An Arizona pastor preached a sermon recently entitled, “Why I hate Barack Obama.”
It’s easy to find the full sermon on youtube, so I won’t dignify it by linking it here, but here’s a few quotes:
“I’m going to tell you something. I hate Barack Obama. You say, well, you just mean you don’t like what he stands for. No, I hate the person. Oh, you mean you just don’t like his policies. No, I hate him.”
“I am not going to pray for his good. I am going to pray that he dies and goes to hell.”
This is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Un….B….leave…..able…..No wonder people get so entirely screwed up about Christianity..I hadn’t heard about this. It is a good reminder tho, by our actions and words they WILL know us. Good reminder for me anyway…
Oh man. Are you sure you did not take that poor guy’s comments out of context. I’m trying to imagine a context where that might be said in a sacrificial, loving way. Maybe he’s trying to be sarcastic and its getting completely missed because well, sarcasm can be like that…
Ummmm…..no. I’m afraid I am taking him completely IN context.
He’s 27, never went to college or seminary, and has a small following in Tempe, AZ. One of his church members showed up at a rally for Obama toting an AR-15 Assault Rifle (legal in Arizona).
I know you can’t “see” the video right now, but you can certainly check out the church’s website:
http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/index.html
and here’s a partial transcript that should give you the added context which you seek:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/9/1/13418/15589
@Debs – to find out about things like this it is good to monitor multiple sources of news media. I think I first saw this on my comcast home page when I logged in to check my email a couple weeks ago. Of course, we’re not to spend our entire lives monitoring the news wire, but it is helpful to me to understand why the public often thinks Christians are a bunch of crackpots or backwards racists (because sometimes they are…)
I looked at the website for this “church” and it made my tummy hurt! Unbelievable. This man has nothing but cruel things to say about anybody and everybody. He actually thinks that it is adultery for a female to see a male physician! As a female whose life (and that of my baby’s) was saved by the work that God did through a male surgeon, I am greatly insulted! Keep an eye on this group… in a few years we might read about them drinking kool aid and wearing Nikes.
Susan – I know what you mean. Crazy. Congrats for your hubby.
If….
“Our culture is superior. Our culture is superior because our religion is Christianity and that is the truth that makes men free.” [Pat Buchanan, 1993]
then how can we get away with saying….
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren’t punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That’s war. And this is war.” [Ann Coulter, 2001]
Not all “Christians” who say things hateful and violent things are crackpots. And these remarks, made by otherwise reasonable and rational Christians, are not at all rare. That’s a much bigger problem than the occasional nutjob.
I’m confused…are you saying that Pat Buchanan and Ann Coulter are otherwise reasonable and rational Christians?
Nah.
Actually, I do. I think they are reasonable and rationale and they call themselves Christians so I should assume that they are part of the Christian tradition. I don’t agree with what they are saying nor how they are saying but at one time I would have.
The problem is that they cannot be lumped into the same group with Robertson, Falwell and Franklin Graham, who have said similar things, much less people like the nut you have exampled. This kind of talk is not confined to those most people would discount as being “religious crazies”. These kinds of things are regularly being said by people sitting in the pews next to you.
Let me clarify about those in the ‘pews next to you (or me). Maybe they aren’t praying that Obama should die but maybe not too long ago they were praying similar things about George Bush. Or at least they were rationalizing their hatred for him. I belong to a very tolerant, progressive church. They really do have a call to love and forgive most everyone. You should see their expressions when then find out I’m a Republican. Funny, I don’t look like a baby killer.