Politics is a game of wins and losses. The idea behind any politician is to constantly rack up wins. Wins come is different forms. It may come in the form of a kickback, it may come as a yes or no vote in exchange for loyalty on a hot button issue. It may even come as an amendment attached to a bill as a concession for some favor at some point and time. In 2012, politics has become more and more about spectacle and less and less about principle. The Republican candidates running for President are a great example of this. They've cut each other up for the better part of six months and each one that has bowed out of the race has come back and endorsed the same man, Romney, that they have taken turns ripping to shreds. The political process has become so polarized by the "issues" that candidates will do anything to curry favor with certain groups that they feel have political sway.
President Barack Obama came into Washington to get away from "politics as usual" and to change the culture inside the Beltway. He came in as a fresh and young replacement for one of the worst presidents in recent history, G.W. Bush. He didn't seem like the type to play political games but more of a pitbull that would challenge the establishment. His mantra was "hope and change" and boy, did he deliver change with his latest "policy" move. This is actually more of his own personal opinion but you can bet that this will influence policy for the duration of his administration.
President Obama recently came out in favor of gay marriage on ABC News. His exact comments were " “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Politico has a nice article with all of his quotes on this subject here Obama on Gay Marriage. It is my personal opinion that he has buckled to the political pressure of the Progressive movement and the ultra-left gay rights movement. Reports are coming out that the President's fund raising is through the roof now with most of the proceeds coming from his strong gay contingent of voters ($$ way up from the President's gay supporters).
In my estimation, this is nothing more than a shrewd political move. Obama is looking forward to the 2012 election and with the sway that gay rights activists have in this country, I mean they DID get a history book rewritten in California Public Schools to include accomplishments of gay men and women, he caved in to their demands for him to take a stand on this issue. What he may have unwittingly done though is lost a huge block of Christian voters like myself who admire him as a President, support his social policies but cannot bring themselves to reconcile with this decision. He also may have done something even worse. Not only has he lost any credibility as a Christian in the eyes of many, he's also placed the black faith community in a conundrum. Anyone that says that gay folks should be able to get married is either not a real Christian or they have been totally consumed by this world system and it's satanic worldview.
There is a scripture that speaks directly to this. Mark 8:36 says "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" Yes, the dollars might be up and the gays are galvanizing behind the President but what does that profit him when he's in essence rejected God and the Bible by taking this stance? How could this be? Is this the same man that sat under Jeremiah Wright's teachings or has he been coerced by the ultra left into this stance? We may never know.
This scripture, in its context (verse 34-36) has Jesus teaching on the sacrifice and discipline required to follow Him. He lets his disciples and the crowd with them know, in light of his looming crucifixion, that they too must be crucified (not literally but figuratively). He says that if anyone desires (present tense) to follow they must 1. deny themselves 2. pick up their OWN (emphasis added) cross and 3. follow Me. All three commands are imperative with the denying of self occurring as a result of the follower doing so in his/her own best interest. Jesus says further that the one who does not do these things, is one who seeks to save his life or preserve it and he/she does so at the expense of his/her eternal security with Christ. In other words, the one more concerned about "winning" here will "lose" in eternity. The one concerned about gains, be they political, social or other- will "lose" in eternity. The one concerned about currying favor with man will lose favor with God!
There is a fitting end to this passage and I will repeat it here- what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Why risk losing your soul for momentary successes? What profit is there in selling out to the world system when it is clear that the system is bent on self-destruction? Romans 1:28 gives a vivid description on what happens to those bent on gaining the world at their own peril. This is a really bad moment in the Obama presidency. Various media outlets are praising this decision but I will not. This is a poor policy move that will further destabilize an already eroding, morally bankrupt culture. He may have gained a huge and energetic following but he's denied Christ through this endorsement and Jesus says, in this very same scripture that if you are ashamed of Me before men I will be ashamed of you before my Father in heaven. I'm sorry but I would much rather be on the wrong side of this particular debate and stand firm on what the Bible clearly teaches. I may not gain a whole lot of new friends, but I won't lose my soul either.
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