Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Sunday that his answer to the question "When does a baby get human rights?" at the recent Saddleback Church civic forum was probably too flip.
Less than a month ago, Obama had answered moderator Pastor Rick Warren at the nationally televised event that it was “above my pay grade” to determine when life begins.
But on Sunday, during an interview with ABC News, Obama acknowledged the response was “probably” too flip.
"Yes. I mean, what I intended to say is that, as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into…," he explained.
"It's a pretty tough question,” he continued. “And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don't presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”
Rick Warren, in an interview after the forum, said he thought Obama needed to be more specific with his answer.
“[T]o me, I would not want to die and get before God one day and go, ‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t take the time to figure out’ because if I was wrong, then it had severe implications for my leadership if I had the ability to do something about it,” Warren had said in a Beliefnet.com interview.
“But to just say ‘I don’t know’ on the most divisive issue in America is not a clear enough answer for me,” he added.
Obama, in his interview Sunday, had also explained that abortion is a moral issue and he does not think the government “criminalizing” the decision of families is the best way to reduce the practice.
Meanwhile, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, said during a separate interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that as a Roman Catholic he accepts the church’s teachings that life begins at conception.
However, he thinks it’s inappropriate in a pluralistic society to impose his judgment on others.
National surveys show that Obama has been significantly less popular among highly religious white voters. A Gallup Poll survey, released on Friday, show that 65 percent of non-Hispanic white registered voters who attend church weekly support Republican candidate John McCain, compared to 26 percent who support Obama.
Overall, McCain is slightly leading Obama among registered voters, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update. McCain has the vote of 48 percent of registered voters, while Obama has 45 percent. The results are based on interviews with 2,765 registered voters on Sept. 4-6.
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Did Obama support the murder of Christians in Kenya? Aparently he raised $1 million dollars to his uncle who did.
It seems Christ was pretty clear how He feels about immoral sex and murder:
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
Christ spoke out against immoral sex - everyone knew what Christ was referring to (as it is in the Law). This includes homosexuality, so there was no need to be more explicit.
Those starting their lives have just as much a right to protection as those in the twilight years, if not more. I do believe it is the role to protect the innocent, especially those who can not help themselves. If there were no abortion, there would be 40 million more in this country to provide for the government to tax to provide for the needs of those who can not provide for themselves. Abortion is murder. Dems have fought every attempt by congress to stop it. And there HAVE been attempts in the Bush years - and the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act was passed - but Reps were afraid to go farther because Dems have fought them so hard on every abortion front. This is the same bill that Obama opposed in the Illinois congress.
seedplanter/msnchris
"Stan I don't know who you are or how familiar you are with Christian history, but it has been the practice since the first century for Christians to rescue babies that were being abandoned at the garbage dumps in Rome having been left exposed there to die."
I'm much less concerned with what the practices are or are not of "some" Christians, but I am concerned about what the Bible says. All life is precious to the Lord and He sees an older person as if they were young. God doesn't see the wrinkles and the beat up bodies as we do. I see getting an abortion as offending God, but I don't in any way shape or form find evidence that this sin is "THEE" sin of all sins. It is a highly emotional sin that creates the desired effect in the electorate to get the desired result...nothing done on abortion...tax cuts for the wealthy. The same thing is done with gays. Picturing one man having sex with another is repulsive to me, but I find it beyond interesting that the Lord didn't decide to make it one of the immutable laws carved in stone. I also find it interesting that He gave us numerous quotes from His only Son in the Gospels, but not one quote from Christ bashing gays. I always voted Democrat, but in 1996, I abstained, because of Bill Clinton's lewd behavior. You want to know why Congress has a lower approval rating than President Bush, because Democrats are voting their disapproval. They are not loyal no matter what, like many Republicans are. My dad was Republican most of his life and my mother is Catholic, I'm neither. My love is for everyone, but my loyalty is Christ's alone.
