WHAT THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY MEANS FOR CHRISTIANS

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This page was last updated on November 5, 2008

WHY I REFUSE TO JOIN
THE GLOOM AND DOOM CROWD
By Thomas M. Parsons
There is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

The closing line of Ernest L. Thayer's popular poem Casey at the Bat just might express the feelings of many Christians on this morning after the victory of Senator Barrack Obama over Senator John McCain for the presidency of the United States. It is normal to feel a sense of loss when something you hoped for and even to some extent worked for fails to come into existence.

That being said, it is important to me that I not join the crowd of Christians crying doom and gloom because of this election. To me such an attitude is entirely innapropriate for believers.

In this article, which I plan to leave here on the website at least until January 20, 2009 when the new president takes office, I want to share my observations of what it will mean for Christians to have Mr. Obama in the White House. There are some concerns, and there are some positive things to think about.

You should know, if you do not already know by now, that I am a staunch conservative politically. I voted for the McCain-Palin ticket, not because I thought they were sent by God to be a shining light of victory over all things wrong. Give me a break! They are two human beings who happen to share some of the values and opinions I have. That is why I voted for them. Their loosing the election does not change my position on any issue. Neither does it condemn the future of the America I live in to an ever-expanding circle of liberalism, socialism and terrorism. It is OK that McCain lost the election. It was not the way I wanted it, but it is OK.

Allow me to summarize the positives and the negatives of how I view the coming Obama presidency.

THE POSITIVES Yes, there are positives to Mr. Obama's victory, and I expect there will be positives in his presidency. Here are the facts as I see them. Please stay with me until the end of this article. You may not agree with everything I say, but please allow me the opportunity to express it.

Mr. Obama is not a terrorist. That is a ridiculous and unfounded charge brought by some conservatives who should know better. Slander is wrong. There is absolutely no evidence that I have been able to find to substantiate the claim that Mr. Obama is in the pocket of any terrorist group. His alleged association with a man who later bombed buildings in protest does not mean that Obama is a terrorist. This claim was repudiated by John McCain himself. If there were any truth to it, any substantial evidence for it, then it was in McCain's interests to exploit it. The fact that he did not, and even made it a point to express his dismay with it, lays to rest this argument as far as I am concerned.

Mr. Obama is a liberal. That is his philosophy. That is his training. That is his committment. That is why I did not vote for him. But there have been liberals in the White House before, and we have survived them. Conservatism will survive this presidency as well.

Perhaps one of the strongest positive elements to the Obama presidency will be the healing of race relations in the United States. I am not certain this will happen, but it is a possibility. Blacks have long felt that they were left out of the decision-making process, especially at the highest levels of power in our country. It is possible that President Obama can convince white people that a black man can lead them, and convince black people that a black president is not the answer to all their hopes and dreams. The truth is, Mr. Obama must find a way to bring races together if his presidency is to be successful. He cannot afford to be the black president. He must be the president. Period.

He has a good background that may have prepared him for this healing process. His mother was white, his grandparents whom he frequently has referenced as positive influences in his upbringing were white. He has seen both sides of the race issue. He is able to understand the fears and the desires of both black and white people. Whether he will be able to accomplish healing remains to be seen. But he has the credentials to do it.

Since I first heard of Senator Obama, I have appreciated his committment to his wife, Michelle, and their daughters. He is a family man. There is an obvious devotion between him and his wife. That is always a good thing. I have expectations that the Obama White House will not be the scene of the anti-family activities that were so apparent in the life of the last Democrat to occupy the White House.

Mr. Obama is also a very intelligent man. He uses proper grammar. I know, only a former English teacher would notice that. But it is one of many signs that this man is well-educated and knowledgeable. He is a thinker, certainly a strong requirement for the occupant of the White House. Not all occupants of that structure have been thinkers. Mr. Obama is.

Also, Mr. Obama has given out signals that he wants to be the president of those who did not vote for him. He has publicy declared his hearing of their voice. He has said he wants to lead them as well. If he does this, it will mean that he will allow conservatives a place in his administration and will listen to their counsel and advice. Actually, this is something he must do if he is to be successful in his new role.

It is also a positive thing that our government is set up with a system of checks and balances. No president can wield unshackled power. Every president has those in the government who oppose him and challenge him. No president is ever able to achieve 100% of what he desires. There is always someone who will check him on it and provide the necessary balance to keep him from the extremes.

And, of course, four years from now, we all have the opportunity to vote again. Presidents are limited to eight years at the most with a possible replacement being put in place at the midway point.

