White House Defends Obama As 'Mainstream Christian' After Glenn Beck's Accusations

WASHINGTON — White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says President Barack Obama is a "committed, mainstream Christian" – contrary to the claims of Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck.

Beck recently claimed that Obama practices a version of Christianity that is not recognized by most people. Beck says this "liberation theology" is all about "oppressors" and "victims."

Gibbs was asked about Beck's assertions Thursday at the White House press briefing.

Gibbs says, "I can only imagine where Mr. Beck conjured that from."

Comments

[OlongapoEd]

12:49 PM on 09/07/2010

I notice that one of the tr0//z is stalking me...how cute!

[JohnBryansFontaine]

08:11 AM on 09/05/2010

Glenn Beck's History 'Expert' Endorses Biblical Slavery
by Bruce Wilson

"...David Barton, who recently has been tapped as an alleged "expert" on American history featured on the Glenn Beck show, has built a career upon his claim that United States government was founded on Biblical precepts. This creates a major problem - if America was founded as a Christian nation, how can we account for slavery ? Barton's articles on slavery on his Wallbuilders web site stress that many of the Founding Fathers were strongly opposed to the institution of slavery (which is true) but then he refers readers to a Wallbuilders article by Barton's close colleague Stephen McDowell, which explains that although Southern Slavery was wrong, it was wrong because it wasn't Biblical slavery as defined by Christian Reconstructionist theologian R.J. Rushdoony, whose basic approach was simple - what was permissible according to Biblical scripture is permissible now: including slavery.

McDowell's article cites R.J. Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law six times in its footnotes and that's notable given that the book was Rushdoony's master work on how to implement Biblical law in the American legal system. R.J. Rushdoony's scheme included establishing stoning and burning at the stake for adultery, homosexuality, and idolatry, and the legalization of Biblical slavery. Leaders in the Christian Reconstructionism movement Rushdoony founded have for several decades now been trying to make it so..."

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/7/12/94224/9568/

[JohnBryansFontaine]

08:02 AM on 09/05/2010

No one ever mentions that Sarah Palin's Pastor, the Rev. Thomas Muthee is a Christian Nationalist.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/is-palin-a-chri.html

[syllepsis]

07:27 PM on 09/04/2010

Contempt is an ugly emotion, but it is what this President deserves.

Why should anyone care what his religion is, if any?

Obama stands for nothing, and that is where he is leading his party AND his country.

[peter777]

07:18 PM on 09/07/2010

So, why don't you tell us where the Republicans were leading us less that two years ago, and now want to continue in that downward direction? Obviously, your judgement is questionable, if you see no value whatsoever in any of Obama's beliefs. Have you ever read one of his books?

[syllepsis]

10:25 PM on 09/07/2010

Obama should not be answering questions about his religion. He should be governing...It seems that with the midterms coming up, he has suddenly decided to become an orator again.

OK. Now he's a populist all of a sudden. At least until after the midterms.

His private beliefs don't matter to me, only his public actions; but if you want to explain the insights into his Presidency offered by the contents of his books, go right ahead.

[tugboat9]

06:02 PM on 09/10/2010

Is there a cure for syllepsis?

[Todd David Ferrell]

02:27 PM on 09/04/2010

I believe in the social elements of govt. They do not . Can we leave religion out of it?

[peter777]

07:32 PM on 09/07/2010

Which means "they" (or conservative believers) believe the faith part of the Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, but not the good works part when done by the government. They say they will do the good works. Trouble is-- the good works do not get done on a sufficient basis by the churches or individually by its members. Yeah- tithe 10 percent and give 10 percent of that to missions, charity, benevolence, etc. That is 1% at most. Sure, that will pay for indigent care and burial, education of the young, roads, veterans benefits, and repay what the government (the U.S. people did not pay high enough taxes) has taken from the social security paid in by workers, etc., etc. ---- Yeah- fat chance! The government is necessary, and all they need to do is read the preamble of the Constitution.

[Angelo Locicero]

10:18 AM on 09/04/2010

BREAKING NEWS: "Glenn Beck practices a version of Christianity that is not recognized by most people." Beck is a Mormon.

[Andre Rebentisch]

12:32 PM on 09/04/2010

Indeed, from a European perspective it clearly is not a Christian belief but American quack. Wikipedia: "Mormon.. is the narrator of.. the Book of Mormon. [..] According to the Book of Mormon, the prophet Mormon engraved an abridgement of his people's history on golden plates, which were later translated by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Based on the chronology of the book, Mormon lived during the 4th century AD."

[Obfuscator]

08:22 AM on 09/07/2010

Strange, I didn't know being Christian was subject to perspective. The last time I checked, a Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. And the last time I checked, Mormons worshiped Jesus Christ. There complete name even has Jesus Christ in it (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

[Christian Schultz]

07:10 AM on 09/04/2010

Mr. President, I'm an independent so I don't always agree with you. I don't always disagree either.
This country is facing huge economic issues that might last a decade or more. People in my country are loosing their homes, jobs, self-respect and dignity.
All while I fight in Afghanistan for the 4th time.

