By Clara Nelson 

Don’t you like tasting the first potato chip out of the bag? Fresh. Crunchy. Salty. The saltiness of potato chips is what keeps them from being a boring piece of potato. The Bible talks about Christ followers being salt and light to the world. We are supposed to be a seasoning to make people want more of what we have.

Barack Obama’s speech “Call to renewal” showed that Barack Obama has no salt.

His politics are “infecting” his faith; where his faith should “infect” his politics

It seems Obama was just trying to appeal to everyone in this speech.

He said “whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a nation of non-believers.”

We may have Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and agnostics or atheists that live in this country, but that does not qualify the United States of America for the term a Muslim nation, or a Buddhist nation.

Our nation gives us the freedom to worship God under the first amendment. That is what makes our country unique. Muslim nations do not give you that freedom.

I don’t believe he is making his faith up. I believe the specifics of his “conversion”, which he outlines in the speech, are real.

But either his salt has lost its flavor, or he has been licking the top of the saltshaker so it doesn’t come out anymore.   He needs to show some faith based actions.  Some convictions that maybe aren’t politically popular.  Some evidence that his faith is informing his politics, and not the other way around. 

In his speech he made the statement “We need to give them information about contraceptives that that can prevent unwanted pregnancies, lower abortion rates and help assure that every child is loved and cherished”. 

Obama’s seeming concern for children is admirable; however he needs to acknowledge God’s own value on every life, even the unborn child. 

True Christianity places value on the lives God has created. A Christianity from the pages of scripture calls believers to love every child and take care of them- even if no one else does.

It calls people to care enough to share their faith with others who have never heard about the God we serve, the God who cares enough for us so much that He decided to make us in His image. And it tells About a Jesus who loves everyone and gave up his life for us.  Us!

Our bible is correct from cover to cover and gives us accurate truths about the God we serve. It tells us that all religions are not “OK” but tells us that only by believing in Jesus will you have eternal life.

My faith is not based on what people think of me, but on what I truly believe.

There are people dying in certain countries because they will not give up their faith to make people like them. We need a president like that. 

We do not need a President who changes what he believes to fit the moment. We can’t have a President who says one thing, and does another.  We must have a President with a moral standard that doesn’t sway with the political wind.  If Barack Obama makes a promise to another country, and then changes his mind based on politics, the U.S would become known as a nation that does not keep its promises. And that could be very dangerous.

Recently the media has been focusing on some controversial things Obama’s pastor has said. Obama says that he completely disagrees with what Rev. Wright has said. Yet, he has stayed in that church for over 20 years.  Has he really been in that church for 20 years, and disagreed with the pastor?  If he doesn’t agree, then why was he there, if he does, then we should be afraid of the theology he brings to the White House.

It would be dangerous to have a president who would change his beliefs just to please others—which is what it seems that Barack Obama is doing.

Obama’s faith seems to be like stale chip in the bag with no salt.  Faith is the conviction of things not seen. Not the opinion or guess of things not seen; but the conviction - the assurance. Barack Obama needs to make it clear what he believes, and prove it by standing firm before he deserves anyone’s vote.