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Opinion
Sahlin, Monte
2011
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President Obama's Adventist Connection
Submitted: Oct 9, 2011
By Monte Sahlin
No president of the United States since Warren G. Harding has a closer family connection to the Seventh-day Adventist Church than Barack Obama. A recent book by BBC journalist Peter Firstbrook documents these connections. It is entitled The Obamas: The Untold Story of an African Family and the story is illustrative of the increasingly multicultural reality of America and the Adventist movement.
A key player in the story is President Obama’s grandfather, Onyango Obama. The family is still centered in Kendu Bay on eastern shore of Lake Victoria, today part of the nation of Kenya. They are part of the Luo people.
In 1906, Onyango was nine when Adventist missionaries arrived in the area. The missionaries were led by Arthur Carscallen, a Canadian. The first thing the missionaries did was start a school where literacy in English was taught as well as Bible.
“An accomplished linguist, Arthur Carscallen soon mastered the Dholuo language [and] went on to create the first written language and dictionary for the Luo people. He even imported a small printing press, which he used to produce a Luo grammar textbook, and spent several years translating parts of the New Testament into Dholuo.” [p 126]
The missionaries also began medical work and public health promotion. “Adventists... stress the importance of good diet and health” and started “a free clinic where they treated malaria, cholera, and other diseases. They even made house calls.” [p 126]
Firstbrook describes how the arrival of the Adventist missionaries brought change to the Luo community. It was not without conflict, but it also resulted in economic development. “Carscallen was joined by his fiancee Helen...an accomplished seamstress [who was] troubled by the lack of any clothing worn by the locals. Determined to change the situation, she began to grow cotton, and made her own fabric.” He quotes a memoir of an aging resident of the area who says that the missionaries “tried very hard to get people to wear [European clothes] by giving us sweets and sugar. But people refused.” [p 126]
The Adventist missionaries’ “focus on corporeal as well as spiritual matters brought them into conflict with some of the local traders,” writes Firstbrook. He quotes Richard Gethin, the first British businessman to settle permanently in the area, who complained that the Adventist mission got involved in trading buffalo hides and provided competition to Gethin’s commercial enterprise.
For Onyango “the arrival of the white missionaries provided an exciting diversion from the monotony of village life.” He was later described by relatives as a serious child whose curiosity drew him to the new religion. Many of the residents of this area were baptized as church members, and Onyango was among the first wave. He went off to an Adventist boarding school and “after several months’ absence... returned...dressed like a white man [in] long trousers and a white shirt.” Onyango’s father was convinced that he had broken a strict taboo against circumcision and told the family to ostracize him. [p 127-28]
Onyango adopted the ways of the missionary more fully than did most of the Luo people at the time. This resulted in the family ostracism and eventually further change. He traveled to another town in the region and during World War I, Onyango converted to Islam. This “was anathema to his family back home, who were adopting Christianity under the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventists.” [p 142]
“Like many Africans at the time” he found it difficult to reconcile “the Christian message of love and compassion toward all men...with the white man’s apparent willingness to go to war.” That is one reason Islam appealed to him. He also “appreciated the structure and discipline it brought to his life.” [p 142]
Members of the family also say “he had a liking of the Muslim ladies... he knew how to treat them...The Christians...believed that polygamy was wrong. But Muslims...gave you the assurance that you can have even five wives.” [p 142]
Today the Obama family in Kenya is split between Adventists and Muslims. Firstbrook reports he spent the inauguration celebration with the Adventist side of the family while most of the international press was with the Muslim side. He was in the town of K’obama. The K in front of the family name means that the literal translation of this town is “home of Obama.”
He tells of the feast celebrating the new president. They slaughtered “a cow and several goats, and they welcomed my offer to bring a dozen crates of soft drinks, but definitely no beer, as they were all Seventh-day Adventists.” A small generator was brought out and television sets were rented so they could watch the official ceremony half way around the world. [p 8]
Firstbrook enjoyed his time with the “wonderfully diverse mix of people, from six-year-old schoolchildren to great-grandmothers in their eighties,” noting that the young are becoming more and more educated and the quality of life is improving even in this rural area of a developing nation. He also reports that he suspected “that some of the revelers were not conforming to the strict lifestyle expected of Seventh-day Adventists.” It appeared to him that some had local beer secreted on them. He was unsure of which individuals were actual relatives and which were neighbors attracted by the party.