I'm asking you to use your bully pulpit to stand up and say you swore an oath to the American people to defend our constitution so help you God and that's enough.

Regardless if you pray 20 times a day or 0 times a day you have a job to do. This crap is taking away for helping the people of this country. The family that was foreclosed on do not care. The family that is hungry does not care. The Sargent in Afghanistan that wants his soldiers to go home safely does not care. The father hitting the street looking for work does not care.
Even if you join their churches, their opinions of you will not change! It's a loosing battle so do not join in.
Do your job. That's what we care about and let our churches and pastors worry about our faith.

[alongst]

12:56 AM on 09/04/2010

Well, it would help people's opinion if Obama didn't act like a Muslim all the time.

[Sirlarek]

01:43 AM on 09/04/2010

In what way do Muslims act that resemble Obama's behaviour?

[Yank in France]

02:37 AM on 09/04/2010

Do people like you really exist?

[kitman3]

12:19 AM on 09/04/2010

Beck is right - social justice, economic justice, eco-justice or any other justice just is not in the bible ergo is not part of mainstream christianity.
black liberation theology (practiced at Trinity see post below from their website) has been renounced by main stream christians.
One can not legislate charity (ie wealth redistribution) it goes against the idea of each individuals redemption with God not collective redemption as the president has mentioned in several speeches.
Main stream christianity is about individual redemption not collective redemption.
Sorry but Beck is correct!!!!!!

[Sirlarek]

01:45 AM on 09/04/2010

...if so all Americans will find it as hard to get to heaven as it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

[Yank in France]

02:44 AM on 09/04/2010

Jeepers, creepers, Einstein, I had no idea that America had become a socialist paradise.

Are you working for a socialist company, owned and operated by the State?

Does eveyone receive the same pay in your unhappy land or are they paid according to the market wage?

Obama is into "liberation theology"? Where is the evidence?

Repeating the same lie over and over again will never make it a truth.

[liberty23]

11:56 PM on 09/03/2010

25 years in this church, married here, baptized etc...
"Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System, written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee, chaired by the late Vallmer Jordan in 1981.

Dr. Manford Byrd, our brother in Christ, withstood the ravage of being denied his earned ascension to the number one position in the Chicago School System. His dedication to the pursuit of excellence, despite systematic denials, has inspired the congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ. Prayerfully, we have called upon the wisdom of all past generations of suffering Blacks for guidance in fashioning an instrument of Black self-determination, the Black Value System.

Beginning in 1982, an annual Black Value System - Educational Scholarship in the name of Dr. Byrd was instituted. The first recipient of the Dr. Manford Byrd Award, which is given annually to the man or woman who best exemplifies the Black Value System, was our brother, Dr. Manford Byrd. "

From Trinity's web page. Why do people not accept that Obama came from here?

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:12 AM on 09/04/2010

The skeletons in Glenn Beck's closet
by Simon Maloy

"...The animosity between Beck and Kelly continued to deepen. When Beck and Hattrick produced a local version of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" for Halloween -- a recurring motif in Beck's life and career -- Kelly told a local reporter that the bit was a stupid rip-off of a syndicated gag. The slight outraged Beck, who got his revenge with what may rank as one of the cruelest bits in the history of morning radio. "A couple days after Kelly's wife, Terry, had a miscarriage, Beck called her live on the air and says, 'We hear you had a miscarriage,' " remembers Brad Miller, a former Y95 DJ and Clear Channel programmer. "When Terry said, 'Yes,' Beck proceeded to joke about how Bruce [Kelly] apparently can't do anything right -- about he can't even have a baby."

"It was low class," says Miller, now president of Open Stream Broadcasting. "There are certain places you just don't go..."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909220037

[moose and squirrel]

03:24 AM on 09/04/2010

if that had been me, Beck would have ceased to exist, and there would have been a few very plump rats down in the new york sewers

[liberty23]

11:37 AM on 09/04/2010

He has done worse things than this. Do you actually think you are going to tell anyone something about Beck that Beck has not said himself?? And what does this have to do with anything?

[Yank in France]

02:48 AM on 09/04/2010

What is wrong with a Black Value System?

Besides do we all have to abide by everything ascribed to by our church, past, present or future?

You nutcases have gone from blind faith to blind HATE!

[liberty23]

11:35 AM on 09/04/2010

No nothing wrong with it, who said there was? People like ROBERT GIBBS are denying that he is a black liberation Christian, that is what is wrong. No hate here, sorry if you disagree with something it is hate.

[Mikyung Lim]

11:25 PM on 09/03/2010

Part 2 - continued

It is critical to see things in the context of big picture. As so many experts pointed out, cutting back government spending / deficits in the heat of recession and high unemployment is like blocking economic recovery, growth, and job recovery further, extending the recession longer. It is the politics of “Myopia.”

