« DNC Rules Committee Approves Half-Vote Compromise For Florida | Home | In Blow To Hillary, DNC Agrees To Seat Florida And Michigan Delegations At Half-Votes »

Breaking: Obama Campaign Confirms His Resignation From Trinity Church

The Obama campaign confirms to us that he has resigned from the church of controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright.

More in a sec.

Late Update: Obama himself will address this soon in South Dakota. Details coming.

Late Update: Here's what may have triggered Obama's final break from the church: Rev. Michael Pfleger mocking Hillary as "white" and "entitled," a performance that was disavowed by Obama himself...



114 Comments

| Leave a comment

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.

Likewise divided. The UCC in general and TUC in specific do a huge amount of service that we don't see on the news. That said, they do have a couple wind bags who speak there.

Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about it either. It could be a real problem anyway - I am envisioning attacks along the lines of "You had a crazy church AND you abandoned it under pressure."

Which is sort of like saying "The food is terrible and the portions are so small!" but still. I don't put it past the Republicans (or Hillary.)

user-pic

Obama will show class with this resignation.

It is sad that he needs to leave his spiritual community but it really is the best for everyone involved. I can't imagine that church's leadership would be able to handle the scrutiny of constant national media attention. Nor do they seem capable of controversial preachers out of their pulpit. The church will get as much relief out of this as Obama will.

I expect to see Obama attending a number of different Christian churches over the next 5 months. He sees an opportunity with church-going voters. It might have implications for VP.

The reason he had to make this move was simple. The new pastor, the younger guy who took over for Wright, was someone Obama was putting a lot of hope in as a new-generation uniter.

It's not Pflegler that drove him from the Church. It's the new pastor who not only failed to stand up and distance himself from Pflegler by saying something like, "Those are Rev. Pflegler's views. I don't see it that way, but let's move on," but he actually endorsed Pflegler's speech.

That endorsement was the fatal blow for Trinity. That new pastor really really messed up. It was his first test of leadership, prudence and judgment and he failed.

Since Obama had referenced him as a reason for staying, Obama had to leave. Good for him.

Now let's move on.

I didn't realize it was incumbent on Rev Moss to kowtow to Obama.

I now realize that everyone and everything should do what's best for Obama.

Dueling pastors. Wright v. Hagee. With all the major issues we're facing and this is what this election is about. It's just sad. Sad.

Immaculate timing. Now if someone could just discover McCain in bed with a live boy or a dead girl, we'd have this thing wrapped up.

Ah, Edwin Edwards.

A great American.

Not.

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.

user-pic

I agree. This is sad, and I feel for those in that church and other UCC churches.

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

user-pic

despite the irish prefix, mcWar is a baptist, he says.

Fair enough.

user-pic

I thought he is Episcopalian but his wife and daughters are Baptists and he joins them for church when the cameras are present.

Wait, Southern Baptism or the slightly less crazy kind?

I hope he is doing this to take the microscope off of Trinity and not for any political points (though I wouldn't get the angle)

user-pic

this is deeply and unforgivably unAmerican.


And that's all I can say about it. It has just made me sick.

Tena, it makes me sick too - but I sort of feel its the right thing to do at this point. I mean, I just see miserable Sean Hannity fans who angrily masturbate to Mein Kampf attending Trinity Church every Sunday just to catch something unfortunate on their camera-phones. I'm sad too, but I sort of understand it.

user-pic

Sad, indeed.

But the priests from that church can become a liability in the spur of the moment.

I wish the first time around had been enough and they had realized that they are being watched... (They don't seem to have cared much.)

user-pic

Obama leaving that church is also a way to protect them, no?

Many will now be furious to have their church-dirt-digging preferred activity taken away. They could always take up digging around McCain's priests; but we know that won't occur to them...

I think it would be wise for Obama to frame this in terms of reminding everyone that State and Church are to be separate; his religious choices need not become distractions,

After all, he is running to have himself elected, not his church. Neither him nor his church need to be harrased in a country that defines itself as non-confesional.

He can choose a new church once he is President.

I think it would be wise for Obama to frame this in terms of reminding everyone that State and Church are to be separate

Don't count on it being quite that clear cut: Obama: it's wrong to ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square

user-pic

And precisely because religion and politics are to be separate, it is wrong to expect that. Nevertheless, that is what is being expected of him...

Funny it hasn't been expected of Hillary, McCain, Huckabee, Romney...

