HOUSTON - Barack Obama is a man without a church.
The Illinois Senator and likely Democratic Party nominee for the November presidential election against Republican John McCain said on Saturday he had quit his Chicago church in the aftermath of inflammatory sermons that could become a political lightning rod.
Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, cut ties last month with the former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Jeremiah Wright, who angered many with anti-American and racially charged sermons.
Just as controversy over Wright had died down, a Roman Catholic priest mocked Obama’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton during a guest appearance at Trinity United in ways sure to cause offense to some.
Obama said he and his family will find a new church although they will likely not settle on one until early next year — after the election.
But can Obama remain “churchless” that long?
The faith factor is always a big one in elections in America, where levels of regular church attendance and belief are much higher and weigh more heavily with many voters than those found in most affluent nations.
If Obama tries to settle on a church before November it could be subjected to the same level of media scrutiny that will be focused on his vice-presidential choice should he secure the nomination, which looks increasingly likely.
That could also bring unwelcome media intrusion into a house of worship.
But while Obama professes a deep Christian faith, his “churchless” status may still stand out as a political liability — though staying with United was obviously a bigger one.
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20 years, and Obama can’t effect change in his own church, and yet people believe he can “change Washington” and “change the nation”? As for his repeated mantra: “That’s not the (insert name of the latest embarasment here) I knew”… Well, it just goes to prove that either Obama is lying, or he’s absolutely clueless! How is he going to get through diplomatic talks with our enemies if he can’t even correctly judge the character of his mentors, spiritual advisors, and friends that he’s known for over 20 years! An Obama presidency would put all Americans in jeopardy, and his rhetoric is setting back race relations by decades. Make no mistake - he and his advisors are the ones making this about the color of his skin… When judged on the content of his character it is sorely lacking.
- Posted by ObaminationGOD BLESS OBAMA AND HIS FAMILY.MAY GOD PROTECT HIM AS HE BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK AMERICAN PRESIDENT.
- Posted by ClintonJack, above, I appreciate your article which expounds some useful and salient points. Good to read.
I simply say religion and governance DO NOT MIX! And that religious leaders have been talking hogwash for far too long.
Human Rights issues are the main thing - not religious dogma or even bigotry.
I hope Obama holds that idea too: I think he does.
I just HOPE they keep him safe.
- Posted by The Truth Is...In my view, Mr. Obama ought to now keep his religious activities and opinions low profile, i.e., keep them to himself while on the stump. I for one don’t want to hear about them. They are his business, not mine. I’m a firm believer in the near sanctity of the First Amendment freedoms, rights, privileges (and accompanying responsibilities) enshrined in the Bill of Rights to “this Constitution for the United States of America.”
I also don’t want to hear from Mr. McCain or Mrs. Clinton (or especially from Mr. Bush) on what they are up to in the religious arena either! The same goes for Mr. Lieberman and his sidekick Mr. Graham, etc., etc., etc., etc. and so forth!
I’ve been around for awhile. I don’t remember Franklin Roosevelt or Harry Truman advertising their religious affiliations. Of course, I was a boy then, and didn’t pick up the newspaper much.
Ike didn’t run around advertising his religious leanings as far as I know.
Jack Kennedy’s biggest problem during the 1960 campaign was playing down his birth to Irish Roman Catholic (Christian) parents…likewise his youth and inexperience. Wow! Does this sound familiar or what? Isn’t Barack Obama’s story somehow reminiscent? Just substitute African for Irish and Muslim for Christian. Then add his youth and inexperience to the equation.
Of course, the African and Muslim heritage is only half of Mr. Obama’s story. The other half would require throwing Anglo and Protestant (Christian) into the mix.
None of this makes any difference to me anyway. I’m what one might call an “equal opportunity EMPLOYER”. The president and vice president; all of the administration’s political appointees and employees; every member of the senate and house of representatives and all of their employees; the supreme court…the whole huge mostly arrogant conglomeration of them…all work for ME.
I don’t work for them, that’s for darn sure. No, I’m not being just as arrogant as most of them, just stating a fact that’s all.
What I’m counting on in fact IS Mr. Obama’s youth and inexperience. Forget the rest of it.
