    http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIE2aOriginoflife.shtml

    Scientists have unearthed the first direct signs of cheesemaking, at a site in Poland that dates back 7,500 years.

    Human Evolution

    http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIE2cHumanevo.shtml

    BBC. Planet of the Apemen. Battle for Earth 1. Ho-mo Erectus

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUliLKSJ4bQ&feature=player_embedded

    BACKFILL on E =mc2.....

    Einstein letter, set for auction, shows scientist challenging idea of God, being 'chosen'

    By Jessica Ravitz, CNN

    Decades before atheist scientist and author Richard Dawkins called God a "delusion," one world-renowned physicist – Albert Einstein – was weighing in on faith matters with his own strong words.

    “The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends,” Einstein wrote in German in a 1954 letter that will be auctioned on eBay later this month. "No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this.”

    http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/category/culture-science/

    May 4, 2013 at 6:47 am | Report abuse |

    Cheech & Chong's History of 420

    http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3b1508d1f0/cheech-chong-s-history-of-420?rel=player&playlist=341944

    All cults...........creationists, ID believers and devil cults.................

    The fact...............the earth is to old ...........time to EVOLVE !.

    Ancient Earth Crust Stored in Deep Mantle

    Apr. 24, 2013 — Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth's crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie's Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130424132705.htm

    Dover Trial Transcripts............................................. FACTS.

    Below are the complete transcripts from the Dover Trial. Thanks to our friends at the National Center for Science Education for helping us fill in the missing transcripts.

    http://www.aclupa.org/legal/legaldocket/intelligentdesigncase/dovertrialtranscripts.htm

    Education works for children

    Earth From Space

    Detailed satellite images reveal the web of connections that sustain life on Earth. Aired February 13, 2013 on PBS

    Program Description

    "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. Produced in extensive consultation with NASA scientists, NOVA takes data from earth-observing satellites and transforms it into dazzling visual sequences, each one exposing the intricate and surprising web of forces that sustains life on earth. Viewers witness how dust blown from the Sahara fertilizes the Amazon; how a vast submarine "waterfall" off Antarctica helps drive ocean currents around the world; and how the sun's heating up of the southern Atlantic gives birth to a colossally powerful hurricane. From the microscopic world of water molecules vaporizing over the ocean to the magnetic field that is bigger than Earth itself, the show reveals the astonishing beauty and complexity of our dynamic planet.

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/earth-from-space.html

    February 16, 2013 at 7:18 am | Report abuse |

    Peace

    May 5, 2013 at 8:31 am |
  2. Mike

    Speaking of faith. Does Obama still have faith in Pastor #2? Pastor Lowery, he gave the inauguration benediction, has said that all white folks were going to hell. Obama sure knows how to pick 'em. They all hate white people.

    November 2, 2012 at 12:02 am |
  3. gkerrister

    Religion – a childish preoccupation, and politics do not mix.

    what is wrong with the usa and its notion that religion, preferably fanaticism, matters?

    October 26, 2012 at 5:19 pm |
  4. Justme,wyoming

    So, where is the piece on Mitt Romney's faith? I just have to wonder why it is okay to delve into the President's faith but not report on the fact that Mitt Romney is still a high priest in the church!

    October 26, 2012 at 3:16 pm |
    • Get Real

      There are at least two articles regarding Romney and Mormonism on the top banner of this page.... and many others on these blogs also. Pay attention, ok?

      October 26, 2012 at 3:27 pm |
  5. NYRepub

    I think religion plays a role in who the person is. I could not vote for Romney because my Evangilical faith has told me that Mormanism is a cult. Romney was a Bishop in the Morman church. I hear some Evangilical pastors ignoring their past teaching and supporting Romney. To me they are selling out their souls because of hate. I'm voting for Obama becuase he is a Christian and shares more Christian values than Romneys mega Morman big money church. Otherwise you may as well vote for a Scientologist!!.

