Ben Witherington's Blog

Hey everyone,

This is a post from Ben Witherington's blog. Witherington is one of the most prolific scholarly writers of our time. He is well-respected as one of the top New Testament scholars of recent decades and, for the record, is also a very politically conservative guy. But here's one of his recent posts:


Despite repeated denials, there are still many conservative persons, including many conservative Christians who think the President of the United States is a Muslim. One can only imagine that his recent remarks about the proposed mosque in N.Y. near ground zero will only further fuel such opinions. There has been a recent Pew Research poll done on opinions about Obama's faith----- here is the link to an article about it. See what you think.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/19/obamas-religion-still-at-issue-for-many-americans-a-fifth-say/?ncid=AOLDSN00280000000031

As for my opinion, I think that Barack Obama is most certainly a self-professed African American Christian. I am in no position to judge what is in the man's heart so I must take what he says, and what various of his friends like Rick Warren, say as the truth unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary, which there definitely is not.

What bothers me about the persistence of this sort of discussion is that it involves fear-mongering and all sorts of emotive rhetoric without any sound basis in facts. If a person does not like the President's politics, that is one thing. The attempt to link his political views to his religious views is a two edged sword. There are plenty, indeed I would say millions of devout Christians in American who mostly share Obama's political views. Does this make them somehow, not Christian? Surely not. So more circumspection is called for in making pejorative statements about Obama's Christian faith, based on pure suspicions and a dislike for his politics. Let the vituperative ones take the log out of their own eyes first, before trying to extract the perceived speck in someone else's eye.


Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2010/08/the-faith-of-barack-obama.html#ixzz0xG2ntgVq

-Matt

I Am Amazed

This is a song I wrote the week before we went to St. Louis. Some songs I write (like the one I'm currently working on) are like giving birth. I have to work at it and don't really enjoy the process a lot. Others, like this song, just come in such a quick and easy way that I know it has to be from God. With that said, I really don't take ownership over this song. When we used it in our worship services in St. Louis, it didn't feel like we were just playing one of my songs.

Anyway, I wrote the lyrics based partly on a sermon and chapter from the book Crazy Love that simply spoke of the priority of the cross. But, what really got me going was a conversation I had with an individual who struggled trying to please God with his actions. I tried hard to explain to him that nothing he could do would ever make God love him any more and, likewise, nothing he could do could separate him from the love of God (Rom 8). The cross is the ONLY source of right standing with God, and God's love is unchanging and everlasting.

Vs 1:
You are the One, Creator of the Heavens and the earth
Your holiness, and glory cry out of your endless worth
But when I think, Your love for me is never gonna change
I am amazed

Pre-chorus:
You love me when I'm strong when I'm weak
Grace poured out so fully and free

Chorus:
Your cross is all that I need
Your cross is all that I need
Your cross is all that I need and I am amazed
Thorns that pierced your brow for me
The nails in your hands and feet
Your cross is all that I need and I am amazed

Vs 2:
My righteousness, is filthiness when compared to your grace
Jesus you are, the only one who could ever take my place
My sin is gone, and one day I will see your loving face
And I amazed