I'm very conflicted about this. I'm disappointed that this guilt by association attack has won. I guess if it was going to cause Obama trouble in the general, then this is probably for the best. I don't know.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/31/obama-resigns-from-controversial-church/

Depressing it's come to this. That church community shouldn't be drug through the mud. I'm sure they do good work.

Any word about McCain, who is a member of the church the priest represents?

I never thought I'd see the day that they would hound a church like this.

It's just flat unAmerican.

What about the congregation applauding & laughing at the 'good priest's' display of antics? Jeff Greenfield on CBS pointed out that opposition will counter in the general that resigning now & not before in the 20 years Obama was a member gives the Rs fodder for declaring O an opportunist for his action of resignation today. Great...

Trinity has politico's attending every mass looking for something objectionable. Obama leaving the parish will take Trinity out of the political game, at least some some extent.

Obama news conference about to be shown on cnn.com.

I think this was a weak move on Obama, this story really had no legs.

All his resignation has done is just brought more attention to this story.

Look at this photo, if Rev. Pfleger was such a bad man would Coretta Scott King be sitting in the pule pit.

This creates an intriguing opportunity for Obama. Might he make a Martin Luther inspired argument that he has a personal relationship with God, larger than any church etc. It might work with independents and libertarians.

Roland Alexander supposedly said that Trinity was getting death threats/bomb threats and it got to be too much for the church and parishioners.

So it might not be why Mr. Sargent is suggesting.

Obama should have quit his church at God damn America.

...the reality is that Obama cannot let the right-wing dictate his principles.

Should this become his practice as president, then for those who have invested so much hope in him, his victory will only be a pyrrhic one.
See Wright Out or Wimp Out?

Well if ya dinnae like it their brightspark then by our guest an go vote for the old man yelling at clouds. I hear you will earn some blog points good luck have fun :)

Yeah, it does blow, but what blows even more is watching a white person try to pander like this. I'm sure that guy knows not every white person is privilaged in this country purely by the color of their skin, but he's pandering because he knows that will get the crowd.

I blame identity politics comedians who say things like: "Well, I'm a white male, so I can't talk about this!"

A repost from Friday. This is about much more than black and white - it's about what kind of Christianity does Trinity practice that those types of sermons are endorsed by the Bible???

Is it just me or is all this hatred and mocking very much un-Christian-like? He's a preacher who is supposed to be responsible for teaching the Bible and that is the best he can come up with? Can anyone quote me from the Bible anywhere that endorses mocking and hatred and venom? He then apologizes to Senator Obama for offending his political goals but certainly not to Senator Clinton for the substance of his remarks. And on a larger scale how is that type of sermon appropriate in a Church founded on allegedly Christian values?

Despicable. Revoke their tax exempt charity status. It is no longer a Church; it is a political organization period.

I realize that I wrote too hastily in anger and irritation. Their tax exempt status should not be revoked as they are really just worshipping at the Church of Messiah Obama which is clearly not affiliated with Jesus Christ as his Church is based on the following principles which Trinity Church is clearly not familiar with:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28).

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (Romans 12:14).

We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it (1 Corinthians 4:12).

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble (1 John 2:9-10).

I'm sure this pained Obama and was a very difficult decision but he had to do it. We cannot keep on hearing all these distractions when the issues facing America are so critical.

What a shame. Being a white Southerner, I hear Rev. Wright and Father Pfleger and say, "Yeah? So what?"

It's not like they're breaking a new story. They're telling the truth about American history. Racism is with us, y'all. And when a black American speaks about it, he or she is called a racist.

Pathetic.

Having said that, Pfleger should have known better if he wants Obama to win as much as I do.

Someone ought ask Cardinal George of Chicago his opinion on his priest's words,,,,, a priest does speak for his bishop, afterall, in a particular place. In church polity, the priests words are Cardinal George's words.
What a kerfuffel.

I think TPM'ers need to revise and extend their remarks about Obama's Philadelphia race speech. He was W. E. B. Dubois cum Lincoln then.

Now he looks like the worst kind of chickenshit political hack. At least in the real world.

Sorry, that last post was supposed to go under dijamo's great post.