    October 26, 2012 at 12:35 pm |
    • Mittology

      Boo

      October 26, 2012 at 3:21 pm |
    • juny1958

      what amazes me is all the people on here who call the bible and God an illusion because there is no "evidence". Seriously, read the fist chapter of Romans to see what Paul says about people of that ilk......these words will fall on deaf eyes because men repress the truth, they like the darkness and hide from the light.......1st chapter of Romans, probably take 2 minutes to read it.....

      October 26, 2012 at 5:07 pm |
  6. Name*sue

    Plain to me that most people don't understand Christianity. Not their fault; lots of Christians totally misrepresent it. It's not supposed to be a container to hold all our prejudices, hatreds fears of others. Jesus confronted all of that, particularly in the religious people of his time. A real look at Yeh gospels, with a little help on the idioms of the time (cf., the fig tree!) would probably be a big surprise. And since it days absolutely nothing about abortion, I can't understand where people get off ruling Obama out of the church for his political work on choice for women (which is not the same thing as being *for* abortion).

    October 26, 2012 at 8:38 am |
  7. Verimius

    For those who believe President Obama is a Muslim, he has been seen eating pork and drinking alcohol.

    The belief that he is a Muslim is based on faith, not evidence.

    October 25, 2012 at 8:52 pm |
  8. Atheist Hunter

    http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2012/10_12.html

    "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
    Isaiah 66:4, KJV

    ". . . because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"
    2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11, KJV

    October 25, 2012 at 10:53 am |
    • sally

      You're pathetic. All you can do is post fairy tales and misinformation from David Barton?

      October 25, 2012 at 5:34 pm |
    • WASP

      @AH: here is the million dollar question; whom did he make believe a lie? you or me? lmfao

      October 26, 2012 at 7:38 am |
  9. Reality

    STOP AND READ CAREFULLY !!! -–>>>>

    – Only for the new members of this blog:

    Romney believes that the horn-blowing angel Moroni appeared to the con artist Joe Smith. Not good for someone who wants to be president of any group !!!

    Obama "mouths" that he is Christian i.e. believes in gay Gabriel and war-mongering Michael the Archangel and Satan. BO's support of abortion/choice however vitiates his Christianity as he is the leader of the Immoral Majority who are now the largest voting bloc in the country. Immoral Majority you ask??

    The 78 million voting "mothers and fathers" of aborted womb babies !!! (2012 -1973 Rowe vs. Wade = 39.

    39 x 2 million = 78 million. Abortion rate in the USA as per the CDC is ~one million/yr.

    And the presidential popular vote in 2008? 69,456,897 for pro-abortion/choice BO, 59,934,814 for "pro-life" JM. The population of the Immoral Majority in 2008? ~ 70 million !!!!!!

    October 25, 2012 at 8:06 am |
    • Tom, Tom, the Other One

      Is abortion immoral, or is it immoral to deny women the option of abortion? Also, supposing that abortion is immoral, is it immoral to refuse to prohibit abortion.

      October 25, 2012 at 8:16 am |
    • Atheist Hunter

      Yes abortion is immoral! You're welcome!

      October 25, 2012 at 11:11 am |
    • Reality

      The reality of se-x, abortion, contraception and STD/HIV control: – from a guy who enjoys intelligent se-x-

      Note: Some words hyphenated to defeat an obvious word filter. ...

      The Brutal Effects of Stupidity:

      : The failures of the widely used birth "control" methods i.e. the Pill (8.7% actual failure rate) and male con-dom (17.4% actual failure rate) have led to the large rate of abortions and S-TDs in the USA. Men and women must either recognize their responsibilities by using the Pill or co-ndoms properly and/or use safer methods in order to reduce the epidemics of abortion and S-TDs.- Failure rate statistics provided by the Gut-tmacher Inst-itute. Unfortunately they do not give the statistics for doubling up i.e. using a combination of the Pill and a condom.

      Added information before making your next move:

      from the CDC-2006

      "Se-xually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain S-TDs in recent years, CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.1 In addition to the physical and psy-ch-ological consequences of S-TDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs as-sociated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.7 billion annually in 2006 dollars."