Connections that span the globe; inter-religious relationships; ethnic diversity; education, new technology, and change. The world in which the Obama family and other Adventists live today is so different from the world a century ago in which the Harding family celebrated one of their own becoming president of the United States.
Note: The page references are all cited from The Obamas by Peter Firstbrook published 2011 in the U.S. by Crown Publishers, a division of Random House in New York City. It is distributed by the major bookstores and online booksellers. You will save money if you get your copy from a used book store
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By the way, God is sending the fruits of this labor back to America and the First World in the form of Seventh-day Adventist immigrants and workers who bring back the message of truth hope and salvation to a secular society which has lost its way.
I was elated to hear that Obama won the US presidency and even bought Ford motor vehicles for my wife and me ☺… Viva Obama viva!
♥T
By the way, I thought Dubya was the worst president we've ever had. That's what my customers keep telling me.
I agree that Dubya was at least one of the worst presidents. Isn't it interesting to see all the complaints laid at Obama's feet that he initiated? How soon people forget. I regularly receive (and delete) emails telling of his getting us into the two wars, and most other ills in the American society for the last 50 years!
Apparently Obama started his plot at a very young age....
And many will certainly still vote for the Texan cowboy...
Maybe that's why some didn't like him, huh! (...and probably because he was a republican too, limited govshop and all)
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I was born only a year after he died, but I just finished reading about 7 pages about him, and he was probably the most corrupt president ever. Ever hear of the Teapot Dome? A number of his appointeees were indicted and imprisoned for graft, and he was also involved in bootlegging. As for Adventist ties, it was entirely unmentioned in the lengthy biography.
Claiming God is still done today as it guarantees vote with all the other Christians. Notice the problem that some are beginning to have in the Deep South about Romney. If the Repubs can't carry the South, they know they will never win.
See what happens when you leave the Church!
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The "people upstairs" must love your memory!!! kkkkk
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There is a huge difference between history and malicious gossip.
♥T
Isn't it so sad, though, that what some people try to lable as "gossip" is just mere history?
It is not malicious gossip when it is true. Have you not read of these events? How long have you been an SDA member? These were widely known when they occurred and only the non-member of those who could not read, nor did not personally lose lots of money woud not know about these. Do a little research and report back.
Folkenberg was forced out for conduct unbecoming a church officer. He received preferential treatment for selling his house in Georgia and he was involved in a scheme to get Adventists to switch to MCI long distance so he could get a commission.
Pastor Folkenberg was involved in a situation where it was unclear whether or not he had inappropriately used his position as GC president in order to influence people in a way that financially benefited him. Pastor Folkenberg chose to resign as GC president rather than allow the church to be dragged further into a scandal and/or into a lawsuit.
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Robert_Folkenberg_quit_as_president_of_the_General_Conference_of_the_Seventh-day_Adventist_Church_in_1999#ixzz1abs2IVAh
[PDF]
Davenport affair
www.adventistarchives.org/docs/.../CUV19820915-V87-18__C.pdf
Check the Harris Pine Mill Bankruptcy to see how the church, given a 5,000,000 business was able to run it into bankruptcy in a very short time.
I can mention another malicious gossip attempt which someone alluded on another blog regarding the Rwandan Pastor and Son convicted of been participants in the terrible Genocide atrocities committed in Rwanda by trying to associate their actions as been part of the Adventist Church. Here again truth used as malicious gossip. In keeping with topic I would suggest that most people would have some sort of ‘dirt’ in their family history but yet still their story remains a remarkable one like the Obama’s. The Adventist Church membership is no exception…
♥T
I was a short-term student missionary in 1964. It was there that I discovered my unfitness to be a 'missionary.' What I experienced appeared to be a vestige of colonialism with a heavy dose of subliminal racism.
