At the National Prayer Breakfast last week, 52 of the 2,878 words spoken by President Barack Obama set off a firestorm in the world of journalism and social media. Many conservative Christians were offended by his contention that the actions of Christians in fighting the Crusades, conducting the Inquisition, and justifying slavery and Jim Crow laws in America were morally equivalent to some of the current atrocities being committed by Muslims. Opinion pieces in leading magazines and newspapers defended or criticized the president’s argument and discussed why it provoked such great outrage.
One commentator contended that religious conservatives were also upset by Obama’s claim that doubt plays an essential role in Christian faith. The president declared that “the starting point of faith is some doubt—not being so full of yourself and so confident that you are right and that God speaks only to us, and doesn’t speak to others.” To support Obama’s position, an “Atlantic Monthly” correspondent cited a similar statement by Pope Francis: “The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our own certainties; we must be humble.”
Read Full Article »