Perilous Times
Obama’s Unique Form of ‘Christianity:’No Repentance, No Baptism Or
Renunciation of Islam Required
By Madeline Brooks Saturday, August 21, 2010
Canada Free Press
New questions arise lately concerning whether President Obama is a
Muslim or a Christian, as Mr. Obama gives his partial support to the
mosque at Ground Zero.
We’ve all heard by now that Obama became a Christian mostly to expedite
his political career and that the Trinity United Church of Christ he
joined, presided over by Reverend Jonathan Wright, was not exactly
mainstream. We’ve heard about Wright’s damning of America and we know
that the church was – and might still be - a hot bed of black
nationalism. But what is not as well known is that no baptism is
required, nor must Muslims renounce Islam to be accepted as full
members in that church.
On a tip from a pastor, which I wrote about here I called the Trinity
United Church back in February, 2010 to ask about the requirements of
membership. The church receptionist transferred my call to the
Director of Membership, who told me that baptism is optional and that
Muslims who believe in the prophet Mohammed can be full members. In
fact, she reassured me cheerfully, they have plenty of Muslim members.
Never mind that this is theologically impossible, except when one makes
one’s own rules. The doctrines of Christianity and Islam are
incompatible. Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is one with the
Creator, through the doctrine of the Trinity, and that Jesus died on
the cross in order to redeem humanity from its sins. Islam calls the
Trinity ‘idolatry’ because it sees the Trinity’s three parts as
separate entities – three distinct gods – instead of one divine being.
Islam also denies Christianity’s claim that Jesus Christ died on the
cross, or that he is the unique savior of humanity.
Baptism is central to Christian practices, both as a way to mark the
convert’s entrance into a new life and as a washing away of sinful
practices from the person’s past. The core of the new life as a
Christian is a renunciation of other religious beliefs. The World
Council of Churches is an umbrella organization for Protestant churches
that represents about 550 million Christians throughout more than 120
countries. It has declared the centrality of baptism for a Christian,
and notes that no matter how much churches may differ in other ways,
the vast majority of churches agree on the importance of baptism.
Why would a Muslim want to join a church that proclaimed these
Christian beliefs? It would be a betrayal of his own convictions.
Besides, the word “Trinity” is in the name of the Trinity United Church
of Christ, which should discourage a Muslim who thinks the Christian
trinity is blasphemous. What’s going on here?
The Trinity United Church of Christ is affiliated with the mainline
United Church of Christ which branched out of Congregationalism, and
going back even further, that denomination had its roots in
Puritanism. All these connections are very traditional. The
affirmation of faith of the parent organization, as found in their
constitution begins with, “The United Church of Christ acknowledges as
its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior.” However, when the
black pride movement burgeoned in Chicago during the 1960s at the time
when Malcolm X made that city the headquarters for the Nation of Islam,
the Trinity United Church of Christ appears to have made doctrinal
adjustments to accommodate its constituents. They were African
Americans who wanted a veneer of Christianity, which many of them had
been raised with, to cover their newly acquired black nationalism and
Nation of Islam inspired faith. At the same time, the church needed
new members because church attendance was falling off.
So a new syncretic religion was born, Muslim Christianity. Never mind
that it makes a mish mash of theology – in order to suit the emotional
and cultural needs of the parishioners. Obama may have been telling
the truth when he called himself a Christian, even though he has not
apparently spent much time in any church since leaving the tutelage of
Rev. Wright. But for the rest of us, there is confusion, a confusion
that is sure to grow as not only the President but possibly many others
influenced by him, take the side of Islamic political entities while
still calling themselves ‘Christian.’