Chris,
Amen. Let's carry that banner of life for all to see. Defend the undefended.
Stan,
Yeah, and if you want to see the consistent record of Christians always believing that abortion was murder, then all you have to do is do a search for: Catholic and Early Church Fathers, comma then Abortion. It will come up for you. There are many quotes that show Christian TRADITION of saying abortion was evil. The Catholic Church has never wavered on Abortion and we are so thankful for the many wonderful Protestant Christians who help carry the banner against abortion with us.
God protect the innocent! Remember, John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb when Mary approached with the baby Jesus still in her womb. Praise the Lord!!!
"I'd better cancel my subsciption to the Wittenburg Door then...."
Do they still print that thing???
Stan,
I don't think abortion is the only issue in this election, but it is clearly the most critical concern for Christians. Obama refused to protect babies even after birth. This is intolerable.
The Bible does not have to explicitly state that it is the Christian's duty to protect unborn babies. The Bible does not specifically say that it is immoral to beat your kids with razor wire while you hang them upside down by their toe nails from the rafters. Nevertheless the Bible does speak to the issue and has been posted here and elsewhere.
Stan I don't know who you are or how familiar you are with Christian history, but it has been the practice since the first century for Christians to rescue babies that were being abandoned at the garbage dumps in Rome having been left exposed there to die.
Obama has the audacity to be concerned about his daughter's futures in an unwanted pregnancies without consideration of the little innocent baby whose life he is about to terminate. He wants to talk about hope? If Obama cannot even bring himself to protect the helpless how can he expect anyone to respect him. He is more radical than HILLARY!
Barrack is not about mercy or justice, but abortion on demand.
Oh, I disagree with Obama on other issues as well. McCain has a track record of authoring legislation and getting things passed. Obama has written two books on himself. His hubris seems to know no bounds. I like lower taxes. I want our country safe. I want judges who will not make law from the bench. I want social and financial conservatives in office. I don't believe the extreme Democrats are good for this country (and Obama seems to be one of the most extreme.
Murder is the antithesis of love. It seems like a good measuring stick.
Emergent view:
On the other side of the evangelical political spectrum, there Is worry that Palins star turn will diminish months of work Obama backers have put into wooing young evangelicals.
Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomons Porch in Minneapolis, said young evangelicals in his circle fear that Palins ascendancy signals a return to "old-school divide and conquer politics" and a narrow focus on abortion politics.
"There was a feeling that an era was coming to a close" said Pagitt, a leader in the emergent church, a diverse but hard-to-define movement that draws many young and creative evangelicals. "Now with a 44-year-old woman, there could be another half a lifetime of this"
Tony Jones, another emergent church leader, said it is too early to say that. "Itâ
Emergent view:by Associated Press
Sunday, September 14, 2008"
"On the other side of the evangelical political spectrum, thereâ
If the taking of human life is the basis of your voting, where does that reconcile with scripture? I'm not talking about finding verses of scripture that mention killing is wrong, I'm talking about making a sound argument on why killing is your focus. Idol worship is the first commandment and love should be your greatest aim. Why is there not one parable or religious teaching on killing by Christ in the four gospels, but you make it your lone focus? If a baby was crying and I made the sin of killing and another person made the sin of ignoring it while it slowly starved to death, who would be the worse sinner? That's what the GOP does with the 16 million or more children(never mind adults, nothing in scripture that says a child's life is different than an adult's life) who die every year from preventable diseases. And they refuse to pass any laws that would cut down the number of children aborted.
Murder is a moral issue. Let's not pass laws criminalizing people's behavior as a way to reduce it.
Blue, it may be a moral question as to whether or not it is appropriate to kill a baby. But what certainly is not an ethical category is when life begins. It is a scientific fact that life begins at conception.
Obama was merely trying to cloud the issue in consideration of his unwillingness to protect babies after they are born. He was actually trying to remain consistent without incriminating himself before the pastor.