For PDF Version: Barack Obama: A Good President or Evil Leader?

By Stephen McDowell

(Author’s note: For those of you who have read any of my books and articles over the years, you know that I do not engage in ad hominem attacks or hyperbole. Rather, I seek to evaluate issues and life from a Biblical perspective. Such is the case with this article as I evaluate President Obama’s actions while President. While Christians may differ on what role civil government should have in our lives, there is almost universal agreement regarding life, the family, freedom of worship, sexual morality, theft, and honesty by Bible-believing Christians.  So while some regenerated Christians may disagree with a few points below,[1] the bulk of them clearly support my position. For any Christians (whether nominal or genuinely converted) and others who think the President has done a good job, you might want to read this and learn some startling facts of which you might not be aware.)

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In a trip to Africa in July 2015, President Obama said he thought he had been “a pretty good president” and would be reelected if he could run again.[2] A pretty good President?! If he thinks he has been a “good president” we must ask what is his standard for good? When we examine his fruit and compare it to a Biblical standard, we would have to conclude he must have looked to Satan rather than God for what he considers “good,” for much of his action as President has promoted death, theft, and destruction. Such fruit, according to the Bible, is produced by Satan and not God, for as Jesus affirmed, Satan (the thief) comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). In addition, Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).

This fruit demonstrates that Obama has not promoted good, but rather evil. He has in fact been a minion of Satan— that is, an agent collaborating in helping him advance his goals. In hearing this term to describe the President you should not think of the cute little animated characters in the recent Minions movie. To be accurate, you should think of a minion according to its definition: a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power. Obama may not be consciously following Satan, nevertheless he has produced many of Satan’s evil deeds.

Satan comes to kill.

• One of Obama’s first acts as President was to initiate government funding for abortion providers throughout the world. Multiple thousands (if not millions) have been killed because of this policy.
• Obama supports tax-payer funding of Planned Parenthood, an organization that in 2014 alone killed over 327,000 unborn children (with similar numbers in each of the six years of his presidency). We now know they profit from selling the body parts of those they murdered. When asked about the videos that clearly document this barbarism, the Obama White House responded by saying the videos were fabricated.[3] Such a response reveals either total delusion or outright lying, either of which are characteristics of Satan. (He blinds the eyes and is the father of lies.)
• Obama’s foreign policy has strengthened our enemies (Islamic terrorists) in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Egypt (thankfully later removed by the Egyptian army), Iran, and elsewhere. These terrorists have brutally murdered hundreds of thousands, not only in warfare but through terrorist actions. In fact, just a few years ago, there were nearly 2 million Christians in Syria; today, there are only 400,000 remaining. (While most of these fled the country, large numbers have been killed.)

Satan comes to steal.

• Obama’s budgets steal money from future generations by excessive deficit spending, with our national debt increasing by over $8 trillion during his presidency. Government deficit spending takes funds from the private sector that could be used to expand jobs and create wealth, and it robs future generations. These actions also increase governmental power.[4]
• Obama’s policies steal from the productive segment of society by increasing welfare payments to citizens and even to illegal immigrants.[5] For example, food stamp recipients have nearly doubled to about 47 million under Obama, free lunches are now available for all students rather than just the poor, and there is no longer any work requirement to receive welfare.
• Obama’s actions steal the livelihood of many workers, in particular coal workers and those in the energy field, as he has been shutting down the coal and other industry via excessive EPA regulations.[6]

Satan comes to destroy.