A well-known pastor once said, "Show me a Youth Pastor, and I'll show you a pedophile." He was a volunteer counsellor to abused youngsters at the county jail.
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“No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free”
E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 31, pg. 369)
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Such a profound EGW statement which I think would include those from the Muslim community as well.
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Of course it's not like it matters it's just an interesting piece of trivia, but some of you think everything written must be ever so important...
A mature response--I agree with you. It's an interesting bit of trivia and kind of nice to know. What I get from the story--written by a reporter--is that Christians and Muslims can live together and be found in the same family. I think that is hopeful and I like hearing about it. It is also interesting to know the influence Christians could have had on the family.
Elaine, I can't really believe you are this disagreeable, but a very smart, well-read lady who likes to debate.
If disageeing with someone makes them disagreeable, then that's me. I am not someone who always agees simply to be ageeable. Debate? Isn't that what blogs are for?
Elaine, as an 87 ("born a year after Harding died") year old iconclast, I admire you. However, you need more balance on Harding. He has been significantly rehabilated. True, it will be a long time before he gets off the bottom rung of of presidential rankings, however, he pardoned E. V. Debs--when Wilson let him rot in prison, he got an 8 hour day for steel workers, showed strong leadership in disarmament (contrary to the isolationist image tacked on him), established the federal budget. His morals probably can be compared to several USA presidents and for scandals, some like Teapot Dome were pretty small beans compared to other presidential scandals. As for
bootlegging"
--he should not have had spirts in the White House--if you watched the recent Burns production on "Prohibition" you would not put this too high on the list of presidential misdeeds. Perhaps fact that the Adventist Review trashed him (and his sister) influenced you?
Harding's real sin was to die just when the scandals came out. His handlers weren't around to use the presidential office to defend him. Lincoln in contrast died just when he was recognized as a great man and became a demi-god. Timing is important. Finally, don't misinterpret the Harding family's handling of Harding's history. They were, last I knew still giving the name WGH to progeny--II, III, VI (?)--and why would they talk about him--most people only know the bad stuff.
Comparison to later presidents was not a factor when Harding was evaluated.
Yes, the series on Prohibition was a very informative historical documentary, Ken Burns is always excellent.
Harding's tenure pales in comparison with some later renegades, notably Nixon. All had a great facade and hidden secrets usually stayed in the walls of the White House. No longer is that the case where every move is scrutinized, something impossible a few years ago. Harding was probably blessed to die BEFORE the scandal broke.
No, I never knew of a Review article on Harding, only what I learned from history, and all history is biased, although there are some excellent historical scholars who have wrriten on presidents.
I knew several of the Harding generations, and he was one seldom mentioned. The Harding family name was known both before and after the president. One was president of LLMC for a time, his wife, Florence was also a physician, and several generations have always had a physician, also.
The apparent urgency of the Review or other Adventists to associate a prominent person with the church is because they want to appear very respectable? This might have been the reason years ago, but the article seemed to be going to extremes to find a small bit of information that tied Obama's family to Adventists.
Maybe we should return to all the many missionary stories about the all-Adventist island: Pitcairn. Seldom mentioned today.
Emphasis supplied by me! Good points, my friend.
The New Imperialism
Richard Gethin, the first British trader to settle permanently in Kisii, in south Nyanza, complained that Carscallen and his other missionaries were "more interested in trading in buffalo hides" than in saving souls. He also claimed that their mission houses, far from being havens of spiritual devotion and learning, were used mainly to store skins and other trade goods for export:
Preaching of the Gospel was conspicuous by its absence. Carscallen would see an old Jaluo [Luo] native asleep in the shade of a tree. He would approach him, put his hands on his head and if he still slept, give him a kick on the backside saying, "Son you are saved and you can thank the Lord it is me who has saved you; if it were one of the
others you would be condemned to terrible torture when you died." With this, the convert would be roped into carrying a load on the next safari.36
For the young Onyango Obama, the arrival of the white missionaries provided an exciting diversion from the monotony of village life. Onyango was only eleven when Carscallen established his first mission in Gendia, but according to Onyango's last wife, Sarah, he was fascinated by these white strangers from the beginning.37 Sarah says that Onyango was always different from the others, even as a young boy. As a child he would wander off by himself for days on end and nobody would know where he had been nor would he tell them anything when he got back. He was always very serious as a child; he never laughed or joked around, or even played games with the other children. He was, and would always remain, an outsider.
