Apr 01 2008
Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
But he also believes Jews and Muslims and non-believers who live moral lives are as much “children of God” as he is, according to The Associated Press. As an example, he spoke about his late mother who was “not a believer.”
[Christian Post]Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that Jesus Christ is not the only way to heaven during a campaign event in North Carolina.While answering a question about his Christian faith, Obama said he believes that Jesus Christ died for his sins and through God’s grace and mercy he could have “everlasting life,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
“[S]he was the kindest, most decent, generous person that I have ever known,” Obama said, according to the Times. “I’m sure she is in heaven, even though she may not have subscribed to everything that I subscribe to.”
Read about it here. [From me] Mr. Obama, I have no doubt that your mother was a fine person. But if you truly believe that Jesus and He is the son of God then you can’t make a statement like that. Jesus said in John 14:6:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
So either Jesus is who He said he was or He was a liar. We can’t have it both ways. I don’t like believing that people will perish either. My prayer is that people will see that Jesus offers them eternal life and it comes “ONLY” through Him. What do you think?
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Typical liberal theology from a typical liberal politician. There are 100 passages in the NT showing how Jesus is the only way to salvation (people are most familiar with John 14:6). It is one of the clearest doctrines going.
If people don’t want to believe it, that’s their business. But they ought not call themselves Christians and pretend to represent the faith.
Obama completely misses the point of the Bible. Completely. We aren’t saved by a few good deeds. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior.
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Kevin,
…or He never said He was God
…or He said it and He was wrong
Neil,
Could you give me an idea of what you believe typical liberal theology teaches?
A3,
If He was wrong, then why do even the Muslims call Him a prophet. A prophet has to be right all of the time to be considered a prophet.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
I don’t think politicians should be answering such very specific questions about their theology on the campaign trail. I don’t like the environment that has been created that makes Obama and others feel like they have to explain their theology in as much detail as they explain their policy proposals.
If a politician believed as you do Kevin, can you honestly imagine a politician telling a reporter that Jews and Muslims go to Hell?
To John McCains credit, he has avoided many of these questions. Perhaps, he doesn’t get the same questions that Obama gets because he rarely talks about his faith. And when he does talk about his faith, he seems to be uncomfortable. He’s always been one of those “I don’t wear my religion on my sleeve” kinda politicians.
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And done.
He sounds just like Hillary. Maybe the Democrats can unite albeit over that Jesus is a liar.
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Kevin,
You would be surprised at the “good Christians” sitting in the pews of our “evangelical churches” who, deep in their heart of hearts, believe the very same thing about someone whom they know was “very good and sincere” (etc), but not sure if they had savingly believed on Christ. And if backed into a corner, some of these folk would actually admit it.
It’s a tough thing to realize that CHRIST is the ONLY way to God the Father…and it’s not just a “liberal Democrat” thing either. One of the great struggles in my life has been the possibility of a close family member who was a wonderful, wonderful person…never harmed anyone, did good by everyone…but I’m not sure whether she ever came to “saving faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just having to face the very fact that she could be damned for eternity doesn’t bring me any comfort. My aunt Jenny was a wonderful, wonderful woman….but I’m not at all sure that she ever made peace with God through His Son, Jesus.
And “wish” all that can, if she didn’t place her trust in Him, I have a hard time making myself believe that she is in heaven. I leave her in the hands of an all-wise, merciful, all-holy, all-just God.
It’s a tough call…even when you might be President of the United States.
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On most days I will say that I believe that Jesus was/is who he claimed to be (although I will not even pretend to understand that.) As such, I have accepted his gift of salvation, I have been baptized, I read and study the Bible and do my best to demonstrate his love to those I encounter and follow his teachings. However, I will never put myself in a position to assert God’s salvation or lack thereof for any other person. I will leave whether any other person (or group of people) is saved to the judgement of God. Even with the words of the Bible, I will not presume that God is limited to my understanding. I will simply live as faithfully as I can to what I understand. I will allow that God may have things that I do not know. So, Barak Obama could be right. He may not be, but I will not assert that my understanding of God (or his) will ultimately define who God is.
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Chris,
Great to hear from you. The only problem with that point of view is it sounds Universalist. I don’t claim to be God either. If Barak says he’s accepted Christ then I believe he is a Christian.
My point is about what he said about his mom. We can’t have it both ways. If Jesus is God, then we must live by what He said. He said He is the only way to the Father, not me. I’m not judging anyone. I’m just taking Jesus at His word. If what He said is not true then He can’t be God.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
Kevin,
The Muslims could be wrong about Jesus too.
Was Jonah right to flee to Tarshish?
Good post, Kevin. For me, John 14:6 sums it up.
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A3,
Jonah was disobedient. But his prophecy was true much to his displeasure.
It is summed up by this: Either Jesus was God like He said He was or He was not. I chose to believe He was God. I have proof in my own life that He is. You don’t have to believe that and that’s OK.
My whole point here is if a person calls themselves a follower of Jesus then they need to believe what He said.
David,
Thanks.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
unfortunately, such ignorance of biblical teaching is not limited to presidential candidates.
“Well, first of all, I believe in an Almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God.”
President George W. Bush
A3,
There are several instances when Jesus did equate Himself with God, most of the references I’m sure you’ve seen. If He never said them, then the whole reliability of the Bible is in question and we can’t really be sure of anything about Jesus. Which I’m guessing you would agree with–but that also means that Jesus is not one we can build a faith around at all. Maybe that’s a point you want to make. I have come to the conclusion that the New Testament and the Gospels are reliable in describing what Jesus said and did–but that’s a whole other issue.
If He said it and was wrong–then again, Jesus is not worth basing our faith on.
But if He said and was right… that’s a whole other ballgame.
