So, here's Santorum's quote that's in the news this week about Obama adhering to an inaccurate theology: Obama adheres to "some phony theology. Not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology."
There are two ways in which Obama's own actions and words prove that to be true.
One way is that the president spent a couple of decades attending a church in which the pastor advocated "black liberation theology" and the president was fully aware what that was all about. There are many who think that theology, to express it kindly, takes liberties with the Word of God. Overcoming "mal-distribution" of materials/resources is a good thing but achieving the desired "economic parity" by forced redistributive means preached in support and application of that theology is by no means what God had in mind. (And it has nothing(!) to do with the parable to which the president referred but more on that two paragraphs below.)
Of course we're obliged to take care of the poor and disadvantaged but that isn't meant to replace productive labor with an attitude of not needing to earn what one gets in life. In the Bible God values productive labors in order to take care of one's self and one's family. He encourages Christians to work hard, thus earning whatever it is they collect of material worth. Nowhere in the Bible does God or Jesus say everyone deserves "economic parity" regardless whether they earn it. Taking from others just because they have more is not biblical. And it has nothing to do with the parable in question.
The second consideration is associated with things that Obama says about Christianity. Wanting to sound all smart, he instead demonstrated a fundamental ignorance of biblical teachings that suggest his theology is inconsistent with the true meaning of things in the bible. The most recent example is his latest claim that his policy "as a Christian ... coincides with Jesus' teaching that 'for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.'" The bible verse he references, Luke 12:48, has nothing to do with taking from the rich to give to the poor. In fact, it has nothing to do with material matters at all.
It's a parable about whether one is a Christian who understands scripture and is therefore thereafter accountable to God for obeying His commands! It's a parable that refers to what's expected of Christians once they really understand what is required of Christians. MUCH MORE is required of them in teaching others about Christianity than of those who don't understand it yet. The point is, once Christians understand what God expects of them, they are accountable to behave accordingly ... choosing to live a moral life according to God's laws and to teach scripture to others accurately. It does not mean, now that you know the truth about being a Christian, you are obliged to be okay with the government forceably taking your material possessions and giving them to others. The lesson of the parable has nothing to do with sharing material wealth. It has everything to do with sharing God's eternal wealth.
What that parable meant therefore was this: For unto whom much KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING has been given (about the kingdom and what comprises a moral Christian life), much MORAL LIVING AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL TEACHING AND LEADING shall be required.
Note that the parable therefore was NOT talking about our moral responsibility regarding material wealth, the environment or anything else that's material in nature, rather about God's eternal wealth and our eternal souls. That President Obama does not understand what that parable was talking about discredits his pious and pretentious thinking and attitude. I apologize for being blunt but it's deserved ... this guy really needs to get over himself and get real with his Christianity if he's going to presume to preach gospel to us.
So, those are only two ways in which President Obama's theology is inconsistent with what the bible actually means. How 'Christian' does President Obama prove he is then by claiming a parable means something it does not and by pontificating to us that it is supposed to be applied in a way that was never meant by Jesus? For him to lecture us that we Christians aren't doing the Christian thing by not supporting his redistributive agenda is amazing to me. That he would basically chastise us as not being good Christians for not supporting or, worse, daring to challenge that agenda says much about how highly he regards himself. He presumes to understand something about the Word of God and then proves he completely doesn't understand it himself. His statement indeed, reflects accurately the "black liberation theology" of his religious mentor for all those years, Pastor Wright, in stark opposition to the point Jesus was actually making.
The section of scripture President Obama was referring to actually divided people into two groups ... those who understand what's required of Christians and those who don't. By failing to understand that parable, President Obama proves himself to be in the latter category of people Jesus was talking about who do not understand Jesus' commands and are, therefore, not accountable for falling short as Christians. Maybe he is a Christian but he has a lot to learn before he has sufficient cred or authority (per God's 'rules') to lecture the rest of us about what it means to be a Christian. All he accomplished by his misunderstanding of scripture is substantially validate what Santorum said.
Santorum's comment may sound harsh but President Obama's own words prove Santorum is more correct than not, eh?
By the way, Charles Krauthammer expressed it well too with additional relevant commentary:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gospel-according-to-obama/2012/02/09/gIQAngvW2Q_story.html
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