      And from:

      Consumer Reports, January, 2012

      "Yes, or-al se-x is se-x, and it can boost cancer risk-

      Here's a crucial message for teens (and all se-xually active "post-teeners": Or-al se-x carries many of the same risks as va-ginal se-x, including human papilloma virus, or HPV. And HPV may now be overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of or-al cancers in America in people under age 50.

      "Adolescents don’t think or-al se-x is something to worry about," said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "They view it as a way to have intimacy without having 's-ex.'" (It should be called the Bill Clinton Syndrome !!)

      Obviously, political leaders in both parties, Planned Parenthood, parents, the "stupid part of the USA" and the educational system have failed miserably on many fronts.

      The most effective forms of contraception, ranked by "Perfect use":

      – (Abstinence, 0% failure rate)
      – (Masturbation, mono or mutual, 0% failure rate)

      Followed by:

      One-month injectable and Implant (both at 0.05 percent)
      Vasectomy and IUD (Mirena) (both at 0.1 percent)
      The Pill, Three-month injectable, and the Patch (all at 0.3 percent)
      Tubal sterilization (at 0.5 percent)
      IUD (Copper-T) (0.6 percent)
      Periodic abstinence (Post-ovulation) (1.0 percent)
      Periodic abstinence (Symptothermal) and Male condom (both at 2.0 percent)
      Periodic abstinence (Ovulation method) (3.0 percent)

      Every other method ranks below these, including Withdrawal (4.0), Female condom (5.0), Diaphragm (6.0), Periodic abstinence (calendar) (9.0), the Sponge (9.0-20.0, depending on whether the woman using it has had a child in the past), Cervical cap (9.0-26.0, with the same caveat as the Sponge), and Spermicides (18.0).

      October 25, 2012 at 11:27 am |
    • NYRepub

      As an Evangelical I dare you vote for Romney who is a leader of a cult religion. Once you cast your vote for a cult leader you have given him your approval to take your soul and baptize you in the Morman faith. Your soul will be cast into the depths of the fires with all the other cult members. Good luck

      October 26, 2012 at 12:47 pm |
  10. A Few Theological Questions For Topher

    Glad to see you here, Topher. Now you can answer the theological questions you asked for but did not answer:

    How did Noah round up all the 3,000,000 non bacterial land species and get them from all over the globe to the ark? How did he build a 440' ark out of wood when all attempts to built steel-reinfoirced wooden vessels over 300-350 feet failed (wood is not strong enough, no matter how much you use). If there were only 8 people, how did they feed those 6,000,000 animals – they woul have had to feed 4 species a second non-stop 24/7 for the whole journey. How did they get 6,000,000 animals and all their food into a 1,500,000 cubit foot structure? How did we get all the different races from Noah's descendants, who would have been the source of all humans?

    October 25, 2012 at 1:51 am |
    • A Few Theological Questions For Topher

      I guess Topher is going to flee the subject again, for the fourth time. He was just here a minute before I put this up.

      Ah well, that tells it's own story, doesn't it?

      October 25, 2012 at 2:12 am |
    • sam stone

      Topher? Run from a question? Absurd

      October 25, 2012 at 7:12 am |
    • sam stone

      he is not dodging the question. he is dodging the answer

      October 25, 2012 at 7:21 am |
    • Atheist Hunter

      A Few Theological Questions For Topher.......... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! God was on his side and NOTHING is impossible with God! Topher's busy!

      October 25, 2012 at 11:10 am |
    • Mary Rogers

      Hey Atheist Hunter!

      Saying "I don't know" uses less words and is more honest.

      October 30, 2012 at 2:32 am |
  11. Topher

    Anyone here and want to discuss Christianity?

    October 24, 2012 at 11:36 pm |
    • Athy

      No. It's nothing more than mythology for suckers.

      October 24, 2012 at 11:50 pm |
    • Topher

      Why do you think it's mythology?

      October 24, 2012 at 11:56 pm |
    • Athy

      How can anything 2000 years old be otherwise? And nothing since then to substantiate it.