I haven't seen the news conference (airing now) But really the only way I see this working out successfully is if Obama can spin this as "I quit my church to protect it" or some similar argument rather than a simple condemnation. otherwise it will be really hard for people to square his seeming suport of this organization of the last 20 years and his recent disavowment of there pratices. Hell, its hard for me and while I'm not an Obama Supporter (per se) he is my preferred choice over McCain whose reliance on fundamentalist free market idealologies and obsession with the islamist threat(what does that even mean?)makes me fear for the country

hootowl: A Preists words are not a Bishop's words -- they are the preists words. I know that idiots like Bill Donohue make all Catholics look like morons, but, in fact, even a Preist is allowed to have independent thoughts. Whether Hilary Clinton is a cry babay is not a matter of Catholic Church doctrine, no matter how obviously true it is, so Fr. Pfleger is entitled to his opinion.

We cannot keep on hearing all these distractions when the issues facing America are so critical.

Now Obama wants to talk about issues. After spending 6 months talking about monster Clinton, he wants to talk about issues. No way. Let's talk about distractions like his friedship with real monsters.

Organized religion, or at the very least, megachurches are nothing but a scam. From Hagee to Wright, its nothing but a bunch of hucksters using the lowest common denominator to play to their audience and whip congregants into a frenzy.

WHAT. A. SCAM.

Ms Tena... I totally agree w/your passionate support for separation of church & state... and certainly freedom of religion.

Nonetheless, the divine Sen O brought the attention to this aspect of his life... quitting the church... no one likes a quitter, eh? let's pull up our socks and proceed onward...

How cynical. Some people go to church for spiritual reasons.

I don't blame him, and I don't think it was a political rule, although of course it's going to have political impact. But, as those who have seen my posts before know, I think that Rev. Wright's fairly recent statements at the press conference and, now, Rev. Pflegler's performance were intentional and overt acts to hurt Sen. Obama - not Clinton, Obama. Why? I don't know, can only speculate (which I've done elsewhere).

But people usually intend the most logical consequences of their actions. The most logical effect of Wright and Pfegler's actions are to injure Sen. Obama and his campaign for the presidency.

If Rev. Moss, the new minister at Trinity, didn't say anything (as someone indicates above) then either he joined in the effort or at the least condoned it. Obama is no fool and why in the world should he stay in a church where, however close he may be to the congregation or how supportive he may be of its works, the leaders of the church are actively trying to do him harm? He shouldn't, and I'm pleased he's not doing it!

I don't know how he will explain it - I doubt that way. Who knows - he often surprises me and usually very positively. But it's hard to believe that's not the basic reason -- I'm sure the attention to Trinity is not more today than it was last week or every week since the Wright clips came out. --------

By the way, did it ever come out WHO put together that first video loop?? You'd think there would be some curiosity but I've not seen it. Whoever it was was unethical. However offensive Wright's words and 'style' may have been, when someone is quoting a third party, esp when it's for other than the truth of their statement, it's unethical not to acknowledge that.

I'm happy and I feel he made the right choice. Ofcourse, I'm dissappointed by this guilt by innuendo (note I didn't use association) but Trinity was a baggage Obama cannot carry through November.

The U.S. was founded as and remains a predominantly Protestant country when it comes to religion (nothing against other religions; this is just historically true), and as a result the notion that one's religion, spirituality, relationship with God, etc. is personal and doesn't hinge primarily on the intermediary of a particular church is very strong. Obama's identification as a devout Christian isn't dependent on his relationship with Trinity, and I don't think most voters will see it that way.

As for those trying to paint Obama into the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" box by asking "Why don't you leave?" and then "Why did you leave?", . . . well, he obviously never had a chance with you in the first place.

Now that discussion of this issue seems to have moved to Obama Explains His Break From Wright's Church, this is just a transparent attempt to have the last word on this post.

Now that discussion of this issue seems to have moved to Obama Explains His Break From Wright's Church, this is just a transparent attempt to have the last word on this post.

I wish everybody would calm down about this. If you really want to know what Obama's religious beliefs are...here they are in a nutshell.

You can read the transcript:
http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/index.php

Or watch the video
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid463869411/bctid416343938

That is it folks. I belive it sums up how we can reconcile faith and politics if we choose the grown up route.