Obama and Bush seem to ride the fence on who Jesus is; while Jesus wants to remove that option.
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Kelly,
Thanks for the quote from “Dubya.” He is wrong too. I can’t stand fence straddling. Be either hot or cold.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
O.K. here’s my comment…obviously Obama is a politically expedient person. He will stand for whatever is popular at the moment, so why wouldn’t he waffle on this too? I suspect that if he was in room of Christians he would profess Jesus as the only way. Seriously though…we aren’t electing a Pastor, but a President. I won’t won’t vote for Obama, but I did vote for Romney in the Ohio primary because politically he is closer to my positions. It’s time we stop asking politicians to be pastors…if they are, that’s scary – I think an Obama presidency is scary too though!
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Ryan,
Good point. I have problems with anyone, politician, minister or lay person who waffles. Have you heard Tony Campolo? He says the same stuff. Scary!
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Obama Suggests Jesus Christ Not the Only Way to Heaven
Kevin,
I agree: followers of Jesus must believe what Jesus said. However, followers of Jesus don’t necessarily have to believe that the authors of the New Testament always quoted Him accurately. But even if the original authors had faithfully recorder Jesus’ words, the Bible that you have in your hands today would still be an unreliable reference to those words due to the myriad of scribal errors that accumulated during the first few centuries ce.
Kelly,
Most of the worlds Christians view the Gospels as books written by men who were inspired by God. That is, they believe that the Bible is not inerrant but rather the product of the best efforts of the faithful writers. For them, the message of the Bible is reliable even if it isn’t infallible. So my comment wasn’t intended to call into question the plausibility of the faith.
My comment was regarding the facileness of the claim that the only 2 choices are that (1) Jesus lied or (2) Jesus is God, which presumes a-priori the Bible’s infallibility, and in turn presumes that Jesus is God.
A3,
Scribal errors? Jesus’ whole ministry was saying He was the savior and is God. There were many times that Jesus made claims that He was God. So the scribal error hoax doesn’t cut it with me. How many errors do you think there are?
I’ve said this a 1000 times. God has made Himself very real to me personally and it has never contradicted His word.
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I’m never up for the “who is in heaven” game. It’s not my call or my business. It’s God’s.
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Kevin,
That’s the way the story currently appears in the books that made it into the Bible. I think it’s more likely that the historical Jesus was a Jew that, who like many others in His time, claimed to be the messiah who with God’s help would restore Jerusalem to its past glory by defeating its enemies on the battlefield. When He failed and was executed instead, his messiahship was reinterpreted by his followers to be spiritual savior rather than the original connotation of the word. I think the oral tradition grew out of this reinterpretation and was eventually recorded and redacted into more complete stories. Scribes copied and recopied these stories while “correcting” the “mistakes” of previous scribes.
A3,
I believe because I’ve experienced God. Jesus was different because He was raised from the dead. There were many witnesses who saw Him alive.
But ultimately you are going to believe whatever you want. I can’t force you to come to God. Only God calls people to Himself. My job is to tell and God’s job is to draw people. My prayer is He will call you. But either way I’m your friend and appreciate your kind spirit.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..students plagiarized honor code
Kevin,
Same here – I consider you a friend too. The point of having a blog, vs. just a web site, is to solicit comments and feedback. I don’t intend for any of my comments to be combative or hostile in any way. I’m just giving my honest feedback. If we disagree on certain issues, it doesn’t mean that we’re not friends. It doesn’t even mean that we can’t have good and even spirited conversations about our differences. As Proverbs 27:17 (KJV) says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
You may believe you have. Others believe they have experienced God too. But the God they believe they experienced is not Jesus. Why is your experience more credible than the others? At my request some time ago, you and others offered some detail about what the “experience” actually was. I have to say candidly that I didn’t find that the details supported such a strong claim the you (collectively) “experienced” God. Inflated claims tend to cast doubt rather than to inspire confidence.
Other Gods (Osiris, Tammuz, Attis, Mithra, and others) rose from the dead as well. So in that regard, claims about Jesus aren’t that different.
We have stories that claim that there were eyewitness, but as I pointed out, the stories themselves are dubious.
That’s not true. I want to believe that there is a God that will cause me to live forever. However, the claims that such a God exists aren’t credible. So I actually don’t believe what I want to believe because I am willing to take a hard, honest look at the evidence. I am willing to base my beliefs on what makes the most since, rather than the belief that is the most comfortable to hold.
Do you believe that there are some that God does not call himself?
Kevin,
Tony Campolo is very scary!!! Seriously, I just don’t get him.
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Kevin,
That is where you are wrong…
I was reading Campolo last night “Is Jesus a Democrat or a Republican?” and he declared that JESUS is the ONLY way to God the Father…
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Phil,
Then he has changed his tune. I heard him on Charlie Rose say that Jesus was his savior but who am I to say.
If he has changed then good.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..What is truth?
So GWB said the exact same thing and evangelicals flocked to him! But now – since a democrat is saying it – we don’t want these characteristics in a president. HUH? That’s what I’m hearing everyone say. Kerry wasn’t religious enough for the evangelicals and now Obama is being racked over the coals for his beliefs. What’s wrong with this picture?
Yes, I believe Jews will be saved. Just as much as I believe that what I perceive to be a “partial” salvation, i.e., calling on the name of Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. That does NOT complete anything. We can say we believe all day long . . . actions speak louder than words.
I know my comment is gonna upset some of you and that’s okay.
“So GWB said the exact same thing and evangelicals flocked to him!”
That is a fair point. This is one evangelical who thought GWB was foolish to say such a thing. He knows better, or should know better. Both are bad.
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Most of what George W Bush has said in his presidency has bordered either on assinine or foolish…
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