China reportedly became the number 2 world economic superpower. The U.S. is shrinking in its capacity in world economy and politics. US hegemony over the world is fading, giving way to China. The major reforms that President Obama have pursued are the fundamentals to resuscitate the vitality of declining US economy in long-term in this critical time. Sure, there have been problems in specifics of this approach and people wished President to be more aggressive.

Under this situation, US public is demanding the government to take policy measures that will result in ignoring recession and unemployment by only focusing on reducing deficits and spending. If the government does as public wishes, so reduces the government deficits/spending, but unemployment and recession still persist and still many people can not bring food to table, “will the public praise or curse the government for taking the policy measures that the public forced the government to take?” My bet is, public will change their faces, bark, curse at the government, accusing that the government took wrong measures to maintain recession and keep people’s suffering continue.

The WH consideration of switching to popular policies should consider....

[Todd David Ferrell]

01:10 PM on 09/04/2010

Good point. For so many people politics is not an exercise of intelligence, just ignorance.

[Yank in France]

12:49 AM on 09/06/2010

Good point. People need dogma.

[Mikyung Lim]

11:17 PM on 09/03/2010

If a man says he is a christian, then let's just believe him. clear and simple. Let's don't make a scene out of nothing.

Part I.

The important issu I'd like to talk in public is, Time article, “How Barack Obama Became Mr. Unpopular”, (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2015629-3,00.html) carries the tone that President Obama became unpopular because he has carried on unpopular, big reform agendas and bailouts of auto and financial sectors which the public didn’t want, instead of pursuing publically popular policy agendas such as government deficits/spending reduction.
It’s regretful that President became unpopular by mid-term because public doesn’t like his main policy agendas. But, to be sure, what public wants are not necessarily what is good for this country. We have to remember how easily public has been manipulated by wrong media messages and how often they change their opinions. There is saying that the worst enemy of you is yourself. There have been many cases that the public has been so wrong to cause harm to themselves.

[TClaudiusDrusus]

10:33 PM on 09/03/2010

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Yep, nothing about oppression or suffering or injustice in Christianity.

Not that service to our nation requires Christianity, or any other religion, or that the religious affiliation (or lack of affiliation) of the President is anyone's business but his own.

[KYCH2U]

10:18 PM on 09/03/2010

There is no Constitutional requirement that a President be "Christian" (and all that iimplies). In fact the Constitutional Bill of Rights considers an individuals religion as irrelevant, as it should be.

[Obfuscator]

11:22 AM on 09/07/2010

It is noteworthy that several states still have in their constitutions that non-believers cannot server. From North Carolina's constitution:

Article 6, Section 8:
The following persons shall be disqualified for office:

First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.

[KYCH2U]

11:31 PM on 09/07/2010

Wow;
but there are wierd laws and statutes for other states as well. It probably could fill a book; probably has. I could suggest that citizens of NC repeal that portion of their constitution, but then I would be sticking my nose where it don't belong. I am wondering though if there are atheists in NC serving in office anyhow.

[Rory Kempf]

09:36 PM on 09/03/2010

Why is this even an issue?? Beck has a Rally on the Lincoln Memorial and talks religious but the only religion he has is the almighty Green Buck.

Born again Alcoholic 12 stepper Mormon. Why is it all the born again guys seem to know it all. I have been there my self and what it taught me was tolerance and inciting fear to the masses was not part of it. And do get me started on his fake tears with the onions. Busted!

I held the founding fathers papers in my hand and felt the power and later had to recant to say he was just so close it felt like he held them. This guy lies like a dog urinates why because he has to. I have spent much time in Washington at the Pentagon and nobody handles those documents period.

This is out of control with guys like him, keep the faith of course but God did say follow the law of the land and these guys act like the terrorists to use key things to prove their point, right or wrong. I can use the Bible to commit heinous acts just spin it a certain way. Modern Media.

Just venting

[liberty23]

11:46 PM on 09/03/2010

Fake tears, okay I know you are just venting on a guy you disagree with but he DID indeed used vicks during a photo shoot so he had tears for some pics, duh. Must he be crying for real at a photo shoot? Do you think they pause live TV and Live events such as the 5 American Revival tour events to "add tears"? I don't care if you disagree with him on everything down to his shoe size but please...

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:14 AM on 09/04/2010

Glenn Beck Has a Long History of Racial Mockery on the Radio -- His Civil Rights Talk Is Pure Fraud
By Alexander Zaitchik

http://www.alternet.org/media/147951/glenn_beck's_racism_is_an_affront_to_mlk's_%22i__have_a_dream%22_vision

[Sirlarek]

01:52 AM on 09/04/2010

I have directed many people who could work their way into weeping...it's called acting. He isn't good at it...but he can do it.