Asking if Obama is the 'anti-christ' is not just ignorant, it's wrong

You may have never heard anyone ask that question, but I'm acquainted with many church going people who, in either direct conversation with me or whom I've overheard in passing, have posed it. May I respectfully and in gentleness direct you to stop?

I am a follower of Jesus. I realize that stating that publicly brings a certain weight and responsibility along with it: people expect something of me, for me to carry myself with a certain dignity and respect--for self and others. May I add, that, if you're a follower of Jesus, people are expecting those things of you too? One piece of scripture states that, as Christians we are to 'let our gentleness be evident to all.' (Phil. 4:5) Far too many times and in far too many circles, Christians have become known for being cruel, insensitive, and appearing at least a little ignorant.

Take for example those who claim to follow Jesus but also picket gay pride parades carrying placards that read 'God hates fags'. I have never heard one account of a person marching in a gay pride parade walking up to a 'christian' holding such a sign and saying 'I want to know the God you serve. You exude this sort of gentleness and kindness that I'm just magnetized towards'. It doesn't happen because statements like that are not only wrong (I would challenge you to find anywhere in Scripture that states 'God hates fags'), but also unhelpful to all.

Near to that gaff in tone and theology is the question 'do you think Obama is the anti-Christ?' or 'isn't Obama the anti-christ'? It's wrong in tone because, last I checked, a followers of Jesus are to 'not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another...' (Eph. 4:29, 31-32a) How does asking if Obama is the 'anti-christ' build anyone up? I'm sure it wouldn't build up our president if you asked him. I'm sure it doesn't build up those who voted for him. How is it kind and compassionate? It's not, the tone of the question itself sounds far from the heart of Jesus.

But it's also just plain ignorant. To be 'ignorant' means 'to be lacking in knowledge', also 'to be uninformed.' A person who makes such a statement, albeit in the form of a question, is ignorant because it shows that a person who claims to be a Bible believing Christian it simply not reading their Bible. Scripture plainly tells us that the 'anti-christ' will deny 'that Jesus is the Christ--he denies the Father and the Son.' (1 John 2:22) Obama has been a follower of Jesus for over 2 decades. I remember seeing a clip of him stumping in the election stating that he spends time 'every night, praying to Jesus.' Aristotle might have looked at it this way:
1) The anti-christ will deny that Jesus is the Christ.
2) President Obama does not deny that Jesus is the Christ.
3) President Obama is not the 'anti-christ'

There, that wasn't so hard now was it?

Who's to say, but might it be that at the bottom of the question isn't a sincere theological concern about the anti-christ, but rather some bitterness that that party we may have voted for isn't in office? Or maybe Barack doesn't fit neatly into the box that other Leaders who are Christians do? I don't know, but I know that, if we have a relationship with Jesus, it would probably benefit more from us getting rid of any bitterness, anger, slander, and every form of malice than it does from us engaging in 'theology' worthy of the National Enquirer.