Daily Skiff

Media Credit: Courtesy of Brian Baer, Sacramento Bee via MCT Barack Obama [Click to enlarge]

As we find ourselves on the eve of a new presidency, I am reminded of how important it was to Americans for each candidate to establish his or her religion during the primaries.

President-elect Obama struggled throughout the campaign with rumors that he was a Muslim. When this turned out to be unfounded, the religious liberal left, confident that Obama's Christianity was as solid as theirs, were off to the voting booths.

We are now left to wonder though, how much his Christianity will be an evident guiding factor in his decisions during the next four years.

Will our new president pray publicly and hold Christian services on Air Force One as did his predecessor? Will he seek religious counsel and have prayer meetings with world religious leaders?

Or are such actions only a Republican form of Christianity?

In the last eight years, many openly complained about the extent to which religion was alive in the White House. I do not believe that we can expect such open worship from Obama.

Our new president will be more of a not-so-in-your-face, socially-conscious Christian rather than the evangelical presence which has been a cornerstone of the long-reigning religious right.

Some may assert that faith is irrelevant to the American people, but it obviously did matter during the YouTube debates and the Q&A at Saddleback Church where questions were formed by average Americans.

Politicians are using religion as a political strategy just as they may change accents in different cities on the campaign trail.

Obama is just Christian enough to tick off many of his constituents, but not enough to win over the religious right.

Turning his back on his long-time pastor was a symbol of Obama's lack of loyalty to his faith.

When the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons threatened his political campaign Obama denounced his comments and downplayed the message that he had sat and listened to for years as being outdated.

Obama's condemning response to an "obscure passage found in Romans," was an equally troubling sign. If he were as devout a Christian as he claims, he should revere the entire thrust of the Bible and respect everything inside of it.

Christianity in America has become a cultural identity like a creed or a birthright, but it is based more on our godless culture than the Bible.

As we evolve as a nation under new, less religious leadership, biblical Christianity in American culture will become increasingly offensive and words like evangelical will be derogatory statements.

I am open to rebuke, and as a Christian, I hope Obama proves me wrong. But whatever he chooses to do or not do, Americans need to remember that our president is our leader and genuine faith truly is important. Only time will tell if the life he leads, both as a confessing Christian and as a leader, is worthy of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Andrew Weatherford is a junior religion major and pastor of Deliverance Bible Church in Fort Worth.

Article Tools