You are a sad sorry soul confussing separation of State and Religion with the Right of everyone to hold and practice their own religious beliefs.

I suggest you read Obama's article.

If a candidate belonged to a church whose pastor preached "God damn America", "US of Farrakhan A" and who had a visiting minister give a political lecture about "black entitlement", you can be sure the media would cover it (provided the candidate wasn't driven from the race in the first place).

And as for Romney, you must have missed all the articles about whether Republicans would vote for a Mormon, and that Southern Baptist Convention position on the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints: it's a cult.

How so?

If it was John McCain's pastor who gave that sermon, we would all being dissing it.

user-pic

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

It's just flat unAmerican.

I think he's trying to take the spot light off the church itself. They don't need it any more than anyone else needs it at their house of worship.

Just as I suspected. You see folks, Obama is really an atheist. I mean, he left his church. Only nonbelievers do that!

It wasn't as if he abdicated his religion. He's still a devout christian. In reading his books anyone can see he's an extremely spiritual and religious person. He doesn't flaunt being a "person of faith". That's why I think there's a prevalent misunderstanding of the depth of his religious convictions. He's not a follower of a particular person but sees himself as a devotee in the service of the almighty.

He doesn't flaunt being a "person of faith".

He carpet bombed South Carolina with fliers saying what a committed Christian he was (and that Rev. Wright brought him to Jesus).

He updated the fliers for Kentucky, which had a bigger cross and, imagine this, failed to mention Rev. Wright.

That's says a lot more about KY than it says about him. When people are sending faux emails smearing him to be a muslim and load of other crap what do you want him to do?

I'm sure some one with a name Clinton or McCain never are questioned about th

The point is that he's hardly above flaunting his faith.

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...

user-pic

O big fucking deal. If you really believe most voters give one shit about this, when gas is $4 a gallon and that's not going to be the end of the rise in prices; the economy is sucking wind and there's a fucking war that everyone wants out of, then you have strange priorities.

Politics isn't fair. It's never ending series of dilemmas. Obama's church has become an enormous distraction, constantly feeding the morons of the right. He had to break away.

Can't we get a patented Greg Sargent caveat that those in attendance of the church weren't offended?

I wasn't there and I wasn't offended. What he said was true. HRC can't believe this black guy from Chicago took her nomination away from her.

She is white and she sure as hell feels entitled to this nomination.

Oooo. Nice!

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.

Cameras recording every freaking sermon daily...truly what choice did he have? The MSM and right decided to camp out waiting for the controversy de jour. It forced good people that go to a decent church to have to watch everything they say and do to the nth degree. To CYA himself was no doubt politically expedient but I believe this was also a move to protect a church unfairly coerced under the microscope of unscrupulous MSM and right nutjobs

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

Finally some church and state separation.

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.

Too late.

We are taking it to the convention.

Now wright will come out and play.

Kooks.

Then Wright will be his enemy and everyone will side with Obama.

"We are taking it to the convention."

You aren't taking shit to the convention, sorry asshat.

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.

user-pic

No - religion has no place in politics.

That's one reason this whole thing is so wrong and hypocritical. I've never seen a candidate's church attacked before.

I don't care what goes on in that church - it's not my church so it's none of my business.

It's done now, but this has been a shameful episode in our history, I must say.

No - religion has no place in politics.

Obama disagrees: Politicians need not abandon religion

user-pic

There was a LOT of veiled and not-so-veiled anti-Catholicism going on during the 1960 campaign. Perhaps this will be Kennedy-Obama parallel #19387.

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.

Did anyone notice the needless stab Wolfson made reference Obama? HRC's campaign is just bitter, unhinged and really boring.

Obama should have quit his church at God damn America.

You should have quit your candidate after she lost 13 in a row.

McCain lost 13 in a row?

And a woman?!

Just curious -- have you read (or seen on videotape) the entire sermon from which that clip was taken?

...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?

The reason he had to make this move was simple. The new pastor, the younger guy who took over for Wright, was someone Obama was putting a lot of hope in as a new-generation uniter.

It's not Pflegler that drove him from the Church. It's the new pastor who not only failed to stand up and distance himself from Pflegler by saying something like, "Those are Rev. Pflegler's views. I don't see it that way, but let's move on," but he actually endorsed Pflegler's speech.

That endorsement was the fatal blow for Trinity. That new pastor really really messed up. It was his first test of leadership, prudence and judgment and he failed.