THE NEGATIVES Yes, there are negatives to Mr. Obama's victory, and I expect there will be negatives in his presidency. After all, he is just a man.

ISRAEL will possibly be a victim of the Obama presidency. He has not expressed strong support for our most important ally in the middle east. This is potentially dangerous for America. A strong Israel is one of America's best defenses in the conflict of ideologies that makes the middle east the hot spot in the world that it is. If President Obama fails in America's committment to Israel, it could have very serious and dangerous repercussions for America.

RIGHT TO LIFE is another important area which may suffer under the Obama administration. Mr. Obama has expressed his desire to leave Roe v. Wade as it is. He will not press for an amendment to protect the sanctity of life.

For the past eight years, however, we have had a pro-life president, but Roe v. Wade still remains the law of the land. If we could not protect unborn life with a pro-life president, it is not likely to happen with a pro-choice president.

However, Mr. Obama has said that he would seek ways to substantially reduce the number of abortions performed in this country. He has not said exactly how he would do that, but this is one of his stated goals. Certainly, reducing the demand for abortions is not the ultimate goal of those of us who proclaim life is a gift from God. But it is a step in the right direction. Will Mr. Obama do this? It remains to be seen. But he has said he would.

MARRIAGE PROTECTION may be another area in which Mr. Obama will fail as president. He has not been a supporter of efforts to define marriage as a relationship confined to one man and one woman. Same-sex marriages may increase under his administration. But again, we have had a president for eight years who is a proponent of traditional marriage, yet no federal protection for marriage has been accomplished in his administration.

HEALTH CARE REFORM as far as I can see at the present time is another area of potential failure for Mr. Obama. Certainly our health care system needs reforming. Medical care quite simply is unnafordable. That either means the health care industry is greedy and cannot think of ways to cut costs, or it means that medical care is by its very nature too expensive for everyone to benefit from it. I confess I do not know which way it is. Possibly it is both. But reform is necessary.

The problem is that Mr. Obama's stated plan is unlikely to solve the problem. The government involved in health care is a sticky situation at best because the government will be no better at controling health care costs than the medical and insurance industries have been. In fact, given the track record of government, things will get worse.

SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS are another area of concern to me. Liberals like Mr. Obama tend to appoint judges who make decisions based on a liberal agenda. After all, that is how we got Roe v. Wade in the first place. President Obama may have the opportunity to appoint two jduges to the court. This could tip the delicate balance of the court in favor of the liberals, further eroding traditional values of marriage, family and pro-life.

THE BOTTOM LINE Okay. These are my thoughts concerning the positives and negatives of an Obama administration. But here's the bottom line.

Mr. Obama is not in control. He is, after all, only the President of the United States. Last time I checked, that was considerably below the throne of God.

The Bible states that governments rise or fall at God's command. No government exists except as God allows it to exist. The powers that be are ordained of God. God has allowed Mr. Obama to win this election.

Now, it is true that God sometimes gives people what they want to show them that what they thought they wanted is not really what they need, or what He wants them to have. This could be the situation here. But that is God's business, not mine.

God is still on the throne. His promises are still real promises, awaiting His time for complete fulfilment. God did not lose the election on November 4. God never loses an election. Never.
HERE'S MY PLAN You will have to decide what you will do now that the control of the presidency has gone the way you did not want it to go. But here is what I plan to do.

My life will go on. It will. And if it doesn't (if I die), it will have nothing to do with Mr. Obama. I will continue to worship and serve God, and encourage my family and friends, and strangers, for that matter, to do the same. That will not change.

I will pray for Mr. Obama. Yes, I will pray that God gives him wisdom and protection. But I will also pray that God brings him to a saving relationship with Jesus. As a believer, Barrack Obama could be a powerful force for God in this world. I have no reason to suspect he is a believer at this time. But I will pray that he come to know Christ.

I will show respect for President Obama, even in those areas in which I strongly disagree with him. I will speak out freely when those disagreements come, but I will not reference the President of the United States in a disrespectful manner.

I will pray for Israel. It remains God's chosen nation. God will deal with His unfaithful nation as He pleases, but my job is to bring Israel before Him in prayer. I will do that.

I will encourage people in every way God gives me opportunity to seek to protect the life of the unborn and the elderly, and the traditonal role of marriage and family. This has always been part of the assignment God gave me. It will continue as long as God leaves me on this earth.

In other words, I will continue to trust God, pray for the president, and teach the truth of God's Word. I will heed the message of Romans 13:1-7. I may not always like doing it, but I will because it is the command of God.

Mighty Casey has struck out. But I am determined that there will be joy in Mudville.