Who says those particular Presidents are? That's between them and God, and as an observer I can't say for sure that they really were. I will say that I am unimpressed with all of them as Chief Executive.
But that doesn't really mean much, does it?
Well, there are Christians of faith, and Christians of religion. A Christian of faith believes that Jesus took our sins, and to believe that He is God, and the Son of God (it was a familiar concept in 1st century Judea, the begotten firstborn being equivalent to his father), that he was born of a virgin, lived sinless and sacrificed Himself to take our sins from us. But the key is, you must accept this gift He offers. Satan believes in God, knows Him on sight, even. believes in Jesus, the virgin birth and all the rest. So,obviously, that's not all there is to it. It's belief ON Him. accepting him as your Sovereign, to use an older but very correct phrase. So the Christian of faith has accepted the Gospels as truth, AND decided to follow the God of the Bible.
A Christian of religion believes IN all of that, but thinks that they can EARN their way to God by following all the rules, and condemning anyone who makes a mistake. This is not what the Bible says works. All the rules are there for good reasons, and I'll debate the reasons with anyone separately from the thread, should you so choose. But the Bible explicitly states that works will not get you to God. Only acceptance of what He's done will. So RELIGION is not the answer in the Book. FAITH is. Paul said we are saved by Grace, not by works.
I think the ones you're talking about fall into one of two categories. First is the religious, if I work hard enough, I can erase the sins category. The second group claims they are, but truly are not. You can be suspicious of them, as to the veracity of their claim, but like I said before, only they and God know the truth about their faith. Or lack of it.
Forgiveness itself isn't about Hail Mary's, or asking God to forgive you repeatedly. Do you feel convicted? Are you sorry in your heart that you did what violates your faith and conscience? Or are just like "wow, better cover my butt on this one"? The latter is false repentance. The first is true repentance. But, once you've asked forgiveness out of a true sense of contrition, God forgives, and now it's time for you to let it go as well. Remember it. Learn from it, but don't be chained by it. After that, if you feel guilt, it can be damaging. Guilt is being unable to forgive yourself even after the offended party (God, someone you cheated, whatever) has forgiven you. That's the difference.
Now, not to say that people of faith are sinless. I can't keep track of how many times a day, I screw up in the sin department. I have committed some whoppers, and occasionally, I still gotta fight out feelings of guilt from acts long forgiven. I've done bad things. After me and my ex wife split, I got plain stupid. I know I'll mess up. I know I'll be mad at myself when I do. I just work to limit how often I blow it. Never be perfect in life. No one ever will, there was only One who was. It's about improvement, and climbing back on that wagon, to borrow a phrase from recovering alcoholics. Just because you fail at something doesn't mean you should lay in the dirt and surrender. You get up, and fight on.
As far as war goes, it is not necessarily a sin. Why have you fought the war? Was it a sin to fight Hitler? Sometimes the sin is more in how a war is conducted, and how a leader treats the men in harm's way. Sometimes the war itself is unjustifiable. Saddam invading Kuwait. War of greed. It's all in the motivations. You can say that Bush or Clinton or Obama have waged war for greed. Truth is, only they know the truth of their motivations. We can only make guesses and assumptions. But again, I have to say, I don't know that they really ARE followers of Jesus, or just claim it.
But some wars must be fought. Some wars should never be fought.
God does not consign people to Hell. Humanity blew the deal early on. A race destined for Hell. think of it that everyone is born with a train ticket. At a certain age, the Age of Accountability (the age at which you now can make the choice to follow or deny Jesus, which is different for everyone because everyone develops differently, hence a baby is still "innocent" because it cannot comprehend this yet), the ticket becomes active. The ticket is for "Hell" (which is not a final destination). But then someone comes and gives you a choice. He says that he will redeem your ticket, buy you off the train, if you follow him. Or, you can continue to wait on the platform, and one day, board the train. It's your call. He offers you a way to leave damnation. You're already on the way there. It's only your choice to accept the gift that determines if you board that train or go hop a plane to a better destination. And that's it. Nothing you do in life "sends" you to Hell. Already en route. The choice is accept Life, or continue with Death.
And no, this is not a license to rape, murder, steal, beat up old ladies and kick dogs. If you decide you want that lifestyle, and you'll "convert" just before you die, doesn't work. That's fire insurance. If you look at your life and say that there must be something better and something more, that's where true conversion comes from. But you can't do it solely out of fear. That's fire insurance again. It must be because you believe that Jesus is the Truth, and the Word.
It's late, and I'm not sure I'm saying it the way I mean to. I apologize.
Oh, and it's only fornicatory (a new word?) if you're actually lusting after the flesh. Is it fornication to have your eyes roll back in your head when someone scratches your back? Is it fornication to get a massage because your muscles hurt? These are pleasures that we seek and are in the physical flesh. It's your motivation. I've tickled since before I knew what attraction to the opposite sex was. Before I felt any attraction to the ladies, I loved tickling. Its a catharsis (like some people get from the gym, or listening to the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony), it's bonding with a friend, it's a sport like basketball. Or it can be dirty, sexual, part of intercourse, (or any other sex act), about nothing but carnality and lust. It is what the individual decides to make of it.
You decide what you want it to be. For you. Don't decide what it is for me, because it might not be what you think.
I don't mean that last bit to sound irritable, it isn't. It's all in why are you doing it, was all I's saying.
Christopher