Influences....

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17 (AKJV)

I am a product of those mentors and influencers in my life; Pastor Chris Cramer, who was the pastor of my first three years as a rededicated Christian and who was the speaker during God's entreaty to me to 'come back home'; Pastor Dave Bauer, who was the pastor of my second church and inspired me to battle against the complacency of the church today; Wendell Browning, associate pastor and mentor, who inspired me to write and pursue God's call to ministry; Kurt Burkett, who continued to press me to discover the path to true masculinity and edifies me as a 'leader' destined to be a powerful witness for God; Scott Engelman, who calls me to stretch beyond social manhood to realize godly manhood; Mark Jackson, who calls my wounded and timid soul within to serve as a true man in my community, home, and church; and Pastor Jim Combs, who calls me to larger faith and accountability to the Truth.

I am sure that you have several people who mentored and influenced your life, for the better or for the worse. It is part of the journey from child to adult, from protected citizen to productive citizenship, and from baby food to solid adult food.

In discovering the measure of a man, we (not being God, who looks at the heart) have to look at the man's influences and those characters that entered in and out of his life throughout the years; and combine our 'findings' with the physical evidence, i.e. books, comments, actions, and deeds, from which such spiritual and philosophical manifestations are viewed.

Barack Obama, once the unknown community activist in the city of Chicago, has risen to the height of potential President of the United States of America in an extraordinary rapid manner. His performance within the Senate and the House of Representatives is liberal, uninspiring, and seems to be in direct conflict with the overall American populous. His time prior to his governmental positions were not close to other people who charted a similar course, with no papers or books or successful community projects to dot his potential.

What were the influences and why is he such a dynamic, forceful personality upon the political landscape? Dismissing his political party's platform lets look at Barack's influences on the man.

There are the immediate influences; his parents. Barack Hussein Obama Sr., an African socialist and Stanley Ann Dunham, a liberal feminist and atheist, separated when Barack was young, but Barack Sr., kept in regular correspondence with his name-bearing son and his mother promoted a liberal, Universalist viewpoint to her son. While Barack Jr has downplayed his father's influence, except in his book, Dreams from My Father; he has praised his single, working-class mother as a pivotal influence in his life, in campaign ads and political speeches.

"You are the company you keep." This has been a foundational cornerstone of any upbringing, secular and Christian, as the recognized influences of those that one surrounds oneself with. Principles, ideologies, and even moral ethics are shaped by the company of those around us as we seek out something to belong to, to be affirmed by, and to be recognized as 'valued'. Senator Barack Obama is no exception, though he would have you believe that he is. There are the 'community activism' influences like;

Frank Marshall Davis, a Hawaiian 'poet', had considerable influence while Obama lived in Hawaii, as Obama himself mentions in Dreams from My Father as 'Frank' was "intriguing". Davis, who began his career in Chicago as a community activist, was a pro-communist writer and white supremacist, and friend/associate of singer Paul Robeson and longshore union official Harry Bridges, Communist Party members.
Saul Alinsky, an open and vocal socialist, is called the 'father of community organizing' because of his social activism having founded organizations, built on the 'street agitation tactics' of his socialist leanings, including the Industrial Areas Foundation, who trained Obama in 'community activism'. Alinsky wrote the book, Rules for Radicals, considered a bible for community activism and Obama authored of a chapter of the book about community organizing. Obama worked with the Developing Communities Project and the Gamaliel Foundation, Alinsky inspired organizations promoting socialist philosophies.

Alinsky's son, Lee David Alinsky, recently praised Obama in the emulating of Saul's tactics, saying Barack "learned his lesson well."

John L. McKnight, Obama's "community organizer mentor", worked with Barack at the Gamaliel Foundation, is a former ACLU director and board member of the National People's Action (NPA), currently teaching at Northwestern University. He wrote a recommendation letter for Obama for Harvard.

Such influences, in the scope of American patriotism, fly in the face of republic and democratic principles and are enough to bring a bit of doubt to the mind of those who feel Obama is the best patriot for the job of President. These are not chance and limited meetings, but people with which he worked, trained, and studied under.

But there are other alarms that should be sounding throughout the political, moral, and religious landscape of this once-great nation. Religious influences, seemingly such a 'big' factor in the 2008 political race, have been largely downplayed in the developing of Obama's faith.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright, often referred to by Barack as "Uncle J" until the 'disassociation' during the spring of 2008, was his former pastor and mentor while the Obama's attended Trinity United Church of Christ, which preaches a Black liberation theology taught by James Cone, who states that Trinity represents the BLT's most accurate interpretation. For those who don't know what BLT is, the creator of the theology describes it as a 'black religion and Marxist philosophy' mix. Cone believes that "to be black is to be committed to destroying everything this country loves and adores." Yet, such theology hasn't influenced Obama in the twenty years he listened to Reverend Wright.

Recent reports state that Cone believes that nothing Obama has said or written in his books and speeches contradicts Cone's theology but has a more 'radical edge', which seems to support the major influences such 'accurate theological' influence Wright had upon the Democratic nominee.

It wasn't until the media attention was given to Wright's fiery anti-white, anti-capitalist, and anti-United States sermons given over his twenty year association with Obama that the young Senator decided his political career was threatened by Wright's influence and denounced his controversial statements, and surrendered his membership at the Trinity UCC for 'the sake of the congregation' who was receiving 'undue' attention from the media.

No such denouncement of Wright's unheard, yet documented, work with Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan....who stumbled during a recent gathering in Detroit and called Barack the "Messiah" before retracing his steps and calling Obama a 'prophet for the Messiah.' Documented association cemented in the Trinity UCC magazine, who gave Farrakhan a lifetime achievement award.

The religious influences of Barack didn't die with his dismissal of Reverend Wright and his removal of membership at Trinity. Father Michael Pfleger, a priest in South Chicago who once appeared on the Barack Obama political website under the 'faith' category, is much like Reverend Wright in his fiery sermons and support & admiration of Farrakhan. In Trumpet, the Trinity UCC magazine, Pfleger says he 'got very educated by the [Black] Panthers." the militant black power movement. No disassociation with Pfleger has made headlines, though he too has a 20-year relationship with the young Senator from Illinois.

With religious views such a 'major' factor in the decision of millions of voting American citizens this election year, such influences like Wright, Pfleger, and Cone over the span of 20+ years should give the millions of voters pause.

Beyond the religious aspects, what does an image of an Obama, with his arms at his side during a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner' and absent flag lapel pin, reflect of a darker influence, that seems to bring him in opposition with traditional and valued patriotic symbology? With the likes of William Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Mike Klonsky, Marilyn Katz, Carl Davidson, and Bill Fletcher dotting the landscape of Barack Obama's career and political lifespan, one has to wonder of Obama's outspoken declaration in Berlin, Germany of being 'not just an American citizen, but a citizen of the world.'

Ayers, the unrepentant and anti-capitalist terrorist, led the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in the 60s and its break off militant group, the Weather Underground organization. The Weather Underground, a communist and anti-capitalist group of radicals, aligned with such black revolutionary groups as the Black Panther Party to fight against the 'white America' who exploited the black people with such terrorist actions as bombing police stations, the Capitol building, and the Pentagon.

Obama has stated somewhat sarcastically that he was only eight years old during Ayers' terrorist actions and therefore, should not have such association with Ayers being questioned. And, apparently the American public has chosen to throw such an association out the door of consideration. A recent poll shows that only 38% of Americans believe this relationship between Ayers and Obama is worth further discussion.

This despite, after 9-11-01, Ayers publicly stating that he was sorry that he couldn't have done more and wasn't sorry for what he had done in the past. In recent years, Ayers has been photographed stomping on the American flag and that the United States viewed as a fair and just nation 'makes [him] want to puke."
Obama calls Ayers 'just a guy' who lives in his neighborhood, downplaying his association with Ayers in such organizations as the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC); where they worked together on project funding, though in charge of different departments, from 1995 to 2001 and the Woods Fund; where Obama was a member of the Board starting in 1993 and Ayers joined him in 1999 until 2002. The Woods Fund gave grants in the 80s to the Developing Communities Project (where Obama had worked as a 'community activist') in support of the 1988 Chicago School Reform Act.

The Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) was founded by Ayers and began its operations with Barack Obama as Chairman of the Board in 1995. Obama warmly endorsed a book on the juvenile justice system authored by Ayers and served with Ayers on a panel setup by his wife, Michelle Obama, to discuss its merits and current legislation with Ayer's wife, Bernardine Dohrn. Dohrn, a radical and communist, was the leader of the Revolutionary Youth Movement of the SDS and the Weather Underground and signatory of the Weather Underground's 'declaration of war' against the USA. Dohrn also held a position with Sidley & Austin, the law firm where Michelle Obama worked. Barack also served as a teacher at the University of Illinois-Chicago while Ayers served as a faculty member and Dohrn holds a position as adjunct professor. A panel discussion offered by UofI-C, labeled "Intellectuals in Times of Crises" brought Obama and Ayers in close contact. Recent history and adjoining projects, not usual for 'just a neighbor' guy, rather more reflective of goals of similarly driven activists who hold similar views. Yet, the Obama campaign protests any deliberation of an Ayers-Obama association.

Obama, who has accused McCain of being another "George W. Bush" and decries four more years of Bush politics, has brushed off these past associations as irrelevant.
If these influences were 'nothing', then the political campaign make-up would likely be much different and diverse. So let's look at his political campaign make-up.
It is in the host home of the Ayers, in 1995 while both served at CAC, that Obama was knighted in a political 'meet-and-greet' by then Illinois Senator Alice Palmer, an official of a notorious Communist front group, the U.S. Peace Council. The U.S.PC is an affiliate of the World Peace Council, an international Soviet front identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Senator Palmer stepped down from pursuing a seat in Congress, nominating Obama as her 'heir-apparent.'

Current serving on the Presidential campaign for Obama are such notables as;
Linda Darling-Hammond, an educational advisor; writer and supporter of the "education debt" concept, so labeled by Gloria Ladson-Billings, that believes in reparations for African-Americans as discussed in such books as "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks." Darling-Hammond was recommended by Ladson-Billings, President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), to the governing council. William Ayers serves as AERA's Vice-President of Curriculum Studies.
Laurence Tribe, Obama's professor and mentors at Harvard, is on the short list of Supreme Court nominees for a Obama Presidency and serving in an advisor role for the campaign. Tribe is a progressive agenda founder and board member of the American Constitution Society (ACS) which wants to provide legal rights for animals to sue humans and businesses.

Charles Ogletree, another advisor to the Obama campaign, is another one of Barack's Harvard professors/mentors and an advocate for reparations for slavery.

And, Robert Malley, former foreign policy advisor to the Obama campaign who resigned in May due to proven allegations that he met with Hamas, a terrorist organization, as 'part of his job.' Malley is an anti-Israelist with op-ed articles co-authored by former Yasser Arafat advisors and promotes liberation 'struggle' against anti-capitalism and socialist movements

The personal and business associations from Obama's past continue into the present. Mike Klonsky is the 'official blogger' for the Obama presidential campaign website. (This has been disputed by Carl Davidson, webmaster for the Progressive for Obama website....see comments.) Marilyn Katz is a signatory of the Progressives for Obama and is a media advisor for the Obama campaign, Carl Davidson is currently serving as the webmaster for the website, Progressives for Obama, and Cornel West, the 'non-Marxist socialist', is a contributor/signatory of the Progressives for Obama website. Political ideology as "non-Marxist socialist." He is an anti-capitalist and honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is a contributor/signatory to the Progressives for Obama website and has endorsed the Black Radical Congress' (BRC) call for a "renewed struggle.". Most are Maoist (Mao-Marxists), anti-capitalists, and former officers of SDS and its militant arms such as the "October League", other organizations such as the "Democratic Socialists of America" and have repeated connections to others involved in Obama's past.

Other supporters of Obama's presidential aspirations and his announced policies include extreme liberal and leftist names such as Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan dictator; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran and former leader of Hamas; Fidel Castro, Cuban dictator; Louis Farrakhan, Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam; Frank Chapman, Executive Committee member of the U.S. Peace Council (communist front group); Mark Solomon, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism national co-chair; and Joel Wendland, Political Affairs: Marxist Thought Online Managing Editor. CPUSA's online magazine. Obama has been endorsed by many liberal political groups such as the Communist Party USA (CPUSA); Democratic Socialists of America; and the Party of European Socialist.

In addition to such extreme and liberal organizations, associations that Obama has with such movements that have attempted to corrupt the political process are making headlines. Obama shows an extensive and long association with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). ACORN worked closely with the Developing Communities Project and another Obama project "Project Vote."

Both the Woods Fund and Joyce Foundation (another organization Obama held a board position) frequently donate to ACORN. Obama filed and successfully concluded a lawsuit to enforce the "motor-voter" law in Illinois and trained former ACORN Chicago leader Madeleine Talbot's staff on organizing tactics. Talbot, if you remember, was arrested for a protest that broke into a Chicago City Council session in 1997.

Obama joined with ACORN in an unsuccessful bid to overturn Indiana's voter I.D. law, and has received help from ACORN with his political campaigns. ACORN's record of workers being indicted for charges related to voter fraud ranges from Missouri to Washington State, with twelve other investigations in process. In 2007, ACORN settled the largest case of voter fraud in Washington State history for 25,000 in restitution. In addition, ACORN's PAC (Political Action Committee) has endorsed Obama for President.

"All of [the] connections are family members, close friends and "mentors," and affiliations/organizations that Obama willingly participated with and in." Wes Vernon, Renew America writes, "and [Obama has] financially supported. If Barack doesn't know about their past and their political ideologies, then ...........[he] does not belong in the White House....................If he knew about these things but didn't think they mattered, then he is beyond naïve.................If he knew about these things and openly welcomed it, then he's just downright dangerous."

If you don't feel the same, at least such associations show you what type of man and President the Barack Obama of recent fame and charisma will be like. With a pattern of relationships with leftist radicals, corrupt political ideologies, and racially divisive religious doctrine, Barack's political philosophy and ideology have been shaped into a liberal, socialistic and communistic personality that will throw American freedoms and moral standards to the extreme left. His willingness to associate with socialist-minded groups of radical and extreme views opposite of the American republic and its democratic foundations are the making of a very dangerous man to the America way.

Just refer to his voting record, the acclaim for being the 'most liberal Senator' in 2008, and his political platform; being with his decision not to honor his promise to use only Federal Campaign Funds.

George Washington warned the newly formed nation of America that government was a 'useful servant but a fearful master.' And, in the intervening generations, that message has been slowly downplayed, and seemingly lost, as we enter another 'historic' election period in America.

The overwhelming impression of the charismatic pull of Senator Barack Obama has inspired, through the direction of adults, boys clad in 'militaristic' clothing chanting "Alpha Omega" and declaring how Obama has given them inspiration to be chemical engineers, scientists, and other things; and a California choir of grade schoolers who belt out "Sing for Change for Obama", a haunting parallel to another song sung to declare the praises of Kim Jong II the North Korea dictator.[1] There is even a woman who wrote for a college paper how she views Obama as the Savior.

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives." Proverbs 27:21 (NIV)

"Obama speaks in slogans and never explains the thinking that goes into his statements. That's what we need to know:" Herbert Romerstein remarks, "To what extent do these people influence him.......................... To what extent do they influence his thinking, and will he repudiate those people?"

The movement to convince the future that the present is the 'tolerant, loving' view of the right direction has been brought full force as the 'new' leader, who embodies the characteristics and universal appeal of the liberal view of humanism, has emerged upon the political landscape and seems undefeatable; like Teflon on a frying pan.... Such is the dawning of the U.S.S.A, the United Socialist States of America, as it enters the global community.

Has anyone forgotten the warnings of a one-world government, or a one-world religion? Barack Obama reads like a prophet of a dark future; a 'tolerant', anything goes and let's distribute the wealth nation of communist and socialist agendas.

The very platform for a 'world' government, with one religion of many gods.
There is still hope, though hard to see upon the gloomy outlook of a Nation under Obama. The Bible will still have all the answers to life.

Prayer will still work, with God listening to the praises and supplication of His people.

The Holy Spirit will still move, bringing blessings to the children of God.
There will still be praise and God-anointed preaching.

Jesus still loves us, even the lost, who will continue to be offered the room at the foot of the Cross.

Those who turn to Christ will still be saved.

It may be harder to do those things in the wake of the global community that Obama views the USA becoming, and will endeavor to help it be during his term(s) as President.

It may be unpopular.

But Jesus Christ will still return to reclaim His Father's creation for His children.
Not even the charismatic Barack Obama can stop that, even if he believed in the Jesus Christ, Messiah, who is coming. He, like all of us, will be judged before the White Throne.


Resources:
[1] "The Bad, the Good, and the Ugly" Fitzpatrick, Brian Culture and Media Institute. http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20081009191419.aspx
[2] "Barack Obama's Communist Connections" Vernon, Wes, Renew America. http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/vernon/080526
[3] "Barack Obama's Connections to socialism, communism, and racial divisiveness" Gerrish, Dee, ArticlesBase http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/barack-obamas-connections-to-socialism-communism-and-racial-divisiveness-591732.html
[4] "The Case against Barack Obama" Freddoso, David Tower.com http://www.tower.com/case-against-barack-obama-david-freddoso-hardcover/wapi/112225660