      October 25, 2012 at 12:00 am |
    • Topher

      So your problem is with the Bible?

      October 25, 2012 at 12:03 am |
    • Athy

      Without the bible what would you have? People are predisposed to believe in some supernatural control of their lives. The bible and other written material merely helps their delusions. To me, it's all blatant nonsense. If there were a god, there would be some irrefutable evidence for him. There is none.

      October 25, 2012 at 12:11 am |
    • Topher

      Do you believe in any kind of afterlife?

      October 25, 2012 at 12:17 am |
    • Athy

      No. That's ludicrous. A futile hope, but, alas, it just ain't gonna happen.

      October 25, 2012 at 12:24 am |
    • Topher

      OK, well let's just say for the sake of a conversation, that God is real and there really is a Heaven ... are you good enough to go there?

      October 25, 2012 at 12:27 am |
    • Athy

      You can say whatever you want, but since you offer no proof or evidence and common sense dictates otherwise, I disbelieve your belief.

      October 25, 2012 at 12:31 am |
    • Topher

      Yeah, I know you don't believe it. I'm just trying to figure out if, according to the Bible, you'd be able to go to Heaven. So are you a good person?

      October 25, 2012 at 12:34 am |
    • Athy

      Who the hell knows? What do I have to do, keep some sort of score? Since there is no heaven, it's totally irrelevant. When I die, I'll just die and that's it. Same for you and everyone else. I know you believe otherwise and if you need that belief to make you comfortable, go for it. I take a more pragmatic view based on observation and common sense.

      October 25, 2012 at 12:41 am |
    • Topher

      I guess you could call it score keeping. 🙂 Just take some honest guesses at the following ...

      1. How many lies have you told in your whole life?
      2. Have you ever stolen anything? (It doesn't matter if the item was small, of little value or a long time ago.)
      3. Have you ever taken the Lord's name and used it as an expression of disgust?
      4. Here's one that gets most of us ... Jesus said if you look at someone with lu.st, you've committed adultery with that person in your heart. Have you ever done that?

      October 25, 2012 at 12:53 am |
    • Athy

      I'm not playing your silly game. It doesn't matter, it's irrelevant, and I don't believe there is a heaven, a god or hell. I'm not buying your drivel, so go knock on the next door. Sorry if I'm blunt, but you're too pushy.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:00 am |
    • Topher

      Wow. I don't mean to be pushy. Sorry about that. I'm just trying to have a conversation.

      Do you have any questions for me?

      October 25, 2012 at 1:02 am |
    • Athy

      None. Your answers make no sense. Good night.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:07 am |
    • Topher

      You haven't asked me anything yet.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:08 am |
    • Athy

      Correction: Your answers, based on our conversation up to now, would not likely make any sense to me. And I could easily anticipate your answers anyway, so why waste my time, and yours as well. You can use the time saved by trying to convert some other "poor lost soul". Or reading your precious bible.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:24 am |
    • Keeping It Real

      Topher,

      Your reputation precedes you here... and I'm sure that Athy has seen many posts from you.

      It seems that you cannot otherwise control yourself nor think of any reasons to behave well in society without your old-time Middle Eastern Hebrew fantasy threats and promises.

      I'm sure that you mean well, but you really have nothing of substance to offer.

      Peace to you.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:30 am |
    • Topher

      Athy

      "Your answers, based on our conversation up to now, would not likely make any sense to me."

      That's what I'm here for ... to try and help people understand what the Bible says. Reject it if you want to, but don't you want to know what you are rejecting?

      October 25, 2012 at 1:43 am |
    • Athy

      Not really. I rejected it long ago, and it hasn't changed since then. Goodbye.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:46 am |
    • WASP

      @athy: i think i'm in love. lol
      however if you're a dude i will sett for a handshake. XD

      October 25, 2012 at 8:55 am |
  12. ttwp

    Why do so many people doubt President Barack Obama’s faith?