Obama’s policies and actions have brought much destruction, including:

• Destruction of marriage: Obama’s justice department and the judges he appointed were the primary force to “legalize” gay marriage, attack traditional marriage as defined by God, and attempt to redefine the family. He continues to oppose abstinence-education programs for youth, and also ties congressionally-authorized foreign aid to whether that nation will adopt homosexual marriage and embrace abortion.
• Destruction of the economy: The massive one trillion dollar “stimulus bill,” governmental bailouts of failing businesses, huge expansion of welfare payouts, and intrusive and onerous regulations are transforming America from a free-market capitalistic system that values individuals to a socialistic system that values the state. America now has the highest capital gains tax in the world (that is, a penalty on profits), which drives business to other nations and stifles the economy. Additional actions destroying the economy include: mandating how private companies should conduct their business; stipulating who they can and cannot hire; redistributing wealth through government handouts, business subsidies, rebates for buying cars (remember “Cash for Clunkers”); bailing out and taking control of private companies (especially in the real estate, insurance, banking, and automotive fields). His socialistic policies have adversely affected the economy, and today there are nearly 93 million Americans not participating in the work force – an increase of over 12 million since he took office.[7]
• Destruction of the nation via open border policy: Obama has ignored immigration laws prohibiting illegal aliens from entering the country, especially criminals who have taken the lives and property of many Americans. In fact, he has openly released known and convicted violent alien criminals back into society. Additionally, illegal immigrants are taking the jobs of law-abiding citizens as well as receiving massive amounts of government benefits, thus further adding to the decay of the economy.
• Obama is attempting to enter into a treaty with Iran without the consent of the Senate (as required by the Constitution). That treaty would undermine our security as well as threaten our allies, especially Israel. Destruction and death will follow as Iran is not only the largest exporter of terrorism in the world but also has repeatedly pledged to annihilate Israel and overthrow America.
• Destruction of the American Dream, which is the freedom to do what God desires man to do, which includes enjoying freedom of worship, speech, conscience, and governance of the education of children. Obama’s policies have undermined freedoms in each of these areas, including attacking religious liberty, free speech, and the rights of conscience by forcing individuals to act contrary to their religious convictions, especially in regards to accommodating homosexuality. Regarding freedom to educate children, Obama early in his presidency stopped a successful school choice program for thousands of poor families in Washington, DC, and he continues to rigidly oppose increased educational opportunity and the freedom to exit failing schools as well as greater parental empowerment in education.
• Destruction of the American Constitutional Republic replacing it with a socialist regime. The ever growing size of the national government and its rapidly expanding offices require an ever-increasing amount of money. Even more money is swallowed by the thousands of regulations written by unelected bureaucrats and their thousands of agencies. In fact, nearly one-fourth of the annual income of a family is now spent to cover the increased consumer costs associated with higher business costs as the result of complying with those micromanaging regulations. Our unbiblical system of graduated income taxes leads to IRS agents “harassing our people.” The Obama administration has done nothing to curb this abusive power, even letting the IRS stifle the formation of conservative groups. As the President accurately noted, he has a phone and a pen and regularly does end runs around the Constitution and the people’s elected Congress.
• Destruction of the rule of law: Obama unilaterally changed established, congressionally-enacted federal law – specifically the Affordable Care Act (a specific and clearly worded law passed by Congress that he signed) – at least 24 times.
• Destruction of the military by promoting homosexual and transgendered personnel, restricting religious freedom, and overseeing a general decline in size, readiness, and morale, reducing the military to its smallest size since World War I – and doing this at a time when the world is extremely dangerous.
• Destruction of the greatest health care system in the world by imposing “Obamacare” on the nation. The new government-controlled health care system is taking the control of medical issues out of the hands of people and the doctors they choose and instead giving it to government bureaucrats, even while the majority of the American people continue to oppose this system.

Lies and Deceit

Besides bringing death, theft, and destruction, Satan is also the father of lies (John 8:44). Obama has shown no qualms about lying, openly doing so hundreds of times.[8]  A few well-established ones include:

