Religion Experts Explain Obama's Approach to Interpreting Scripture
Nothing upset conservatives quite like Obama's citation of the Bible to back same-sex marriage. Even Hunter criticized the president. "You can't cite one Scripture to interpret or negate other Scriptures," he said. "But I know for him that was a moral decision."
That's precisely why Obama drew on the Bible, said Mary Frances Berry, co-author of "Power in Words: The Stories Behind Barack Obama's Speeches, from the State House to the White House."
"What he wants is to have moral authority. Not just to be president, but to have moral authority," Berry said. "That's in the black tradition. We talk about the preacher as having moral authority: the ability to convince your audience of the rightness of what you are saying."
In that vein, Obama sometimes bookends big speeches with Scripture, Berry said, wedging a challenging message in between....
It was written in this article: , made perfect sense to African-Americans, said Simmons. "He was doing what the black community does: understanding the relevancy of the text for our modern context."
I am an African American and I feel this statement can apply to ALL people. The problem with Obama is his lack of understanding and lack of fear and respect for the Bible and for our precious God. And therefore, the president does Not know God.
He is going to use the "Queen" James Version of the Bible to be sworn in, q.v., The Truth About KJV Only...Agendas Abraham Lincoln's Bible, which he used in his first inauguration.
But considering how some interpret the Bible.
"The very words of the Scriptures were inspired as God gave them from Genesis through Revelation. Inspiration relates to the original autographs and there is ample evidence that God preserves His Word. In translating from one language to another the goal is to maintain the meaning contained in the original language. .... "Differences in Bible interpretation surface when there are inconsistencies in how different parts of the Scriptures are interpreted. Less consistency in approaching different genre results in more interpretations and less understanding of what the Bible actually says. Consistency in hermeneutics dissolves differences over what the Bible says."---Gil Rugh from, Why the Differences Over What the Bible Says
I would say it gives Obama too much credit to assert that he even has an approach to interpreting Scripture, as the headline suggests. Rather, it seems he is simply telling the speechwriter to grab a quote from the. Bible, without any understanding of the context whatsoever. Obama doesn't need a spiritual adviser. He needs a Bible teacher.
"He uses those Scriptures more than any other type," said Hunter. "It has to do with assisting those in need, rather than moral commands about sin,"
Like all Liberals and nominal Christians Obama knows nothing about sin. Because of this lack of truth he uses the Bible like a list of philosophical quotes to support his pet theories.
True Christians know that God wrote the Bible. Liberals cannot receive this fact and thus place human interpretation as the crucial primary element in using Bible doctrine.
The Liberals of today in church and beyond believe the Bible to be hypothetical instead of factual, leaving the door open to human "understanding" - But thus cannot perceive beyond the limitations of sin.
Too true joe lee, political leaders have been duping Christians in this country for years doing this very same thing! You take one passage out of context, twist shake and stir, the next thing you know our Holy Father will let you do just about anything. Abortion, starting unjust wars, etc. etc.
If Joel Hunter is his "spiritual advisor", he must not be doing much advising. Obama has little understanding of Scripture. His misuse of the Word for his own political objectives will incur the wrath of his oving, yet holy and just, Creator.
COMMENTS | 
: "frank,
her name is mother angelica.
she is clueless concerning the gospel of..."
