What Pope Francis Should Ask Obama About Religion

It was not an easy task to “turn the ship around.” To dramatize his case, he petitioned Pope Innocent III attired in a poor, ragged tunic and was met with the rebuff, “Go find your pigs and preach to them!” (This may encourage you, Pontiff, if the president chafes at this juncture!)

When Francis of Assisi did just that and returned from a pigsty smeared in slop, the Pope was impressed and gave credence to the message he was carrying. He got results because Francis had a sense of urgency, seeing the decline of his day. President Obama must be brought to a similar “Aha!” moment.

Pertinent areas of serious doctrinal error to point out to the president would include:

• Sanctity of human life—Emphasize that God commands us to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Prov. 31:8). God hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Prov. 6:17). The slaughter of 57 million unborn babies, tens of millions who were black, must be stopped along with supporting the barbaric practices of Planned Parenthood, harvesting unborn baby parts and selling them on the market. Admonish him never to pronounce “God bless you!” over this deceitful organization.

• Homosexuality—Regardless of what pop culture says about political correctness, diversity and acceptance of all manner of sexual practice, a true Christian goes to the Bible as his authoritative guide on all matters of faith and morality, not opinion polls.

  With charity and clarity remind him that we must be faithful to what the Scriptures teach. Regarding homosexuality, the Bible consistently, unambiguously, without exception prohibits homosexual practice and commands us to honor God’s design for sexual behavior between men and women.

• Gay marriage—Brace yourself for strong disagreement here, but appeal to the president in the strongest manner possible not to continue supporting a redefinition of the sacred institution of marriage, which is to be exclusively between a man and a woman.

He proclaims himself to be a professing “Christian” so remind him that the One to whom he pledges allegiance, Jesus Christ, stated clearly that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Matt. 19:5). This is a non-negotiable tenet of our faith.

Look the president in the eye and remind him that gay marriage is contradictory to the self-evident truth of “Nature’s God” as America’s Founding Fathers expressed it. With all the passion you can muster, stress that homosexual marriage undermines the institution of marriage that has been the cornerstone of Western civilization in custom and law for more than 4,000 years of human history!

Remind Barack Obama that he once stated emphatically that marriage was exclusively between one man and one woman but he “evolved” to his new position. Graciously say, “Is it not time to devolve and go back to what is established by Almighty God? Put the fear of God in him by saying that one day he, like we all, will give an account to our Creator and Judge for what we’ve done in our lifetime.”

3. State clearly that the greatest need in America today is for another spiritual awakening! Tell him you’ve proclaimed 2016 the “Year of Mercy” but this is predicated upon humble repentance when we stray from God’s holy commands. Ask him if he will lead the way.

Commend him that his presidential hero is Abraham Lincoln. This man, one of the greatest presidents America ever had, lived in a similar time of turmoil, anxiety and division. He even expressed that our horrific Civil War was a judgment America brought on itself for disobedience. Refer to 9/11.

Exhort him that Abraham Lincoln humbled himself and followed the promise given us in sacred Scripture from 2 Chronicles 7:14. Don’t assume the president knows this passage. Request the very Bible in the White House that was Abraham Lincoln’s and show him this verse; maybe let him read it aloud while you silently pray for Holy Spirit conviction.

Before closure, tell him you want to pray for him with more than a perfunctory blessing. But first, present him with the prepared parchment that has these words from Abraham Lincoln. Have your translator read it slowly and deliberately. Then pose the question: “My son, the future of the world is hanging in the balance and America is at the center. We are in a grave situation and the war with terrorism is escalating daily throughout the world. I beseech you to listen to these words and then I invite you to repent and kneel with me to pray to the God who has so gifted you.

“Insomuch as we know that by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of Civil War, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

“It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

“Mr. President, don’t dismiss this unrepeatable, holy moment. It will never come again. Before I depart, will you humble yourself, repent and join me in asking for forgiveness and God’s mercy? America needs a spiritual awakening. Please, please lead the way.”