Has Ben Carson said he believes US Presidency is God's plan?

Ben Carson has put the success of his campaign down to a "force greater than myself."

US Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson Reuters

In an interview with the Washington Post, the retired neurosurgeon refused to say whether or not he thought it was God's plan for him to become President of the US. However Carson, one the leading candidates for the republican nomination, put his success down to a higher power.

"I don't know what will happen to my campaign for the presidency, but I do know that up until this point it's been a force greater than myself," said Carson.

"And no one can really explain what's happened here. I was talking to a famous pollster within this past week and he said, 'We were all sitting around talking and, you know, none of us can explain why you're doing so well.'"

Carson went on to tell the Washington Post that he felt directed by God to enter and wasn't something he was interested in initially.

"I would put it this way. [The campaign] wasn't something I particularly wanted to do.

"And I finally just said, 'Look Lord, you know this is not on my bucket list. And the pundits say it's impossible anyways.'

"But, I said, if you really want me to do this, then you will have to open the doors. I'm not going to push them open. And the doors have flung open. So I don't know what the eventual end of it all is, but I promised that I would walk through the doors if they opened."

However despite saying he felt God had opened the door Carson said he would not be burdened or all that upset if his campaign failed.

article,article,article,article,article,article Related

"I would hope that it would be, if that happened, the American people making a decision that they're comfortable with," he said.

"I would hope that my candidacy had in some way helped to awaken large groups of people. And everywhere I go, people tell me, 'I have never participated, and now I have hope.' And those people will have come out. And that's good.

"I don't know what his eventual plan is. When I commit to something, you know, I go into it wholeheartedly. If I'm not president, it will not be a devastating blow to me."

The latest polls suggest Carson has slipped from a solid second place behind Donald Trump to a joint third with Ted Cruz as Marco Rubio climbed to second position.

related articles
White evangelicals favour Carson the most and Trump the least, survey shows

White evangelicals favour Carson the most and Trump the least, survey shows

Ben Carson compares worry over Syrian refugees to parents\' concern about \'mad dogs\' in neighbourhood
Ben Carson compares worry over Syrian refugees to parents' concern about 'mad dogs' in neighbourhood

Ben Carson compares worry over Syrian refugees to parents' concern about 'mad dogs' in neighbourhood

US House votes to suspend acceptance of Syrian refugees

US House votes to suspend acceptance of Syrian refugees

Jesus loved outsiders. Why do Christians hate them?

Jesus loved outsiders. Why do Christians hate them?

Ben Carson calls for surveillance of churches and mosques to counter radicalisation

Ben Carson calls for surveillance of churches and mosques to counter radicalisation

Refugees persecuted for their faith should be given priority – US body
Refugees persecuted for their faith should be given priority – US body

Refugees persecuted for their faith should be given priority – US body

News
The woeful ignorance of Justin Welby - Part Two 
The woeful ignorance of Justin Welby - Part Two 

Polyamory and open marriages are the next frontier for progressives. Yet the Church seems to be sleeping at the wheel.

Christian family expelled from Indian village after forced conversion attempt
Christian family expelled from Indian village after forced conversion attempt

Chhattisgarh is increasingly becoming a concerning place for Christians

Ugandan Christian convert killed by Muslim relatives while praying at home
Ugandan Christian convert killed by Muslim relatives while praying at home

A 37-year-old Christian convert in eastern Uganda was killed by members of his own family on Friday 18 July after they forced their way into his home and found him praying in the name of Jesus, according to local sources.

The Bible and food: why it's so much more than eating
The Bible and food: why it's so much more than eating

Eating - and eating together - is never a side note in the biblical story. It is one of the ways God forms community, renews covenant, and reveals Himself.