Obama in Indonesia: Building Bridges with Muslims

US President Barack Obama is in Indonesia today.

‘Building bridges’: Obama courts Muslims

In Indonesia, president says that he can’t ‘completely eliminate some of the … mistrust’

JAKARTA, Indonesia — President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Washington’s effort to reach out to the Muslim world was earnest…

Obama arrived in Indonesia — his home for four years of his youth…using the most populous Muslim nation to reach out to the Islamic world.

Obama called his administration’s efforts to repair relations with Muslims “earnest, sustained.”…

Obama’s stepfather was Muslim, and during his time in Indonesia Obama occasionally studied the Quran and visited a local mosque. Although Obama is Christian, that background helped foster enduring rumors in the U.S. about the president’s religion. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40082730/ns/politics-white_house/

US President Obama is a professor of Christ at times, but unlike the above article, I could not categorize him as a Christian. It also seems strange that while his administration claims that they are allies of the nation of Israel, that he publicly chastised Israel in a public speech in Indonesia today (Obama, in Indonesia, Criticizes Israel on Housing). This type of behavior makes many wonder about his sincerity as far as supporting Israel goes.

There was another news item about him and Indonesia that readers might find of interest:

Barack Obama joined Muslim prayers at school, teacher says

The Australian – Nov 8, 2010

AS a schoolboy in Jakarta, Barack Obama attended Muslim prayer sessions with his classmates against the wishes of his mother. The US President’s former grade three teacher said that Mr Obama – who was known as “Barry” when he attended the Menteng One school in Jakarta – studied the Koran and went to classes on Islam, despite the objections of Ann Dunham, a Catholic. (The Times. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/barack-obama-joined-muslim-prayers-at-school-teacher-says/story-e6frg6so-1225949239614)

Whether he attended prayer sessions to learn about Islam or to fit in, apparently Barack Obama was more involved in Islam that his mother wanted him to be.

What religion is Barack Obama?

Barack Obama seems to be a supporter of a Constantinian religion (comes out of the Greco-Roman tradition, not the Church of God) which claims Christ. Yet, he does not seem to be highly involved with it. For example, in the first few weeks after the election, he did not attend any church service according to an AP story (Obama skips church, heads to gym. November 23, 2008). He ended up not joining any church, but makes public church appearances on occasion (a couple times a year). Whether he makes the public appearances to give the impression he is Christian or this is what he believes is not clear to me.

Irrespective of that, because his religion is of the Constantinian variety, Barack Obama will likely not understand end-time prophecies and this will lead him to be more accommodating to the rise of the Beast (the King of the North) and the final King of the South (an Islamic power) than one who understands end-time prophecy would likely be.

Is Barack Obama a Muslim sympathizer?

The answer to that question is that he seems to be. Since he did grow up in Muslim Indonesia and had more early Muslim contacts than anyone else ever elected as President of the United States, he seemingly has more reasons than most U.S. presidents to have sympathy for Muslim perspectives. Here is some of what Barack Obama’s “Fight the Smears” website quotes about this:

Newsweek…Obama’s only personal contact with Islam came as a boy when he moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, with a stepfather who mixed his Islam with Hindu and Animist traditions…

Boston Globe…His Kenyan paternal grandfather and Indonesian stepfather were Muslim…

Thus, while the selected quotes seem to have been intended by the Obama campaign to minimize his ties to Islam, Barack Obama had more early ties to Islam than any ever elected to becoming President of the United States. He also repeated his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, the 2 times I heard him on his inauguration as USA president (he seemed to want everyone to hear him say Hussein).

But irrespective of that, it seems that his policies may lead to greater cooperation between the Arabic and non-Arabic Muslim nations which at some point in time must end up with a leader (which the Shiites call a Mahdi) that the Bible shows will be the Future King of the South. And once again, today, he seemed to be doing that.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Barack Obama Carries Hindu Monkey God Unlike some of the odd stories about Barack Obama, this one is apparently true.
Obamas Celebrate Diwali in India Hindus celebrate Hindu holidays, and the Obamas joined them in that in 2010.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? This article has eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. It includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article at the COGwriter website on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
Several More Reasons American’s Question Obama’s Religion Is Barack Obama a Christian? He claims to be. Others question that.
Many Americans Believe that Barack Obama is Muslim Is Barack Obama Muslim? Many feel that he is?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands like those in Indonesia? What does the Bible prophesy about them?