Obama wants to carry out the plan of his father, to bring down Western & Anglo nations. By his executive orders, some sanctioned by the Senate, most by his own decree, he has gained the authority
to declare martial law on any pretext he assumes to be a danger to the nation (memories of Hitler??).
The voluntary U.S Military, Home Security, Fema, CIA, FBI, are all duty bound to obey the orders of
the Commander In Chief. This troubles me deeply. Homeland Security in the past few years has continued to remodel & build new internment facilities on large open military bases, as well as some older formerly closed military bases, throughout the USA, that were authorized by both of the Bush presidents. Homeland Security has taken delivery of several million rounds of ammo of all sizes, including hollow point shells. Hollow shell ammo is not used in practice. Have you noticed how the
Senate is permitting this president to bring in laws & regulations without sanction of the Constitution
or even raising any protest, neither Democrats or Republicans. Hmmmmm.
Recently signed on to Atoday. i have perused several older blogs to get up to speed on
personalities & content. Adventist since the 1960's. Not that Elaine Nelson needs defending, i, however vouch she is totally accurate in the related controversial incidents of notable Sda's, that not only sullied the church's reputation, but also resulted in millions of dollars of lost funds. i personally was witness to two incidents that caused a loss of approx three million dollars. They were not those mentioned by Elaine. They occurred primarily because Conference leadership totally ignored formal business studies & recommendations presented by a business professional. They called a constituancy
meeting of several hundred, presented their plan with much God talk, stating "brethren, all we need is faith, the Lord will provide", even against several strong negative reports from the floor.They solicited pledges at the time, even requesting some may wish to secure loans on their homes, to advance to the conference, to purchase & upgrade property for a campground.
The Union treasurer stated it would be a millstone around their necks. Several church members secured
home loans as suggested by the Conference leadership (President). This apparent situation came to light in a constituancy meeting when we became aware that tithe funds were being used to cover up the losses of this non tithe venture. Even so only two out of 28 would not approve the conference's
report. Within 2.5 years, bankruptcy resulted, a loss of $1.8 million. Before this happened, the conference already owned a beautiful but smaller camp, paid for many years previously. The personality in question was shortly transferred to another Union, where several years later, supposedly the same type of mistake was repeated. These type of blunders should never be swept under the rug. They should be known by all who have influence in husbanding the church and it's resources, & vetting all potential leaders thoroughly. If these sad occurences aren't broadcast, they are often repeated. The political situation at the G.C. level is very evident. Many times arrogant, & will not tolerate any input from lower circles. As though the church Elite have a higher degree of spirituality than the laity.
"This perhaps will be the type of impression the Anti-christ will present, when he makes his initial entrance publically."
Are you an Adventist? Because your notion of Obama or any other similar person being ‘the Anti-Christ’ seems to be something out of Hal Lindsay’s Dispensationalisam, not Adventist eschatology that traditionally saw the RC-system as the anti-Christ.
“Obama may also have other similarities to the Anti-christ, such as his unknown origin, evidence of his credentials, his true philosophy.”
Yes, you definitely seem to be referring to Dispensationalist theology – quite out of step with Adventist ideas. As noted by the GC’s BRI, ‘Only a system of apostasy could adequately fulfill these prophecies.’
http://www.atoday.org/article/872/blogs/sahlin-monte/2011/president-obama-s-adventist-connection
Thus, Adventists believe the Anti-Christ is quite well known, and we certainly don’t believe it is or could be President Obama or any other President for that matter.
