Michael Bresciani
Obama speech at National Prayer Breakfast: insincere theological farce
By Michael Bresciani
Glancing down at his notes every few seconds Mr. Obama managed to get through what looked like the worst drudgery of his day at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Since 1953 the annual 'National Prayer Breakfast' has been held at the Hilton International Ballroom in Washington DC. It was begun by Christian conservatives but today is attended by over 3,000 people, all who are not conservative. The President is usually the main speaker followed by another prominent figure who is not announced until the day of the event.
There was a good helping of name dropping in which Obama said various ministers dropped by or phoned him at the White House. He specifically named Joel Hunter and T. D. Jakes. A fully emotionally embellished account of his visit with the Reverend Billy Graham was also added to the obviously perfunctory address. The subtle infusion of Obama's politics and policy filled the air, and the speech, which the president could hardly disguise, was an attenuation of his usual political rhetoric.
It will be seen by conservative Christianity, that the names and associations he is so willing to use are generally thought of as those who are apostate, liberal and willing to abandon the clear mandates of the Bible for some social contrivance of the hour. This does not make anything the president said any more believable but rather casts doubt on his associations, much like the doubt already in circulation about his over twenty year relationship with controversial Pastor, William Wright.
Jakes who once called for Franklin Graham's apology to Obama for doubting his faith in Christ, said Graham was nuanced by politics. Quoted in Chron.com, May 18, 2011 Jakes said, "I wish he had the diplomacy of his father, who brought the gospel to people without being nuanced by politics because when you do those things you offend people that you are actually called to save and to serve."
In fact when Franklin Graham was publicly questioned about Obama's faith he made no political allusions whatsoever. Rather like anyone discipled in the scriptures he quoted Christ who said "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt. 7: 20) The humblest student of the bible will have no trouble telling you that promoting the gay agenda and support for the abortion of the unborn is not, nor can ever be considered a fruit of the Christian faith.
It stretches credulity to its limits when Jakes visits to the White House and conversations with Obama are dismissed and not taken as proof that Jakes is being biased with Obama's policies and politics. It's the pot calling the kettle black in all of its wondrously clichéd wisdom.
Jakes promotes the 'Word of Faith' prosperity gospel, that to millions of born again believers is a perversion of the gospel and heretical at best. He is seen as part of the heresy explosion that accompanies the great falling away (apostasy) of the church at large.
This article will not put a judgment on T. D. Jakes, but rather will resort to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who said, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts..." (1Cor 4: 5) But as far as name dropping goes Obama might have been better off to leave some of the names off his list.
Joel Hunter gave up his registration as a Republican in 2010 in favor of going it alone. Changing party affiliation is no crime in this nation but what follows is a stand, or more succinctly, the lack of one, against abortion. Hunter is a supporter of Obamacare.
In the scripture no political party is recognized, but the plight of the weak, children and the oppressed is foremost. The choice of names and the use of particular passages served only to contradict the president. They are illumined in the poorest light by the scriptures and the knowledge that to date Americans have disposed of an entire generation of little human beings (54,000,000) in this scourge we call abortion.
In the fourth chapter of John's gospel Jesus said "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Jn 4: 24) According to the official transcript broken down into paragraphs by the Washington Post on February 2, 2012 Mr. Obama virtually started his entire address with a bold faced lie, in the presence of those who supposedly believe in the aforementioned verse.
He said "This is especially important right now, when we're facing some big challenges as a nation. Our economy is making progress as we recover from the worst crisis in three generations..."
Actually this is the worst economic crisis in only three years, and every bit of debt has been incurred by the Obama Administration. No other President in U.S. history has ever come close to the Obama record for adding debt to the nation. Few economists alive today would concur with the president that we are in recovery. Here, it is not hope that we are dealing with, but the audacity of delusion.
In what might be construed as a disclaimer, Mr. Obama could not be more precise as when he said "Our goal should not be to declare our policies as biblical. It is God who is infallible, not us. Michelle reminds me of this often."
There has been little to nothing of Obama's policy that could even remotely be declared as biblical. When he did use a quote from Proverbs it served to bring into question, yet, once again the lost lives of fifty four million unborn children whose silent voices were not, nor ever will be heard.
He said "To answer the responsibility we're given in Proverbs to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves..." Nothing said by Mr. Obama after that, could possibly mitigate the obvious hypocrisy in his words.
In a final blast of incongruity that neither stout heart nor tempered steel could have endured without cracking; he mentioned a passage from the book of Romans which he did not actually quote, after saying "What do you pray for when it comes to the man who has prayed for so many? But like that verse in Romans, the Holy Spirit interceded when I didn't know quite what to say."
It makes no difference exactly what verse he quoted, because only a few years ago he was noted for saying that the bible passage that declares that homosexual practices are an abomination to God and a crime against nature are from a an obscure book of the bible, thus it did not need to be taken seriously. That book is Romans.
I could be accused of over scrutinizing the president's remarks, but since he chose to scrutinize the inspired word of the Living God and decide which words can be taken seriously and which can be disregarded, then I am on pretty safe ground. After all Barack Obama is only a president, or in his own words, heard by thousands in his speech at the Prayer Breakfast, "It is God who is infallible, not us."
Mr. Obama's complete un-believability is of his own making, and his own words are the immutable proof of the same.
© Michael Bresciani
February 4, 2012
Glancing down at his notes every few seconds Mr. Obama managed to get through what looked like the worst drudgery of his day at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Since 1953 the annual 'National Prayer Breakfast' has been held at the Hilton International Ballroom in Washington DC. It was begun by Christian conservatives but today is attended by over 3,000 people, all who are not conservative. The President is usually the main speaker followed by another prominent figure who is not announced until the day of the event.
There was a good helping of name dropping in which Obama said various ministers dropped by or phoned him at the White House. He specifically named Joel Hunter and T. D. Jakes. A fully emotionally embellished account of his visit with the Reverend Billy Graham was also added to the obviously perfunctory address. The subtle infusion of Obama's politics and policy filled the air, and the speech, which the president could hardly disguise, was an attenuation of his usual political rhetoric.
It will be seen by conservative Christianity, that the names and associations he is so willing to use are generally thought of as those who are apostate, liberal and willing to abandon the clear mandates of the Bible for some social contrivance of the hour. This does not make anything the president said any more believable but rather casts doubt on his associations, much like the doubt already in circulation about his over twenty year relationship with controversial Pastor, William Wright.
Jakes who once called for Franklin Graham's apology to Obama for doubting his faith in Christ, said Graham was nuanced by politics. Quoted in Chron.com, May 18, 2011 Jakes said, "I wish he had the diplomacy of his father, who brought the gospel to people without being nuanced by politics because when you do those things you offend people that you are actually called to save and to serve."
In fact when Franklin Graham was publicly questioned about Obama's faith he made no political allusions whatsoever. Rather like anyone discipled in the scriptures he quoted Christ who said "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Mt. 7: 20) The humblest student of the bible will have no trouble telling you that promoting the gay agenda and support for the abortion of the unborn is not, nor can ever be considered a fruit of the Christian faith.
It stretches credulity to its limits when Jakes visits to the White House and conversations with Obama are dismissed and not taken as proof that Jakes is being biased with Obama's policies and politics. It's the pot calling the kettle black in all of its wondrously clichéd wisdom.
Jakes promotes the 'Word of Faith' prosperity gospel, that to millions of born again believers is a perversion of the gospel and heretical at best. He is seen as part of the heresy explosion that accompanies the great falling away (apostasy) of the church at large.
This article will not put a judgment on T. D. Jakes, but rather will resort to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, who said, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts..." (1Cor 4: 5) But as far as name dropping goes Obama might have been better off to leave some of the names off his list.
Joel Hunter gave up his registration as a Republican in 2010 in favor of going it alone. Changing party affiliation is no crime in this nation but what follows is a stand, or more succinctly, the lack of one, against abortion. Hunter is a supporter of Obamacare.
In the scripture no political party is recognized, but the plight of the weak, children and the oppressed is foremost. The choice of names and the use of particular passages served only to contradict the president. They are illumined in the poorest light by the scriptures and the knowledge that to date Americans have disposed of an entire generation of little human beings (54,000,000) in this scourge we call abortion.
In the fourth chapter of John's gospel Jesus said "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Jn 4: 24) According to the official transcript broken down into paragraphs by the Washington Post on February 2, 2012 Mr. Obama virtually started his entire address with a bold faced lie, in the presence of those who supposedly believe in the aforementioned verse.
He said "This is especially important right now, when we're facing some big challenges as a nation. Our economy is making progress as we recover from the worst crisis in three generations..."
Actually this is the worst economic crisis in only three years, and every bit of debt has been incurred by the Obama Administration. No other President in U.S. history has ever come close to the Obama record for adding debt to the nation. Few economists alive today would concur with the president that we are in recovery. Here, it is not hope that we are dealing with, but the audacity of delusion.
In what might be construed as a disclaimer, Mr. Obama could not be more precise as when he said "Our goal should not be to declare our policies as biblical. It is God who is infallible, not us. Michelle reminds me of this often."
There has been little to nothing of Obama's policy that could even remotely be declared as biblical. When he did use a quote from Proverbs it served to bring into question, yet, once again the lost lives of fifty four million unborn children whose silent voices were not, nor ever will be heard.
He said "To answer the responsibility we're given in Proverbs to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves..." Nothing said by Mr. Obama after that, could possibly mitigate the obvious hypocrisy in his words.
In a final blast of incongruity that neither stout heart nor tempered steel could have endured without cracking; he mentioned a passage from the book of Romans which he did not actually quote, after saying "What do you pray for when it comes to the man who has prayed for so many? But like that verse in Romans, the Holy Spirit interceded when I didn't know quite what to say."
It makes no difference exactly what verse he quoted, because only a few years ago he was noted for saying that the bible passage that declares that homosexual practices are an abomination to God and a crime against nature are from a an obscure book of the bible, thus it did not need to be taken seriously. That book is Romans.
I could be accused of over scrutinizing the president's remarks, but since he chose to scrutinize the inspired word of the Living God and decide which words can be taken seriously and which can be disregarded, then I am on pretty safe ground. After all Barack Obama is only a president, or in his own words, heard by thousands in his speech at the Prayer Breakfast, "It is God who is infallible, not us."
Mr. Obama's complete un-believability is of his own making, and his own words are the immutable proof of the same.
© Michael Bresciani
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