by General Jerry Ralph Curry (Ret.)
ClashDaily.com Guest Commentator
On Sunday Nov. 25th 2012 at the Soul Train Awards, the actor Jamie Foxx called President Barack Obama “Our Lord and Savior.” Some say he said it in jest, others opined it was a mere “slip of the tongue,” and a few maintained that he was serious. Over the next few days, on TV and over the internet there were myriad replays of Foxx’s “slip of the lip.” Whatever the case, whether he was serious or not, Foxx’s comments caused more than a little stir — probably in the wrong places.
For the most part the Christian church leaders, who agreed to be interviewed on the subject, seemed to take the incident in good humor. But for many that was the problem. Still, a number of religious groups were outraged by Foxx’s apparent faux pas. They considered his words blasphemous and did not understand how he could make such a serious misstatement and simply brush it aside with no sign of remorse or act of contrition. Some felt that President Obama should have immediately and publicly distanced himself from Foxx’s statement and that Foxx should have publicly apologized.
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights President William Anthony Donohue pointed out that President Obama seems hesitant to reference God during his public addresses if the context is Christian, but not if it is Islamic or atheistic. What the last four years should have unmistakably taught us is that Obama is clearly uncomfortable with America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, and America is uncomfortable with Obama’s Muslim leanings. This is not to say that Obama is a Muslim; he says he is not; rather it is to say that he seems to have an affinity for things Muslim and non-Christian.
Our Constitutional government and the Christian underpinnings upon which this nation was founded, openly welcome foreign, non-Christian religions to our country with open arms. Genuine freedom of religion is one of the basic tenants of our republican form of government. The foreign religions we have welcomed to our shores are expected to accept and cooperate with, and show a similar openness and respect for, all our other religions.
Foreign religions, like Islam, are not expected to drag into this country new political and legal systems like Sharia Law and try to force them down the throats of the American public. But many Muslim clerics say that is exactly what the religion of Islam intends to do. If so, and there is no reason to disbelieve them, this country may one day face a religious civil war because of the aggressiveness of Islam.
The focus is on President Obama’s refusal to eschew the notion of his deity, rather than on Jamie Foxx’s choice of vocabulary. Jamie opened his mouth, put both feet in it, and closed his lips over them. Obama was free to reject Foxx’s statement on the spot, or to correct it, but chose to remain silent – “Voting Present.”
Foxx’s assertion, whether or not uttered in jest, still stands — reinforced by Obama’s silence. One would think that Obama, if only just for the record, would have wanted to confirm and make clear that he does not ascribe to himself any kind of deity. That is unless he really does ascribe to himself some kind of divine ancestry.
Evaluating whether things are of God or of man is above my pay grade, so I only touch such things lightly in passing and leave it to God and to others more qualified than I to do the actual evaluation. But I am reminded that in the New Testament, in Chapter Twelve of the Book of Acts is told a story that is almost an exact replica of the Jamie Foxx and Barack Obama Lord and Savior situation.
It says that: “When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, ‘It is the voice of a god, not of a man!’ Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.”
The difference between the two stories is the ending. As best we can tell President Obama has not yet repented of having been called a god, but neither has he been struck down with a sickness, at least so far as we know. We would all do well to pray for his second term as President of the United States.
The nation needs all the help it can get, especially through prayer.
Image: Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC – 44 AD), King of the Jews; source “Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum”; published by Guillaume Rouille (1518?-1589);public domain/copyright expired.
Lower Image: Jamie Foxx; courtesy of LaQuisha S. Davis; public domain.
General Jerry Ralph Curry (Ret.)is a decorated combat veteran, Army Aviator, Paratrooper, Ranger and retired Army Major General. For nearly forty years he has served his country both in the military and as a Presidential political appointee, including for the Carter, Reagan & Bush 41 administrations.