“His father, an Islamic, died young. He had a hatred of the Anglo West/U.S.A. because of the colonial history and enslavement of Africans.”
I am not sure if Obama’s father did ever actually believe that and given Mr Obama Snr died young, how would Obama Jnr or anyone else know this about Mr Obama Snr’s thoughts and agenda. Even assuming they are true – so what. Obama Snr grew up in Kenya, which was an ex-British colony. The British government carried out some of the most horrendous acts of violence in that country in the post-War period as the British Empire started to decline.
Having a strong sense of the injustice of European colonialism is a good thing, and if Obama Snr passed on a sense of such injustice to his son, then I am certainly glad he did. Better than an out of touch President who is white, Anglo-Saxon and non-Catholic, who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth.
“He also is Islamic, hiding his true person.”
This is clearly false. Obama has publicly stated on several occasions that he is a Christian, he attended a Christian church for many years, wife and children are Christian, and he is recognised as a Christian by a number of different Christian congregations – and it is up to them to judge his Christianity. Similarly, in the SDA Church, it is the local congregation that accepts or refuses someone’s membership. If my local Church says you or anyone else (or Barrack Obama if he wants to join), then we are the ones who make this judgment – not anyone else. I bet Obama is probably a better Christian than many so-called professed Christians, including many who post comments here!
“One of his mentors is the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a very outspoken, hateful racist. Obama spent 20 years in Wright's congregation.”
Hang on, if Obama is a Muslim why has he been attending a Christian denomination for over 20 years? Doesn’t that suggest he is a Christian?
If you say, ‘But he was secretly a Muslim the whole time’, then how do you know he simply wasn’t just secretly Rev Wright’s friend the whole time either? You can’t have it both ways.
“Obama wants to carry out the plan of his father, to bring down Western & Anglo nations.”
Really, what proof to you have of this? What do you mean by an ‘Anglo’ nation? Does that should perhaps your racial views coming through? Do you perhaps mean Obama might be trying to bring down the last vestiges of racism via White Supremacy in the US and around the world?
I wish he did, because Obama has hardly done that given African Americans still have higher unemployment and are generally worse off than many comparative ethnic groups. That is hardly the actions of a man who supposedly has some secret intent on bring down the white man to help the black man is it?
“By his executive orders, some sanctioned by the Senate, most by his own decree, he has gained the authority to declare martial law on any pretext he assumes to be a danger to the nation (memories of Hitler??)”
What do you mean exactly? I don’t think you mean Marshal Law exactly. Do you perhaps mean Obama’s use of executive orders, which Bush and Chaney quite masterfully perfected – with their authorisation of waterboarding (torture) or extraordinary rendition?
I don’t agree with the greater use of these executive orders, but the rise of the Imperial Presidency (as it has sometimes been called) hardly began with Obama. In fact, Abraham Lincoln himself suspended Habeas Corpus and stationed Federal troops (i.e. Marshal Law) in Maryland in 1861. I believe the Emancipation Proclamation was such an executive order, which the President did citing his war powers. One could argue Obama’s Dream Act executive order is a less specular heir to that precedent.
“The voluntary U.S Military, Home Security, Fema, CIA, FBI, are all duty bound to obey the orders of the Commander In Chief. This troubles me deeply.”
Sorry, but this is how the Framers of the US set up the US constitution. Obama was elected by the popular will of the people and so he gets to be Commander-in-Chief – live with it. People had the same concerns about Bush, especially when Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore.
“Homeland Security in the past few years has continued to remodel & build new internment facilities on large open military bases, as well as some older formerly closed military bases, throughout the USA, that were authorized by both of the Bush presidents. Homeland Security has taken delivery of several million rounds of ammo of all sizes, including hollow point shells. Hollow shell ammo is not used in practice.”
This is a very old conspiracy theory by right-wing militia nuts. I remember watching 15 years ago documentaries on all this, with the secret black helicopters and secret sign markers for a UN invasion.
You do not have to agree with the President, but he was duly elected by the American people, and that should entitle him to some respect.
