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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DON’T BE DUPED AGAIN AMERICA !!!
IT’S ABOUT ELECTABILITY !!!
Large numbers of BUSH_McCain Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses from early on with the backing and help of the medical and insurance industry. Under the direction of the George Bush, and Karl Rove vote fraud, and vote manipulation machine. Because they feel Barack Obama would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And they want to stop Hillary Clinton from fixing the HUGE! American, and Global mess they have created. shocking!!! isn’t it. Just gotta love those good old draft dodging, silver spoon Texas boys. Not!
You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don’t want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-selves off of you, and your children’s suffering.
With Hillary Clinton you are almost 100% certain to get quality affordable universal health care for everyone very soon. And you are also certain to see major improvements in the economy for everyone.
The American people face even worse catastrophes ahead than the ones you are living through now. It will take all of the skills, and experience of Hillary Clinton to pull the American people out of this mess we are in. Fortunately fixing up, and cleaning up others incompetence, immoral degeneracy, and mess is what the Clinton’s do very well.
Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama’s. She also leads in the electoral college numbers that you must win to become President in the November national election. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!
Just look at Oregon for example. Obama won Oregon by about 70,000 votes. But approximately 79,000 Bush republicans switched party’s back in January to vote for Obama in the democratic primary. They are not going to vote for, or support any Democrat in November. Are you DEMOCRATS going to put up with that. Are you that stupid, and weak. The Bush republicans think you are that stupid, and weak.
As much as 30% of Obama’s primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses, and open primaries where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help. Except North Carolina where 35% of the population is African American, and approximately 90% of them block voted for him. African Americans are only approximately 17% of the general population.
Hillary Clinton has been OUT MANNED! and OUT SPENT! 4 and 5 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton. This is even more phenomenal when you consider she has been also fighting against the George Bush, Karl Rove vote fraud machine in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Hillary Clinton is STUNNING!.
If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. That is crystal clear now. Because all of the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. And the demographics, and experience are completely against him. All of this vote fraud and Bush republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is.
You will have another McGovern catastrophe where George McGovern lost 49 of 50 states. And was the reason the super-delegates were created to keep that from happening again. Don’t let that happen to the party and America again super-delegates. You have the power to prevent it. The only important question now is who can best win in November. And the answer is HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. That fact is also now crystal clear.
And YOUNG PEOPLE. DON’T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose. As do African Americans. Support Hillary Clinton. She will do her best for all of you. And she will know how to best get it done on day one.
The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.
The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.
Fortunately the Clinton’s have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic, and heroic comebacks of Hillary Clinton’s. Only the Clinton’s are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen. Probably the best there has ever been.
“This is not a game” (Hillary Clinton)
Sincerely
jacksmith… Working Class
p.s. Cynthia Ruccia - I’m with ya baby. All the way. “Clinton Supporters Count Too.”
- Posted by jacksmithWhen they could not find radical video clips over twenty years showing Barrack in the audience – they created one aimed at Hillary! The Pfleger video was a Chicago style hit-job designed to split the democratic party aided by the sensation-seeking TV media. Why would Pfleger 1) duplicate Wright’s theatrical performance, 2) one week before the final primaries, 3) at Wright’s old pulpit and 4) pick a personal fight that was never his to begin with against the opposing democratic candidate, especially 5) when it is nearly won, 6) using race as the argument. 7) Amazingly there just happened to be a camera-person in the audience that posted to Youtube within two days. The intended audience was the national TV media! They had spent a solid month looping out-of-context video and trivial analysis while failing to spend ten minutes on how the candidates have already tackled the oil, the war, education, health-care,…in BOTH of their extensive public records (12 years for Obama, 7 years for Clinton). The media defamed and endangered a congregation with a long record for work for the poor in Chicago. Hillary had piled on at the time. For this the church congregation was more than ready to celebrate Pfleger’s counter-punch since it was delivered by a visiting white priest from an entirely different Christian denomination….as if to say “see we are not crazy, everyone thinks this way”
Pfleger’s long-term mutual support with Obama is peanuts when compared to what he could get for his ministry in such a high stake drama with only a slap on his wrist from the archdioses. Obama did what he had to do try to get the conversation in America back to real issues and to save his congregation from more personal attacks.