    "By their fruit you will recognize them..." Matthew 7:16

    October 24, 2012 at 9:52 pm |
    • Smite You

      Unless you are an out-of-season fig tree. Then you get smited anyway! 😈

      October 24, 2012 at 9:58 pm |
    • Observer

      ttwp,

      Where does the Bible substantiate Mitt Romney's Mormons claims that the Garden of Eden was in North America?

      October 24, 2012 at 10:35 pm |
    • Inquiring minds want to know

      How does a guy who knows all sorts of things telepathically like there's an unridden donkey in the next town not know that a fig tree doesn't have figs?

      Why did he get mad at a fig tree for not having figs on it out of season? Getting mad at tree's is a bit sanity-challenged, so to speak.

      October 24, 2012 at 11:08 pm |
    • Athy

      "trees", not "tree's". Try rereading your fifth-grade grammar book.

      October 24, 2012 at 11:19 pm |
  13. Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things

    Prayer changes things .

    October 24, 2012 at 8:52 pm |
    • hal 9001

      I'm sorry, "Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things", but your assertions regarding atheism and prayer are unfounded. Using my Idiomatic Expression Equivalency module, the expression that best matches the degree to which your assertions may represent truths is: "TOTAL FAIL".

      I see that you repeat these unfounded statements with high frequency. Perhaps the following book can help you:

      I'm Told I Have Dementia: What You Can Do... Who You Can Turn to...
      by the Alzheimer's Disease Society

      October 24, 2012 at 10:07 pm |
    • Observer

      "Creationism Is Not Appropriate for Children."

      – Bill Nye

      October 24, 2012 at 10:41 pm |
    • cristopher hitchens

      @observer
      Go to Sunday School every week
      – Buffalo Bob Smith
      Do kids tv hosts do all your thinking for you?

      October 25, 2012 at 7:16 am |
    • TrollAlert

      "Ronald Regonzo" who degenerates to:
      "Salvatore" degenerates to:
      "Douglas" degenerates to:
      "truth be told" degenerates to:
      "Thinker23" degenerates to:
      "Atheism is not healthy ..." degenerates to:
      "another repentant sinner" degenerates to:
      "Dodney Rangerfield" degenerates to:
      "tina" degenerates to:
      "captain america" degenerates to:
      "Atheist Hunter" degenerates to:
      "Anybody know how to read? " degenerates to:
      "just sayin" degenerates to:
      "ImLook'nUp" degenerates to:
      "Kindness" degenerates to:
      "Chad" degenerates to
      "Bob" degenerates to
      "nope" degenerates to:
      "2357" degenerates to:
      "WOW" degenerates to:
      "fred" degenerates to:
      "!" degenerates to:
      "pervert alert"

      This troll is not a christian.

      October 25, 2012 at 9:38 am |
    • Jesus

      Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.

      An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.

      The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs."

      October 26, 2012 at 11:15 am |
  14. Eliminate hinduism, denial of truth absolute by hindu's laires, for peace, Islam among humanity.

    DENIAL OF TRUTH ABSOLUTE IS THE WAY OF hINDUS, IGNORANT'S.

    hindu Mithra ism, pagan savior ism labeled as Christianity is nothing but a Gumbo, cooked to prove hinduism, racism of hindu Jew's, crimnal secular s, gumbo of hindu pagan fundamentals, supported by corrupted teachings of truth to hind fool humanity into gentile ism, slavery, handy work of hindu Magi's, criminal tricksters of Egypt and Persian origin, followed by hindu's ignorant's as some thong of holy nature, hinduism, absurdity called religion. End hinduism, racism and follow truth absolute GOD to be equal. For more visit limitisthetruth.com

    October 24, 2012 at 7:12 pm |
    • AdvBergism source of filthy RainerBraendleinism©

      Islam and Hindu – both pagan and stupid, then we get to Christianity, less, but still both pagan and stupid – did I leave anyone out?

      October 24, 2012 at 7:58 pm |
    • Eliminate hinduism, denial of truth absolute by hindu's laires, for peace, Islam among humanity.

      hinduism, absurdity of a hindu ignorant Christian.

      October 24, 2012 at 8:47 pm |
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About this blog

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.