As for the suggestions that he is some sort of hitlerian anti-christ, deserving of the brand of hatefulness displayed above, well, that's just CRAZY TALK! Unfortunately, the bizarre aspects of the above post render prety much everything else stated as of dubious merit.
It's also worth noting that while this is a political year in the US, there are undoubtedly thousands of other Web sites better primed than this one to ponder Mr. Obama's recent political misadventures.
Joe, and others, I might caution that Alphameg perhaps is not to be taken in a fully literal interpretation. I am by no means conspiracy theorista-nor Pavlovian defender ready to blindly react and predictably sing the company song. Raised Canadian, my news sources were a bit less circular, and i suppose created in me-like in AM, perhaps-a sense of some nakedness despite the emporers new clothes. I do not see that the commenter claimed that the president was in fact the antichrist, but, that according the standard SDA eschataological narrative perhaps his seeming embrace of that other great religio-political power places him in position worthy of more examination. Not lost on me is the remarkable silence noting the connections between Rome and Mecca (for instance the number of ambassadors, the financial secrecy and strength, or the imposition of "gods will" through political force
Two points stand out to me: failure by mainstream media to report on the potentially negative aspects of BHO's SDA heritage in Kenya (even at inauguration, there was no reporting of this half of the family tree, in attendance on Pennsylvania avenue), and secondly the apparent media-darling treatment which seemingly gives carte blanche to the sealing of all of the presidents past records, writings, transcripts, documents and trots out the too-ready cards, proferred ad lib, prn, ad nauseum.
As far as duly elected to such office-despite the many unanswered questions, sealed records, and apparent lack of experience managing anything, the record money raised to elect such a seeming unqualified Chicago politician is itself to me a call for great caution. Aside from the charismatic (which I personally find viscerally off-putting, admittedly) and the promise of redistribution to a hungry populace, i do not understand how such a thing transpired. But-in the greater paradigm, a two party system that perhaps pits one color (red or blue, with shades of black and white and christian vs muslim) is itself a construct to maintain an illusion of freedom, or democracy, to a too oft seeming uneducated mass more concerned with cheap beer, cheap gas, and big macs, and a "santa claus" type benevolent leader than in any real solutions to myriad of issues requiring personal accountability on their part and experience, wisdom, transparency of the leader.
Joe’s commentary is of the latter variety.
Stephen, your grasp on things American amaze! What American media sources do you use?
suggesting he is the anti-christ. i don't believe he is. My understanding of the anti-christ is that he is a
liar and deceiver. i believe Obama is both. A wolf in sheeps clothing. i believe he is not a Christian. His association with Rev.Wright was because they both share the same racial hatred that Rev.Wright frequently expresses publically. That is why i used the comparative connection. i believe both Dem & Rep. parties are culturally corrupt. That both President Bush's are elitists, tied into the very top circles
of global intrigue, as i also believe Romney is. i will not vote as i believe both parties are evil & have
plans to enslave the populace. i stand by my statements relative to the militant parts of Govt. organizations readying the facilities & arms. This is not 15 year old conspiracy concepts but true verifiable actions.They will be used to handle protesters & any & all who oppose their policies & practices. Recall the ATB raid on the Davidians at Waco. This was the opening of war against all who oppose the Govt. It was authorized by the Attorney General of the USA. They offered no harm to the Govt. yet they were callously murdered. The Senate passed a far reaching Defence bill & it was signed into law by Obama on Dec 31, 2011. It gives the Potus outright authority to declare martial law and impose complete control over all parts of the nations business, transport, food, water, health, commodities, and permits citizens to be arrested & interned without habaes corpus protection,and with no notice to family or anyone. The internees can just dissappear. i believe we are fast approaching the endtimes of Earth's history. That the above unspeakable conditions may actually happen. No Sir, Bro. Steven. I am not a racist. Would that the US- SDA church would have had the success in evangelism that the 3rd world has had in the past 40 years. The black leaders of the 3rd
world divisions of SDA have the votes to assume leadership roles in the World SDA . God bless their
success in a homogenous rainbow bounty for our Lord God.