Smear



Bo, the Obama family dog

 The Australian reports today on the story that won't go away; that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States, and is therefore constitutionally ineligible for office. This is on top of the rumours that despite being a Christian he is also secretly a Muslim who is plotting to Islamise the United States, a socialist, and if you subscribe to that particular view of eschatology, that he is even the Antichrist.

Documents such as birth notices and birth certificates can be forged, but to allege as such in Obama's case is very offensive. What disappoints me is that some conservative Christian groups are involved in spreading these rumours. Scripture clearly condemns spreading rumours, and for good reason warns Christians against this sort of conduct (Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 11:13, 18:8, Matthew 7:1, Romans 1:29, 1 Timothy 5:13).

I have been around churches long enough to see the sometimes irrepairable damage that can be done to reputations by misguided self-appointed gatekeepers who take it upon themselves to call their leaders to account for their imagined failings.

In a democracy you have the freedom to speak up and criticise political leaders where necessary, usually without fear of overt retribution. This is a good and healthy thing. I'd say to Obama's Christian critics, if you want to oppose his Administration's policies or raise questions about the character of the man himself, well fine. Just make sure that you're doing it accurately. Spreading rumours is not only a poor witness and totally unacceptable, but it also damages the credibility of the church, which is enough of a problem these days as it is without you adding to it.