Obama Embraces 'Christian' Label

Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

When President Obama lit the National Christmas Tree behind the White House last year, he spoke of a "child born far from home" and said "while this story may be a Christian one, its lesson is universal."

This year, Obama referenced that same "child born far from home," but added a more personal twist: "It's a story that's dear to Michelle and me as Christians."

Three days later, at a Christmas benefit concert, the president again talked about how the story of Christmas "guides my Christian faith."

What changed? For one, three separate polls in the past year have found that one in four Americans think the president is a Muslim, 43 percent don't know what faith he follows, and four in 10 Protestant pastors don't consider Obama a Christian.

Stephen Mansfield, author of The Faith of Barack Obama, said the polls "had to be a wake-up call to the White House."

Though Obama has spoken of his faith numerous times, saying he prays daily and talking at Easter about how "as Christians, we believe that redemption can be delivered by faith in Jesus Christ," his most recent language is even more open, more personal.

"I think he's just bringing more of himself to the game, so to speak," said Mansfield. "It's not as though he's changed religions or something. He's just being open about it."

The White House, which declined to comment on the president's current language, has called him a man of "strong Christian faith" in the past. Nonetheless, White House observers noticed a marked change in tone.

"The president understands that he needs to continually tell his own personal spiritual story," said Shaun Casey, professor of Christian ethics at Washington's Wesley Theological Seminary, who served as an Obama campaign adviser.

"He did that masterfully in the campaign and I think you're seeing a return to that voice."

Timothy Sherratt, professor of political science at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., said lingering questions about Obama's faith, as reflected in the polls, probably played a role in the latest language.

"Some of that, one would think, has to be in the back of his mind," said Sherratt, who taught a class this semester in political communication at the evangelical college. "Where there's ambiguity, it's always tempting to bring more clarity."

Comments

[ManiDeli]

12:44 PM on 12/19/2010

Obama also believes in Santa Claus along with most of his Republican cronies who are fighting the War on Xmas.

[Windfish]

08:52 PM on 12/18/2010

Huh? This article understands that Obama and his family are Christians, right? "label?" Are you kidding me?

[XPLSV]

04:08 PM on 12/16/2010

See, my comment got deleted again! Someone's afraid of freedom of speech...

[XPLSV]

02:14 PM on 12/16/2010

Yeah, Obama is a Christian puppet used by the Jews to fight the Muslims. Nuff said.

[XPLSV]

02:13 PM on 12/16/2010

"Imagine a world with no religion..."
–John Lennon

[3fingerbrown]

12:50 PM on 12/16/2010

More proof that the modern politician's slavish devotion to polls makes fools of them all.

[G R]

11:24 AM on 12/16/2010

Religious beliefs have no place in government. The United States was founded as a secular nation, not a religious one. That this simple fact is unknown to so many Americans is astounding (but successfully used by Republican leaders who are only a little bit wiser than their constituents). It was, in fact, escape from religious persecution that led to the founding of this great nation. What insecurities prompts people into believing in Santa Claus? The genie of religious fanaticism is rampant in present day America, and the founding fathers would have been horrified. Thomas Jefferson remarked: "To talk of immaterial existences is to talk of nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, gods, are immaterial is to say they are nothings. I cannot reason otherwise without plunging into the fathomless abyss of dreams and phantasms." I agree with Thomas Jefferson: to talk of any political leaders religious belief is to talk of 'nothings.'

[Martha T]

04:26 PM on 12/15/2010

This ridiculous premise that the POTUS, whomever he is must proclaim his faith, more importantly CHRISTIANITY,is just that...ridiculous. I do not remember clamoring for Reagan to "proclaim" his faith...Hypocrisy abounds in in this whole argument.

[Janicot]

04:10 PM on 12/16/2010

Probably because the leaders of the Religious Right did so on Reagan's behalf. Constantly. I don't have a problem with a president proclaiming his faith; I have a problem with elected officials allowing it to color their objectivity and direct the execution of their respective offices.

[sonjasmom]

04:25 PM on 12/15/2010

I don't see why any political leader has to tell, or keep telling, their personal religious story. Nobody should base their vote for a leader based on whether that person is Christian, Hindu, or athiest. Deeds and policies are what matter. While those deeds and policies may be informed for that individual politician by their faith, that leader had better be able to explain why the policy would be a net benefit for the country, using facts, logic and, when appropriate, appeal to more universal values.

[jonjon tha 5 8]

01:31 PM on 12/15/2010

Any grown adult who thinks you're a Muslim at this point is NEVER going to think anything else - you realize that, right? And most of the rest of us simply don't care that you're Christian - in fact a significant minority of us don't want to be reminded. Thanks for listening.

It would be nice if Obama didn't seem to be constantly dancing to the tune being piped by the least mentally stable among his electorate.

[BlacknProud310]

07:34 PM on 12/15/2010

So true and so well written as if you were speaking my mind man. Faved and Fanned.

[homer winslow]

12:47 PM on 12/15/2010

I think it is impossible to be boththe president of the USA and be a Christian. Too many conflicts. To those of you who actually think America is a Christian nation, why are so many children living in poverty here?

[Bapp]

12:33 PM on 12/15/2010

There was a time when American presidents did not have to wear their religion on their sleeves. Indeed, there were a few whose religious affiliation was never clear at all.

It is a sad commentary on this moment in history that we waste our time on issues such as this.

[Lochmon]

12:29 PM on 12/15/2010

Michele Bachman did recently complain that Obama wasn't mentioning God often enough. I wonder what his new quota is.

[bgofca]

12:26 PM on 12/15/2010

i have no problem believing he is a christian. what i have a problem with lately is that although he professes that he will do good things for the poor and middle class, he has been helping the rich more. i feel very betrayed.

[PORK RIND]

12:25 PM on 12/15/2010

Mr. President, how about you turning tables on those Wall Street money-changers. like Jesus did, instead of adopting silly Santa Claus antics as a newborn "Christian"