- Posted by Young AtheartObama is playing this correctly. He plans on joining a D.C. church after the election, when he is settled into one place. If McCain is more of a church goer, perhaps, it becomes a real political issue, but he has renounced more pastors than Obama. One of the Bush legacies will be that churchiness does not make a great president, so this is a back-burner issue, and nothing that will decide the election.
- Posted by David RasmussenWe should drop this nonsense of guilt by association.
One may freely practice whatever religion they choose. Further one may freely NOT practice religion. Separation of church and state: Sounds great to me!
Now about that 225k in taxpayer funds that Obama as an IL legislator managed to allocate for Pfleger’s parish…..
And then there was that 4.5 million he allocated for some dance company on whose board Michelle sat at the time.
THAT’s what I really want to know about.
- Posted by None of the Above 08Bravo Carlos Navvaro! Brilliantly pulled together background for the masses. Imagine the hypocrisy of the writer who is worried about the Obamas being churchless until after the election. As if the election should rise and fall on whether one has an established church. I’ve got an idea - why don’t all those concerned christians out there invite the Obamas to share service at their churches until they find one after the election?
Lenore R.
- Posted by lenore Rapalski rapalskiPure theatrics for the voting public… I am sure he will do what he has always done for political expediency…..
Obama quits Trinity…WHY? after all, he said \”I Don\’t Think My Church Is Actually Particularly Controversial,\”
I Can No More Disown Him ThanI Can My White Grandmother\”
Rev. Wright had it right! Wright suggested that Obama was insincere in distancing himself from his pastor. \”He had to distance himself, because he\’s a POLITICIAN.\” We know that if Senator Obama did not say what he said, HE WOULD NEVER GET ELECTED. \”Politicans Say What They Say and Do What They Do Based On Electability, Based On Sound Bites,Based On Polls\”
…………….
Obama said \”I\’m not denouncing the Church \”I do think there is a tradition in the African American church to speak out against injustice\” (racial) So, he is not denouncing TUCC and Black Liberation Theology(struggle under white oppression and threatened by the insidious tentacles of white power) therefore, I can only conclude that the resignation is based on Political Expediency and when the election is over he will embrace TUCC once more.
..http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.as px?RsrcID=2036 *Portrait of Barack Hussein Obama -In His Own Words*
- Posted by 34159Bravo Carlos Navarro - very well said! People are such hypocrites - all the pious posturing about whether the Obamas should find a church because somehow the election hangs on it. How about if all those christians out there offer to take the Obamas to their church every Sunday from now until he takes the oath of office? That would be something to see…
Lenore R.
- Posted by lenore Rapalski rapalskiObama’s worship of the creator is none of the public’s business. He is better president not affiliating with any particular church. I think Obama showed strong integrity in resigning from a group that was against his belief.
- Posted by Rose NewburgBravo Carlos Navarro! The leaches that make a living from other people’s misery may find someday that will come back to them.
P.S. a man or woman without a church who believes
in god, will be as all the devout believe still protected by that god.
Lenore
- Posted by lenore Rapalski rapalskiI for one would like very much to see the topic of religion moved to the bottom of the page if not off the page entirely. It’s about time we stop pandering to the invisible ghosts that have no proof of existance or influence. The three possible answers to prayer are yes , no and not now but somehow whatever the result it’s always gods will. I get the same results praying to my pet rock .
- Posted by MJJPOne would hoped he could remain “churchless” forever, like any other rational human being. I feel nervous voting for anyone who truly believes such nonsense about eating the flesh of zombie jesus to avoid the hell God created. Sadly all the candidates seem to subscribe to religious delusion, or at least bow to it. I hate you all. When China rules the world because we decided to focus on irrelevant dogma, we’ll probably just pray for our leadership role back.
- Posted by Jeremy FlowersHe can always join The Jesse Jackson or AL Sharpton churchs as they will be the ones running this country
- Posted by Tom SnowWhy not Bush has been for years. I have seen every President since Truman. Bush is the ONLY ONE that I have not seen come out of a church on a Sunday.So why no Obama. I just see as annother of his ploys!
- Posted by Bert GibbonsThis article has an aroma of anticipation for more drama. As in the game of tick-tack-toe, there is no winner as for as the writer of this news article is concerned. Unbiased reporting begins with you.
- Posted by marymarshallHoward Cossman (1:21), you certainly are entitled to that view. But there is an alternative and far more likely explanation: that Obama genuinely and strongly disagreed with the church on these issues, but had been a part of its congregation for other reasons.
