“accepts the precepts of Jesus Christ.” Outgoing Gov. Felix P. Camacho received support from the Christian Right on Guam because they believed that he was a born-again Christian like Mr. Bush.
I have serious reservations when someone uses God (whichever God you make it out to be) to help them win elections or at least to send the message to the electorate that there is a Christian at the helm.
When President Obama, before the elections of 2008, asked for his testimony about Jesus Christ, instead referred to “precepts” such as loving one’s neighbor like yourself — not once, to my recollection, did he specifically say that he accepted/received Jesus Christ as His Lord and personal Savior because if you do so, you will remember the exact day/month/year and maybe even the time because that is when the Spirit of God visits you.
Ditto Mr. Bush who said that “God put a mustard seed in his heart,” back in 2000 when he was being queried likewise by the evangelical base.
It is not so important now in the lameduck days of the Obama presidency, (lameduck because Mr. Obama cannot be re-elected to the presidency if the GOP controls statehouses in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania, as they do now) but if for argument’s sake that those who sought public office were actually not telling the whole truth, what does that say about how they will lead the country or the island? It seems that folks would rather be reassured that someone “said” he or she is a Christian than actually living up to the ideals of Christianity, which is undoubtedly, difficult.
On Guam, some of Gov. Felix P. Camacho’s Christian evangelical supporters were quoting Scripture to justify his win in 2002 and 2006, which greatly disturbed me.
Simply because it gave his sycophants the green light to use dirty tricks to win the elections since it MUST be God’s will that a more righteous person grace Adelup. Much like Mr. Bush’s narrow, supposed wins in 2000 and 2004, where not every vote was counted in Florida and there were discrepancies abound in Ohio, respectively.
Flipside is, of course, if elected officials are those who do not believe in the existence of God, they might usher in an age where anything goes.
MATT PHILIPS
Mangilao, Guam
