Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

[Sam]

Received this today from Charisma online and thought I'd pass it on without comment

Wednesday, October 21, 2008
Breaking Up (With Obama) Is Hard to Do

African-American Christians who don’t support Obama risk being called traitors, defectors and Uncle Toms. But some are defying him for moral reasons.

This past Sunday I shared a pulpit with a delightful African-American recording artist. She recently turned 70, although I would have guessed she wasn’t a day over 55. She sang better than I preached. (After all, she has won Grammy awards in the gospel category.) Then we sat down for a meal and she decided to get very honest with me.

She leaned close to my ear as if to make a dreadful confession. “Can I tell you something? I’m not voting for Obama.”

I wasn’t sure how to react, but I let this woman elaborate. With a pained expression she vented her frustrations about leaders who, in her opinion, are more concerned about loyalty to their race than to Scripture. She scolded pastors by name who have endorsed Obama when they should have been preaching against abortion, which Obama defends.

"I pray that all of us, black and white, will speak for truth and stay on the narrow path even when the crowd has chosen the broad highway."

She continued: “I hear some black pastors saying from the pulpit, ‘Let’s thank God we’re going to have a black man in the White House.’ Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t think this is the right black man.”

I’m not going to reveal the identity of this woman—not because she doesn’t want me to tell, but because outing her as a McCain supporter could close doors for her in the black church. Sadly, African-Americans who aren’t supporting Obama today are viewed as traitors.

It’s not easy to go against the flow when it seems that the entire black community is marching in lockstep with the well-financed Obama machine. Aside from all the endorsements from Hollywood celebrities and European crowds, black church leaders have formed a huge mass choir of support as well:


* Texas megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell and conference speaker Juanita Bynum have endorsed Obama.
* Gospel artists Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker, Byran Cage and Mary Mary have performed at Obama rallies.
* Television preacher T.D. Jakes gave Obama a glowing acclamation the day after he claimed his party’s nomination.
* Obama received a thunderous ovation when he appeared at the convention of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in June.
* When his wife, Michelle, spoke to 7,000 delegates at the National Baptist Convention in Cincinnati in September, her 15-minute speech was interrupted constantly by cheers, chants and applause.
* Last year Obama formed an impressive coalition of pastors and leaders who have mobilized support for him at the polls. The prestigious group includes civil rights icon Joseph T. Lowery; Dr. Cynthia Hale of Atlanta; Bishop Larry Trotter of Chicago; Bishop Cody Marshall of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) in Illinois; and the presidents of the two largest black Baptist denominations.
* COGIC, the nation’s largest Pentecostal denomination, has not officially endorsed Obama, but the leader of its Pastors and Elders Council, Derrick Hutchins of Florida, told Charisma he supports Obama because he “understands the infirmities of the nation’s neediest communities.”


Never in American history has a presidential campaign so energized the black church. And that makes it hard for black Christians who, for conscience reasons, cannot support a candidate who believes in killing unborn babies or rewriting Judeo-Christian morality.

One black friend who works in my office said family members blasted her when they learned she wasn’t voting for Obama. Another black colleague said she gets icy comments from women at her hair salon when she expresses honest disagreements about Obama’s values.

I have a friend in Baltimore, an African-American pastor, who says black friends have chided him after he admitted he isn’t in Obama’s camp. “They tell me, ‘Why are you voting that way?’ or ‘You’re letting us all down.’ It’s a touchy subject.” He also knows pastors who will tell people to vote for Obama from the pulpit, yet they have never once preached against abortion.

My friend believes there is a spiritual problem at the bottom of this. “It’s a spirit that has to be broken,” he says. “People have allowed an allegiance to race to become more important than the gospel. That’s why we have to fast and pray before this election.”

As divisive as the 2008 campaign has become, it’s even more divisive in the black church. Many African-American churchgoers view voting for Obama as the black thing to do. It’s a given. They see an Obama victory in November as the grand culmination of the Civil Rights movement and, perhaps, as the end of racial intolerance in this country.

to be continued

[Sam]

continued:

My friend Kimberly Daniels, founder of Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida, is an African-American preacher who grew up in the inner city. She sees this conflict quite differently.

If anyone had a reason to be a racist, Kim did. She experienced the worst kind of racism growing up in the “dirty South,” as she calls it. Yet today she unashamedly pleads with black Christians to vote according to conscience, not race.

Says Daniels: “Believe me, I would love to see a black brother in the White House—but not someone like Obama, who has embraced humanistic doctrines. Many white preachers are afraid to say this, and many black preachers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.”

(I am including Kim Daniels’ editorial at the end of my online column today. Please pass it on. Kim says some things that I, as a white guy, can’t say in our politically correct culture.)

I am thankful for Kim and the many brave African-American Christians today who have risked their reputations by going against the flow of popular opinion. I pray that all of us, black and white, will speak for truth and stay on the narrow path even when the crowd has chosen the broad highway.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. Kimberly Daniels’ column, “Draw the Line,” which ran in the November issue of Charisma, appears below.

Draw the Line!
White Christians can’t say this—and black preachers won’t touch the issue. But it’s time black Christians faced the reality about Barack Obama’s dangerous moral values.

by Kimberly Daniels

“Regardless of political opinions, the Bible makes it clear: Those who support the homosexual agenda and the murder of unborn babies will be judged.”


As a child in the 1960s I rode in the back of the bus. I was at the front of the riot lines in the 1970s, when I hit white boys on the head with bricks and dragged white girls down sidewalks near my school. I also experienced serious racism when I was an athlete in college.

I have been called the "N" word many times. I was taught to hate white people, and some of my relatives still call white people names such as "honky" and "cracker." But after I found Jesus, I was delivered from racism. I am free indeed!

