Richard Brand: Acting Like A Christian


It is another of the strange mysteries of this campaign. President Obama gets “hammered” on this lack of Christian faith, according to some, and then he goes and does something that is perfectly in keeping with the New Testament teachings of Jesus, and he gets “hammered” again as being weak. Taking up the Cross of Jesus and loving your enemies and not returning violence for violence does, in so many minds of Americans, show weakness. But it is the Gospel’s foolishness of the Christian cross.

The outrage of the Afghanistans at the burning of their Holy Book, The Quran, has been raging for several days. Our soldiers did make a mistake in disposing of those books by burning them. President Obama apologized for that mistake and that perceived insult to Muslims. That sounds to me like something a Christian might do. Apologize for causing pain to another. That is why President Obama has improved our internal image around the world. He has been considerate of other people’s and other countries feelings and opinions.

So now the Republican candidates who have been claiming that President Obama is not a Christian are attacking him for his acting like one. Maybe the best thing would be for Obama to forgive them for they do not know what they are talking about.