US President Barack Obama has made public his stands on issues that are not exactly aligned with the Christian faith. He is pro-gay, and actively pushing for same-sex unions and rights of homosexuals even outside America. He is also pro-abortion, funding the killing of the unborn in his controversial health programme.
Does this make President Obama the Antichrist? Not exactly, according to Christian evangelists, but they believe the American leader is "paving the way" for the Antichrist.
Pastor Robert James Jeffress, Jr. of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, said Obama has shown how leaders can still win votes even if they contradict God's laws.
"Although President Obama is certainly not the Antichrist, his policies are paving the way for the Antichrist," the Christian pastor said.
"While I am not suggesting that President Obama is the Antichrist, the fact that he was able to propose such a sweeping change in God's law and still win re-election by a comfortable margin illustrates how a future world leader will be able to oppose God's laws without any repercussions," he added.
Christian evangelist and missionary Franklin Graham, meanwhile, said Obama's "anti-Christian" stand on issues has already infected the rest of the US government.
"There is an anti-Christian bias that is now in our government. It has permeated our government," Graham said.
He added that Obama is forcing a "new morality" on Americans that is against the teachings of God.
"It's a morality that does not include God or His standards. That's what we're facing today. It is an anti-Christ movement that we're seeing taking place," Graham said.
Columnist Jennifer Leclaire, meanwhile, pointed out that Obama "has made plenty of Antichrist moves during his presidency."
"I don't believe Obama is the Antichrist, but the fact that so many people are utterly convinced is telling... The chatter continues. One thing is clear, believers are paying close attention to the signs of the times—including the rise of the Antichrist," Leclaire said in an opinion article published on Charisma News.
