may another take his place of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
-- Psalm 109:8-9
It should never cease to amaze me just how much hate goes on in the name of Jesus Christ, but this has broken through the floor. The above verses have been directed by resentful conservative Christians toward President Obama in the hopes that God will remove him from office later this year; there's even a T-shirt available for sale with that Scripture reference.
Well, I've got bad news for you: God isn't pleased with that attitude -- at all. And I would go so far as to say that if you subscribe to it, you will be sorely disappointed in November.
The reason should be simple: God raises up and takes down leaders for His own purposes, not to suit anyone's private agenda. Moreover, he will never long allow any ideology to be tied to His Kingdom. That's why things have occasionally gone well under liberal presidents and poorly under conservative ones -- even when, according to a conservative worldview, they weren't supposed to.
Recall that a similar attitude of "Christian" contempt was displayed 20 years ago toward Bill Clinton. The Binghamton, N.Y. home church of Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry was so frightened that it went so far as to take out full-page ads in USA and the New York Times imploring Christians not to vote for him. (Improperly, as it turned out, as under IRS law churches are not permitted to endorse or oppose candidates.)
Not only that, but it gives the impression that "conservative" principles are required to "save" this country from perdition, economic, political or otherwise. Trouble is, the facts put the lie that notion.
Under Clinton, who was in fact far less liberal than he was accused of being, the economy was relatively good. (Which is one reason he survived his impeachment.) And besides, he knew how to run a government. Indeed, had he not been term-limited out he might still be in the White House.
Under George W. Bush, however, those same conservative principles, coupled with imprudent but conservative-supported military action in Iraq, tanked the economy and he had to abandon such principles to right the ship. As much as you may have despised the auto and bank bailouts, keep in mind that (at least with the former) the collapse of GM and Chrysler would have had a ripple effect on the rest of the economy. To wit, they may have saved your job.
But back to Obama: I guess that I shouldn't be surprised with all this hatred toward him, which frankly is based on envy -- which, of course, is sin. After all, it seems that many conservatives believe that being in power is their birthright and that anyone who doesn't support that agenda to the letter must be illegitimate. But since they can't sell that bile to much of the rest of the country, especially in urban areas, they simply denounce him, raise dubious issues surrounding his birth, call him divisive and even a racist ... the list goes on. They really need to get over themselves.
Moreover, other Republicans who ran for the presidency this year represented a joke. Remember Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum? Can you imagine God endorsing any of these folks, whose only claim was that they oppose everything that Obama does? Is that any way to run a country?
I believe, and have often said, that Obama is guaranteed another four years at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- if for no other reason than to show conservative Christians that He does, and they do not, run the show. But also remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: "Bless and do not curse ... " Seems that some folks haven't read that part of the Scripture.
Well, I've got bad news for you: God isn't pleased with that attitude -- at all. And I would go so far as to say that if you subscribe to it, you will be sorely disappointed in November.
The reason should be simple: God raises up and takes down leaders for His own purposes, not to suit anyone's private agenda. Moreover, he will never long allow any ideology to be tied to His Kingdom. That's why things have occasionally gone well under liberal presidents and poorly under conservative ones -- even when, according to a conservative worldview, they weren't supposed to.
Recall that a similar attitude of "Christian" contempt was displayed 20 years ago toward Bill Clinton. The Binghamton, N.Y. home church of Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry was so frightened that it went so far as to take out full-page ads in USA and the New York Times imploring Christians not to vote for him. (Improperly, as it turned out, as under IRS law churches are not permitted to endorse or oppose candidates.)
Not only that, but it gives the impression that "conservative" principles are required to "save" this country from perdition, economic, political or otherwise. Trouble is, the facts put the lie that notion.
Under Clinton, who was in fact far less liberal than he was accused of being, the economy was relatively good. (Which is one reason he survived his impeachment.) And besides, he knew how to run a government. Indeed, had he not been term-limited out he might still be in the White House.
Under George W. Bush, however, those same conservative principles, coupled with imprudent but conservative-supported military action in Iraq, tanked the economy and he had to abandon such principles to right the ship. As much as you may have despised the auto and bank bailouts, keep in mind that (at least with the former) the collapse of GM and Chrysler would have had a ripple effect on the rest of the economy. To wit, they may have saved your job.
But back to Obama: I guess that I shouldn't be surprised with all this hatred toward him, which frankly is based on envy -- which, of course, is sin. After all, it seems that many conservatives believe that being in power is their birthright and that anyone who doesn't support that agenda to the letter must be illegitimate. But since they can't sell that bile to much of the rest of the country, especially in urban areas, they simply denounce him, raise dubious issues surrounding his birth, call him divisive and even a racist ... the list goes on. They really need to get over themselves.
Moreover, other Republicans who ran for the presidency this year represented a joke. Remember Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum? Can you imagine God endorsing any of these folks, whose only claim was that they oppose everything that Obama does? Is that any way to run a country?
I believe, and have often said, that Obama is guaranteed another four years at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- if for no other reason than to show conservative Christians that He does, and they do not, run the show. But also remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: "Bless and do not curse ... " Seems that some folks haven't read that part of the Scripture.
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