>In a recent post, GOPMOM wrote that she believes Obama has gone Old Testament. Commenting on Obama’s statement that he did not want to see his daughter punished by having a baby, GOPMOM wrote:

When rational people discuss teen pregnancy and the irresponsible behavior that leads to teen pregnancies, we speak of consequences, not punishment. When we talk about babies, planned or unplanned, we call them blessings. I have never, in my life, heard anyone refer to a baby as a punishment. Some women feel that the process of giving birth is a punishment, but even they feel the baby is the gift.

It sounds to me like Obama has an issue with inopportune pregnancies. Could he possibly have an issue with his own existence? Is he at odds with himself? Is it possible that just a little bit of him resents his parents for the difficult path they chose for him? After all, we are constantly reminded that his success is akin to a miracle based on the obstacles placed in front him due to the circumstances of his birth. All of Obama’s personal struggles seem to stem from his parentage. Is this latest remark an example of how he truly feels about his life, that somehow he was a punishment? How Old Testament of him.

I doubt very much that Obama has gone Old Testament because his statement contradicts what the Old Testament says about children. The Old Testament has a very high view of children. As the Psalmist wrote: “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3).

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Barack Obama, Children, Pregnancy