Imagine ....

Imagine a man in public life. He was raised Muslim. His father is a practicing Muslim. He is now an active member of a politically active church -- a church that is considered pretty controversial in some places, and whose pastor is hated by his political opponents.

Would you elect him President? Senator?

What about .... seminary President?

That's right -- I'm not talking about Barak Obama. I'm talking about Ergun Caner.

I've gotten too much email talking about Obama's church, and how he isn't really a Christian, and the church is soooo liberal, and everything. Some doubting that his conversion was genuine. If we can believe that Ergun Caner's conversion was genuine (which I have no doubt about at all, no matter what disagreements I may have with him on other things), why can we not believe that Barak Obama's conversion was genuine ?

Politically expedient conversion? He's been a member of that church for 20 years. That's 1988 -- the year he entered Harvard Law School. Is it really expedient to be a Christian at Harvard anymore? And Obama's upbringing was not Muslim -- his father was an atheist by the time he met Obama's mother. Being a Muslim attorney may have been a liability, but an atheistic or agnostic one? Who would notice? Who would care?

No, he's not our kind of Christian. Yes, his church is a bastion of liberal social-gospel teaching. But I don't have a Salvation Detector, and I don't think anyone else this side of Heaven does either, so we cannot judge how genuine his conversion was. There's plenty to not like about Obama and his politics without character assassination -- which is what these emails keep doing.

Madeline Murray O'Hare's son is a born-again Christian -- I've heard his testimony. Ergun Caner and his brother Emir are both born-again Christians. All three men from backgrounds that give testimony to the fact that God can and will save anyone who comes to Him in faith. Barak Obama, if he came to Christ by faith (as he says he did) is a Christian, no matter what his politics. Will I be voting for him? Not even. But until he proves to me otherwise, Barak Obama is my brother in Christ, and I will treat him as one.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;"
Luke 6:37