The residue of my abuse has dried up at the root, and I am no longer a victim of what I call "ricochet racism." This occurs when the abused becomes the abuser.

Ricochet racism is a hellacious boomerang that grips the victim with pride and makes him think he has a right to hate. When I was saved, God taught me that I did not have a right to hate white people. Jesus nailed all my excuses to the cross, and I moved on.

Now that I am a born-again Christian, I do not consider my race to be my primary identity. I am a Christian first—before I am an African-American, a Democrat or a Republican. That's why I am troubled that so many African-American Christians are voting for Barack Obama simply because he is black.

If someone won't vote for a person because of race, we call this racism. But it is also racism when someone votes for a person because of his race!

Believe me, I would love to see a black brother in the White House—but not someone like Obama, who has embraced humanistic doctrines. Many white preachers are afraid to say this, and many black preachers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

I love Obama and pray for him and his family. But as Elijah troubled Ahab in Israel, I will challenge his views because they are dangerous to our religious liberties. It's time to draw the line.

Black Christians today need to put their faith first when they step into the voting booth. Does Obama represent godly values?

We know, for example, that he is an inclusionist. For 20 years he attended a church in Chicago that preaches that (1) Jesus is not the only way to God; (2) there is no hell; and (3) God will allow homosexuals to go to heaven even if they remain in their sinful state. Obama also has defended the killing of unborn babies, even in the third trimester.

He claims to be a Christian, but in his book The Audacity of Hope he calls the first chapter of Romans an "obscure" passage of Scripture. God's admonition about the sin of homosexuality is hardly obscure. It is very clear!

Jesus is the only way to God, and God will surely send homosexuals to hell if they do not turn from their ways and accept Christ—just as He will do for all other sinners who do not trust Jesus.

Regardless of political opinions, the Bible makes it clear: Those who support the homosexual agenda and the murder of unborn babies will be judged (see Rom. 1:32). These were the main issues in the days of ancient Israel, and they are critical issues today.

The pro-abortion movement is tied to the worship of two idols, Chemosh and Molech, the gods of child sacrifice. The movement toward gay marriage is rooted in the spirit of gameo, a Greek word that refers to same-sex marriage (see Matt. 24:38).

How can we vote for politicians who favor these ungodly movements? The Bible says we must separate ourselves from sin and wickedness. God is looking for faithful Christians who will not bow to the gods of this world.

I know what I am saying is not popular, and some people will denounce me for it. But I believe it is time to draw a line.

Believers can no longer make excuses by pulling their race cards, leaning on their lukewarm denominational rules or hiding under the covering of a political party. If we want America to recover, we must repent. We must choose the right side.

We must stand strong for what we believe and hold our ground. We must declare, as Joshua did, "Whoever is on God's side ... stand with me!"

Kimberly Daniels is the founder of Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Fla., and author of several books including her new release, Inside Out. Visit her at kimberlydaniels.com.

[meBNme]

vERRY GOOD POST!!

And well worth the read!

To all who shy away from long posts..... Do yourself a favor and read this one.

[George]

That Kimberly didn't pull any punches! WOW!

[StMark]

I was shocked when I found out that Bishop Blake
led an INNER FAITH Service at the Democratic convention.

For those that don't what this is, it's a service for Buddist,
muslims, christians ( so called) and everything else.

And this is a Bishop of a PENTECOSTAL Denomination
that prides themselves in nothing but HOLINESS??????

You should go to cogic.org and read the glowing review
Bishop Blake writes about Obama and the convention.

This is a GREAT article! It's about time someone spoke up!

[tstew]

Sam, all of this would be much more alarming to me if the Black community was not so fiercely partisan to the Democrats to begin with. I would be willing to bet that 90% of those who are voting were registered Democrats before Obama came into the picture. I don't think we're dealing with a bunch of people who voted for GWB and would be voting Republican but for Barack Obama.
I have said this a bunch of times on here, but it is troubling to me that the Black community is so blindly and predictably partisan. However, I do see a parrallel to the religious conservative community. I think that the phenomenon discussed in these articles is pretty comparable to what is happening with the GOP as well. The religious right is going to vote Republican anyway, but are particularly more excited because Sarah Palin is "one of us". This is exactly what I see in the articles above. Not an anomoly.

[jaxfam6]

Originally Posted by tstew

Sam, all of this would be much more alarming to me if the Black community was not so fiercely partisan to the Democrats to begin with. I would be willing to bet that 90% of those who are voting were registered Democrats before Obama came into the picture. I don't think we're dealing with a bunch of people who voted for GWB and would be voting Republican but for Barack Obama.
I have said this a bunch of times on here, but it is troubling to me that the Black community is so blindly and predictably partisan. However, I do see a parrallel to the religious conservative community. I think that the phenomenon discussed in these articles is pretty comparable to what is happening with the GOP as well. The religious right is going to vote Republican anyway, but are particularly more excited because Sarah Palin is "one of us". This is exactly what I see in the articles above. Not an anomoly.

You still gonna run in 2012? =)

[Esther]

Very good article.

[tstew]

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

You still gonna run in 2012? =)

It was originally TSTEW 2020...but I just may need to up the timetable. I'm not trying to rub it in for Ferd, TR, PO, RG, OP, Sounworthy, George, and all the other really old people, but I think I'll be too young to do it in 2012.

[SOUNWORTHY]

Originally Posted by tstew

It was originally TSTEW 2020...but I just may need to up the timetable. I'm not trying to rub it in for Ferd, TR, PO, RG, OP, Sounworthy, George, and all the other really old people, but I think I'll be too young to do it in 2012.

Who, me old??? I'm still on my honeymoon. Only 362 days into my marriage. Anyhow yoall stand in line. I'm running next year when the impeach whoever get's elected.