• In promoting “Obamacare” (which produces socialized medicine) he has lied multiple times, repeatedly stating that citizens can keep their insurance plan and doctor, that their premiums will decrease, and that the government would provide health care for millions of uninsured Americans without increasing the deficit or diminishing the quality of healthcare. (Not only has all of this proven to be false but it also contradicted the official finding of the impartial bi-partisan Congressional Budget Office.)
• He said at least 22 times that he could not pass amnesty through executive action, but then implemented an immunity scheme via executive fiat. “In bypassing Congress, Obama blatantly ignored the rule of law that is the foundation of our democracy and violated his presidential oath to uphold the laws of this land.”[9]
• He said not one dime of Obamacare funds would go for abortions, but in fact over 1000 Obamacare plans pay for abortions. The Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of Catholic nuns, recently lost a court case (with a majority of the judges appointed by Obama and Clinton) requiring them to provide access to abortion inducing drugs.
• He said it was not his decision to remove troops from Iraq, but during his 2012 reelection campaign he repeatedly took credit for ending the war and getting troops home. His decision to pull the troops without consideration of the consequences has allowed ISIS to rise to power, take control of much of Iraq, and murder many thousands of people, especially Christians. He also promised that he would close the Guantanamo Bay camp holding terrorists. For seven years he refused to do so, and has now decided to move those terrorists onto American soil or simply release them back to their countries, where they will continue to launch attacks against Americans.

It is clear from the fruit of his actions that Obama has been a subordinate of Satan. While some may object to such pointed rhetoric, speaking bluntly and truthfully is exactly what Jesus did, including when he called Herod a fox (Luke 13:32), the Pharisees and civil leaders whitewashed tombs (Matt. 23:27), and other critics children of the devil (John 8:44). He said you will know people by their fruit. Obama’s fruit has been death, theft, and destruction. So if the Bible is our standard for decision-making, then the uncontested fruit demonstrates that Obama is not a good President, but rather an evil President. He is indeed a minion of Satan.

In the first movie featuring Minions, the evil master Gru was redeemed and the Minions followed him in turning from evil deeds to good deeds. Satan can never be redeemed, but his minions can. We were all his minions before God graciously reached down and translated the saints from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Let us pray He will do the same for President Obama and the millions more who believe he has been a good President and would vote to reelect him. Sadly, Obama might be correct that he could be reelected, and such a possibility shows the great need for many of his minions to be changed by the Lord. Like Gru they need new hearts and new minds. Without God’s supernatural intervention, America has no hope, but God has repeatedly shown throughout history His willingness to bring transformation to those who cry out to Him and then choose to obey Him. One evidence of obeying God is selecting righteous and God-fearing rulers who are not minions of Satan but rather are servants of God.

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Stephen McDowell is co-founder and President of the Providence Foundation, a Christian educational organization that teaches Biblical principles for societal transformation. To learn more see www.providencefoundation.com

[1] For Biblical support of the author’s positions on limited government see his books Rendering to Caesar the Things that Are God’s, The Biblical Family, Liberating the Nations, and Building Godly Nations published by the Providence Foundation (providencefoundation.com).

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/world/africa/obama-in-africa-says-he-could-win-third-term.html?_r=1

[3] http://liveactionnews.org/white-house-admits-getting-facts-planned-parenthood/

[4] Past Presidents and Congresses have committed theft as well, but Obama has far surpassed them all.

[5] http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/10/social-security-administration-confirms-illegal-aliens-to-begin-collecting-benefits-in-2017/

[6] Obama had the stated goal of shutting down the coal industry saying in 2008: “What I’ve said is that we would put a, uh, cap-and-trade system in place that is more — that is as aggressive if not more aggressive than anybody else’s out there. So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that, uh, greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.”

[7] http://www.rt.com/usa/238697-americans-labor-jobs-report/

[8] See for example: http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/statements/byruling/false/; http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/05/1063-documented-examples-of-barack-obamas-lying-lawbreaking-corruption-cronyism-hypocrisy-waste-etc/; http://www.infowars.com/252-documented-examples-of-barack-obamas-lying-lawbreaking-corruption-cronyism-etc/;  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-obamas-blizzard-of-lies/2014/10/13/7acc3d22-52e4-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html

[9] http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/06/here-they-are-barack-obamas-five-biggest-lies-can-you-guess-them-video/