Senator Obama: Reach out to Christ — and to evangelicals
Washington, June 29, 2006 –The National Council of Churches USA and
other faith groups applauded remarks Wednesday by Senator Barack
Obama (D-Ill.) testifying to his faith in Christ and calling upon
progressive politicians to reach out to evangelical Christians.
“You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash
away — because you are human and need an ally in this difficult
journey,” Obama told Call to Renewal’s Pentecost 2006. “It was
because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to
walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street
in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith …
The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. But kneeling beneath
that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God’s spirit
beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to
discovering His truth.
That, said Obama, is “a path that has been shared by millions upon
millions of Americans Â- evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Jews
and Muslims alike; some since birth, others at certain turning points
in their lives. It is not something they set apart from the rest of
their beliefs and values. In fact, it is often what drives their
beliefs and their values.”
An NCC spokesperson said, “The senator speaks a profound truth for
all Americans, and I hope all Americans read his address.”
The full text of Obama’s address follows: