Friday, November 28, 2008

Barack Obama - Pastor Or President?

After reading the many blog posts about an interview with Barack Obama questioning his politics and his faith you would think that we were selecting a new Pastor and not the President of the United States of America.

Obama may not be an "evangelical" by most definitions, but he does express a deep personal faith. Obama was a constitutional law professor, not a seminary professor. He ran for the highest office in the land, not to be our national pastor. Perhaps what scares some is his admiration of our Founding Father's resolve to prevent theocracies from forming here in America. Here is a quote by Barack Obama from that interview:

"...Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation of church and state. I am a big believer in our constitutional structure. I mean, I'm a law professor at the University of Chicago teaching constitutional law. I am a great admirer of our founding charter, and its resolve to prevent theocracies from forming, and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root in this country.

As I said before, in my own public policy, I'm very suspicious of religious certainty expressing itself in politics.

Now, that's different from a belief that values have to inform our public policy. I think it's perfectly consistent to say that I want my government to be operating for all faiths and all peoples, including atheists and agnostics, while also insisting that there are values that inform my politics that are appropriate to talk about...."


Read the entire transcript of Obama's Fascinating Interview with Cathleen Falsani on the Christianity Today Politics Blog.

Only time will tell if Obama will be a good president, and only God can judge Barack Obama a good or bad christian.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
(1Timothy 2:1-2)

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Jonestown - Remembering To Remember

In 1978, deep in the jungles of Guyana, 918 people died at the People's Temple Agricultural Project known as Jonestown. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown mass suicide. This event disturbs me today as much as it did thirty years ago. When the horror of this tragedy hit the newsstands I was a young Hippie Jesus Freak involved with leading a small group of Christians. I learned firsthand that "leadership" can have many pitfalls. The Jonestown tragedy changed my view of "church leadership" forever. The Apostle Paul wrote... "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand." (2 Corinthians 1:24)

JONESTOWN MEMORIAL 


Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ! Kevin (Cloud)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

National Adoption Day

Yesterday was National Adoption Day, celebrated every November. This year's focus was on the children in the foster care system and their need for permanent placement.

I found two groups working at the national level to insure that the best interests of adopted children are protected.

National Council For Adoption

North American Council on Adoptable Children

The National Council For Adoption lists their Adoption First Principles on their website. As grandparents who adopted our granddaughter this year, two of those principles deeply touched my heart. They were "Growing Up Adopted Is Healthy And Normal" and "Adoptive Parents Are The Real Parents".


Growing Up Adopted Is Healthy And Normal: Adoption is healthy, satisfying, and good for adopted persons, not an enduring challenge to identity and wholeness. The adopted person may have additional questions and curiosities to sort out, but adoption is not a psychological burden or pathology as some theorists treat it. Adoption is the way one joined one’s family, not a defining characteristic or lifelong process. Persons adopted as infants grow up as healthy and productive as people raised in their biological families. To the extent there can be a greater risk of emotional or behavioral problems for children adopted out of foster care at later ages, the correlation is not the result of being adopted, but rather of difficulties experienced prior to adoption, such as neglect or abuse. The vast majority of foster children make the transition into their adoptive families and grow up very successfully.



Adoptive Parents Are The Real Parents: The 'real' parents of the child who was adopted are the adoptive parents, because they are the ones who are legally and morally responsible for the child; they are the ones who parent. In general, law and society have appropriately treated adoptive parents the same as biological parents. In the best interests of children, we should continue to do so. The interests and well-being of adopted children are thoroughly intertwined with those of the adoptive family.



Being supportive of positive adoption policies at the national level goes beyond helping children in foster care, it should be made a component of all Pro Life campaigns. Making adoption an easier choice for pregnant women and keeping adoption support available for adoptive parents will impact the number of abortions chosen each year.

Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ!
Kevin (Cloud)