After all, in Obama’s entire career, including more than a decade in elective politics, he has never been known to espouse a message that at all resembled what came out of the two pastors at issue here. To me, it’s not hard at all to believe (and, indeed, seems fairly obvious) that Obama attended the church for exactly the reasons he said he did. That he left the church now makes a lot of sense both because: (1) it had become known for a message that he disagreed with, and (2) Obama believed that the media glare focused on the church wasn’t good for the church. Is that really so hard to understand?
- Posted by Maddy EllisonGod help us all if we are to be judged by the extremities of the congregations we belong to. No one has a single example of Obama standing for, speaking to or supporting any of the extreme positions highlighted by the clips of sermons harvested from his church.
- Posted by Greg KeenanI am raised Catholic and have found continual issue with my churches exclusions of women from many parts of the Church, with my churches stand on tolerance of gay and lesbians, and with my churches professed commitment to alleviate poverty while standing in the way of every form of birth control. If I run for office should I called a hypocrite when my public policy and platform differ from my churches? Each of us is allowed to take what comfort we can find and any portion of the message we believe in from the church we go to. None of us should be saddled with responsibility for every word uttered from the pulpit of our church. What happened to the separation of church and state?
Will you media idiots leave him alone?
With you, he simply can’t win.
Any church he attends isn’t good enough for you; but if he does not attend church that becomes an even bigger issue.
Yet McCain has pastor after pastor supporting him saying far worse things, but that doesn’t seem to bother you one bit. Why?
- Posted by neilSuddenly their all SCARY….. All these churches have been in existence for a very long time, and on both sides of the fence. The GOP is a part of the same thing except they are WAY more scary (and they get elected). These are the same people spreading “freedom” and “planting the seeds of democracy” in countries that haven’t got any interest in “Americanism” and profiling and denigrating Muslims in this country. Some have gone so far as to kill an abortion doctor for …killing…babies? Does that make sense?
- Posted by Aaron TysonIf there were an Atheist option for president, I’d be on board in a second…but they’re godless heathens, right?
[cue scary music] dum dum dum dum dum…………
[cue Voice of Authority] It’s 3 AM, and the President lies awake, tossing and turning …alone with the burdens of the world on his shoulders.
[tight shot on Obama, lit with blue gel, a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead]
Obama: Oh if only I had a building to worship in, then I could answer the phone if it rang with clarity, certainty, confidence, and panache…
Michelle: [sleepily] Honey? Go to sleep…. it’s 3 AM!
Voice of Authority: [gravely] Can America face this crisis in leadership?
[the music turns to a happy Calypso beat and the lights come on as a crowd of multicultural people burst in to the room]
People: Surprise!!!!!!!
Michelle: Who are these people?
Barack: What the ….. ?
People: Guess Who’s Coming to Worship!!!!!!
Voice of Authority: That’s right America, it’s FOX’s whackiest new reality TV show…. Guess Who’s Coming to Worship! Join the Obama family as they visit a new congregation each week to see what faith community is right for them! We’ll visit mega churches and storefront iglesias. We’ll answer age old questions like, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist….what’s all the fuss? We’ll explore the mystery of baptism, is there a difference between sprinkling or dunking? We’ll find out how the eggs got mixed up with the bunnies for Easter! We’ll have TWO Christmas specials, one with the Catholics and one with the Greek Orthodox church! Watch the adorable hijinks of the Obama girls as they convince the Secret Service to help them hide doves from Santeria brujas! Wait until you sample some of the recipes Michelle gleans each week as we sample another potluck meal! Find out who makes the best bagels, Reform or Conservative Jews? Find out who makes the most divine Angelfood cake. Get the low down on the biggest question once and for all…. home made vs. store bought, does it really matter which one you bring?
Coming this fall on FOX!!!!!
- Posted by background n015eI don’t understand how people can have such a double standard and spread misinformation based on no real research. Whether it be right or wrong the pastors and associates of Clinton and McCain are not receiving the same scrutiny for similar rhetoric as Obama’s. Too many people accept the sound bites that are fed to us over and over without doing their own due diligence on if it is true or taken out of context. In the end, you may not agree with the outcome but at least you don’t look stupid when you post comments that aren’t true.
- Posted by Vaughn Sanders