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"We can still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace. So that's what I strive to do and pray to do every day. ... I think my public service is a part of that effort to express my Christian faith," he said. "As president of the United States, I'm also someone who deeply believes part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faiths. This is a country that is still predominantly Christian, but we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own, and that's part of what makes our country what it is."
The video was posted online by Christian Broadcasting Network and also is embedded:
CBN's David Brody, the organization's White House correspondent, said Obama's comments "sound more evangelical than any of his previous statements about his faith."
"Having said that, to some people it's not going to matter what he says," he continued. "They are going by his actions (his views on abortion, marriage, etc) and what they see as his distorted view of the Gospel message.
"Bottom line: Has the train already left the station on how people view the faith of this president? The words today may not change people's minds at all. Unlike the 2008 campaign when President Obama was in the process of telling America about himself, it's now 2010. Conservative Evangelicals may have a harder time buying this and secular liberals have no desire to hear all of this 'God' talk in public. This president may not be able to win either way," he said.
On Brody's comment page came the suggestion, "If he says he is a christian why is it he seems to be more on the side of the muslim faith than the christian faith? Why has it taken him and his family almost 20 months and to date they still haven't settled into a bible beliving (sic) church? Why does he seem to be going against the christian faith by wanting gays to be in the military."
On the Star-Tribune comment page, one writer cut to the quick.
"I believe that President Obama might believe he is a Christian but living a life you think God wants you to lead doesn't make you a Christian. Believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins is what makes one a Christian," wrote t-petter.
But the cynicism never was far from the surface.
"That there could possibly be a vote or two somewhere in claiming some measure of Christianity," added jackusmc.
"Perhaps if your president's actions followed what he said others wouldn't question his 'faith belief and values,'" added wildrocks.
"He's a Christian because his approval numbers are at an all-time low. It's as simple as that," added rookie6886.
He also came in for some support.
"For the president's political opponents, whose mission from his first days in office, was to destroy his presidency, their motives are soaked in the politics of personal destruction. President Obama's opponents couldn't beat him at the voting booth, so they set out to cripple him by spreading made up fantasies about the president's religion and his citizenship. They stoke hate rallies and hoisted signs of the president in white-face and Hitler mustaches," wrote writruth. "The president's opponents believe that if they can raise enough suspicion, even if they have to lie to do so, it's fair. By any means necessary their mission is to undermine the president's attempt to get the country back on it's feet, to rebuild our manufacturing base, to improve the quality of our kids' public education, to cut our dependency on foreign oil and to end the wars that drain trillions from our treasury, rob our troops of the flower of their youth and leave us less secure in the world."
Another writer, xpylut, identified another perspective: "If you haven't heard of TAQIYYA, google it. Your eyes will be opened to how Muslims are allowed to handle difficult questions."
At USA today, Pathora07 said, "It is nice to see that Obama worships Christ!" which was followed immediately by the comment, "Actually, Obama worships votes."
"'So I came to my Christian faith later in life.' Yeah ... like when he decided to make a run for the White House ... because he was told by his mentor 'Dick Durbin' that a muslim could not get elected," added another forum participant.
WND reported just days earlier that Obama removed the reference to the "Creator" from the Declaration of Independence when he quoted a portion at a meeting of the Congressional Hispanic Congress.
Obama said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
But the actual quotation is:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."The video, where the reference appears shortly past the 22-minute mark:
On the Gunny G blog, there was outrage.
"I'm surprised this has not created a stir – perhaps lost in the election results," he wrote.
And at American Thinker, which was among those bringing the incident to national attention, Jason McNew reported on the "long pause" Obama inserted after saying, "created equal."
The report cites him scowling and blinking.
"For once, he may actually have opted to not read something that was on the teleprompter," the commentary said. "It looks like he is disgusted and decided it would be better not to read what the preamble actually says.
"President Obama, if our Creator is not the purveyor of our rights, then who is? The government?" the commentary questioned.