This young man is going to bring his own version of something to the White House that has been missing since the “Camelot” days of “Jack and Jackie and John-John and Caroline”.
Yes, “Barack and Michelle and Malia Ann and Sasha”. That sounds perfectly fine to me.
I have high hopes for at least the first 100 days in “Camelot”.
HOWEVER, if Mr. Obama, Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Reid can’t get “New Deal” legislation passed and signed into law by the time my taxes are due on April 15, 2009, then…well…Mr. Obama will have seriously let me down. The democrat party will have also let me down (I’m speaking to the majority in the senate and house of representatives on this score as well). The latter had better follow their leader or we’ll end up with another republican congress like the one that came along beginning smack dab in the middle of Bill Clinton’s first term.
I’m banking that the three of these guys (includes the one gal) and their staffs are already putting the legislation together that is going to shake the present system of corruption and lust for power and money in Washington, D.C., to its very core.
I hope that at least one of Mr. Obama’s staffers is reading this and will pass it on to him. I heard him say yesterday while on the stump that every single vote counts. I hope that he meant mine as well. He said he didn’t mind spending his finite amount of stump time to talk to even a group of a half a dozen voters.
I also liked what he had to say about Veterans…Our Best & Finest. Bearing that in mind…have you got the legislation written on fully funding the DVA (VA) yet, Mr. Obama?
I’m also looking for the legislation that you’re already writing to raise taxes on the privileged class to pre-1981/pre-Reagan levels (a top marginal rate of at least 70% as I recall), and reduce my top marginal rate to 15% (or 11% where it was prior to 1981)…so that I like millions of other middle classers and working classers can lift up our great economy by consuming with (federal) tax free dollars (except for the FICA payroll tax of course).
Naturally, you’ll have to “persuade” the privileged class and super privileged class to be more patriotic, i.e., “persuade” them to build new factories and other production facilities here in the good ole USofA where OUR middle classers and working classers can find a job producing the goods & services that they (the middle class & working class) can then consume!
It ain’t much fun finding mostly Chinese goods on the shelves when one has no money to purchase them with!
It doesn’t take being a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Chinese Universist or a Buddhist or an Ethnoreligionist or a Neoreligionist or a Sikh or a Jew or a Spiritist or a Bahai or a Confucionist or a Jain or a Shintoist or a Taoist or a Zoroastrian or other religionist or non-religionist or atheist…it doesn’t take any of these “religious” leanings to figure out how to write legislation that takes care of Our Best & Finest AND that cuts taxes for those who work for a living (personal & small business) AND that raises taxes for those who don’t work for a living (personal, corporate & capital gains).
Jack
- Posted by JackEven though I am not a supporter of Obama, I hope and pray that he finds himself and his family a good Bible-believing, faith-filled, loving, patriotic church where he can grow and learn about God and His son Jesus Christ.
- Posted by BrettAll this proves the importance of maintaining SEPARATION of church and state. All these politicians falling over each other trying to show the masses who is more religious or has more faith in Christ. But that’s what the masses are demanding. Disgusting! I just want a man or woman in the White House who knows how to use his/her brain, examine situations rationally, and make informed, rational decisions. And I certainly hope I never see someone in the White House who says he prays to God for answers on important matters and receives God’s guidance. Is that you, God? Is that the answer? Maybe God’s talking to him, maybe not. I think it’s more likely his own delusional voice in his mind, or maybe worse, he’s getting his answer from the other guy…. he just thinks it’s God. Very scary. Let’s just get religion out of the White House now and for good!
- Posted by Tim BoylesI for one think it doesn’t matter if he picks a church right now or not. Of course it will take some time for him to find a new suitable church, so if it takes one day or six months doesn’t matter. That being said, although I am big believer in “the separation of church and state,” I think it’s unfair for others to say that religion isn’t or shouldn’t be important in American politics. Religion is important to millions of voting Americans so Obama is taking chance by possibly alienating some voters.
- Posted by Shaun CespedesThis church episode irritates me to no end. First they make you join a church to be able to go into politics, and then they condemn you if you pick the “wrong” church, and I think it is highly significant that Obama is the only person they’ve ever done this to. It is almost pointless to go through the motions of going to some church where the minister’s sermons are vetted in advance so that they are nothing but vanilla pablum.
- Posted by pablito