Ohio Christian Newspaper Labels Obama An 'Abomination'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sen. Barack Obama gets manhandled as a pro-gay, pro-abortion Democrat who "mimics scripture to suit his own needs" in a major story headlining the current edition of Ohio's Citizen USA newspaper. The print and online publication has an audience of socially conservative evangelical readers across the state, and the attack was timed to follow Obama's campaign swing through Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland last week.

Last month, the newspaper ran an editorial apologizing to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, an ordained Methodist minister, for an editorial that gossiped about his marriage. But this month, the gloves were off in a piece focused on Clenard H. Childress Jr., a Baptist minister from New Jersey. Childress heads Christians for Social Justice, a group based in Columbus that has targeted the Illinois senator. Childress is an African-American and contends Obama has strayed from the principles that are preached in black churches. Citizen USA's article appears under the headline: "Clergy groups say an Obama led nation would be an abomination."

Other pro-choice Democrats are not mentioned. The paper traditionally supports Republicans, and last year endorsed Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in the gubernatorial campaign against Strickland.

Childress says Obama is deceiving the "scripturally illiterate" by contending into the Bible is vague or obscure on the subject of homosexuality. "I would like to ask Senator Obama the question, 'How obscure is this verse?' Leviticus 18:22 clearly says, 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is an abomination.' That sounds pretty definitive to me."

Childress appealed to Ohio's African-Americans to reject overtures from Obama. "This man does not reflect your values . . . the values that at one time made African-Americas a very strong and resilient and great people. We have drifted away from those values but we're coming back. By bestowing our allegiance to Barack Obama it would be a great setback for African-Americans." Click HERE to read the story.

Pro-life Christians Blast Obama And Ohio Gov. Strickland

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A group called Christians for Social Justice has launched a new Web site denouncing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a supporter of gay-marriage and says legalized abortion in the U.S. is "black genocide." The group has been extremely critical of Ohio's Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, an ordained Methodist minister. Christians for Social Justice contends Strickland's policy views about gay unions and abortion rights "don't square with Biblical Christianity."

Is this the Christian right swinging into attack mode? It sure appears that way -- and the new attack on Obama seems to have been launched from Ohio.

Christians for Social Justice is led by Clenard H. Childress Jr., a New Jersey preacher, but the organization's press release announcing ObamaNation.com, the Web site that attacks the Illinois senator, carried a Columbus dateline. An examination of the site, available HERE, shows that Mark Harrington of Columbus is the group's field director. Harrington describes himself as active in the pro-life movement. The same organization runs the anti-Strickland site HERE.

Childress accuses Obama of supporting the "homosexual agenda" -- which means the senator is going to be dogged by anti-gay rights activists, homophobes and militant pro-lifers in the coming months on the campaign trail. "If elected president, Obama's use of the bully pulpit would be a boost for the culture of death and the homosexual agenda," Childress said. "Also, there would always be a threat on an Obama veto of any significant pro-life or pro-family legislation. Obama would undoubtedly nominate pro-abortion justices of the US Supreme Court, which could etch Roe v. Wade into stone for generations."

There is more HERE. Childress says he's not affilated with any political party, candidate or candidate's committee.