Since Obama had referenced him as a reason for staying, Obama had to leave. Good for him.

Now let's move on.

user-pic

My honest reaction? Who the heck cares? Why does this matter? Let's keep our eye on the ball!

Some 4083 American soldiers have died in Iraq; some 30,329 American soldiers have been wounded; over 150,000 Iraqi civilians have died.

Health insurance. Education. Energy. Global warming. The Economy. Jobs. Wages. Poverty. Civil Rights. The Supreme Court. Crumbling bridges, roads, and dams. Clean water. Fresh food.

Hellllloooo..... Do NOT allow the MSM to hijack the reality of this election.

We need to take our country back. Now.

Scary avatar.

Great comment.

user-pic

Sybill Trelawny!
Great to see a fellow colleague here. I agree, and I'm sure your second sight is correct--we have much more dire issues to address than crazed muggle preachers!

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).

user-pic

Is it just me or does absolutely nothing you said have one damn thing to do with what kind of president Barack Obama will be?


Yeah, you'd be yelling alright, if it was your church.


Freedom of Religion is fucking guaranteed in this country, dijamo. It doesn't matter if you have a bad opinion of the church - it's none of your damn business.

I'm a non-practicing Catholic actually because I disagree with the Church's view on women, homosexculaity, imposing pro-life views on others through law, contraception etc etc etc. I believe most organized religions don't live up to what the actual principles are from whatever your religious source material is. That said - to use the pulpit and a sermon (which is supposed to be about the word of God) to espouse your own political views and mock your enemies in a way that is in direct contradiction to the teachings of the Bible and to have the congregation standing up and clapping??? That's not christianity and it is certainly not based on the Bible. It's politics period so why should they be tax exempt? I'm all for religion out of politics - tell that to your candidate who in the 2004 DNC speech was promoting dems using religion in the public/poltical sphere.

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???


Bibble is not the smartest book in town. There is some good stuff don't get me wrong, but there is loads of garbage.


Look at the junk about homosexuality:

Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

It's a book Harold Ickes would love, because of selective prophecy you can conduct using bible.

All men are created equal and have equal wrights and I don't need a bible.

It has all to do with black and white- White men or priests preach crap and shit all the time and use Bible as "god's word" to discrimate, hate and marginalize people. But if a Black church does the same thing, all hell brakes loose.

Religon has always been a threat to equality and justice. Spirituality is different- for a message of love, peace or justice you don't need a bible.

All men are created equal and have equal wrights

Freudian slip?

lol....you know what I mean.

Also, sorry about the bold face. My intent was to Italacize, wrong HTML code.

No need to apologize.

I've botched plenty of posts - usually links that don't end working.

Damn You TPM & your 20th century cutting edge software!

All from the old testament which was from prophets etc not directly translated from God. The new testament is the basis for christianity and is the teachings of jesus christ (god) which supercedes the old testament. Spent 12 years in catholic school and don't recall anything from the new testament referencing homosexuality. in fact much of christ's teachings and positions were about not judging others and that we are all sinners (i.e. mary magdalene etc).

That's why I don't believe that any church based on the teachings of christ can use a sermon to direct hate and mockery towards someone and still claim to be christian.

I totally agree with spirituality not needing to be based on the bible - ypu can be fully moral without basing it on the bible. but when you call yourself a christian and live or accept a ministry in dorect contradiction to the teaching of christ, I find it appalling whether you are pat robertson, jeremiah wright or the catholic priest giving the sermon at trinity

The new testament is the basis for christianity and is the teachings of jesus christ (god) which supercedes the old testament

Lol. I'm sure followers of old testament don't think so. Anyway, I don't care. Also, honestly I respect those who who practice religon in their own lives. All I'm saying is religon can be used- and definetly Bilble can be used to either way and is known to be used to promote hate and injustice- certainly by men of all color for ages now.

God send Hitler to wipe out Jews- that was from the top draw.

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.

user-pic

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.

I quit my church a long time ago. They were saying stuff like 'evolution is wrong, the earth was created by magic' and 'homosexuality = omg sodomites!' and stuff like that. Sorry, I gave that stuff up with santa claus and the tooth fairy. The bible says it's ok to keep slaves and bludgeon people to death with rocks, and people want to teach this stuff to kids. It's terrible.

I'm a buddhist now. I hope Obama becomes a buddhist too, it would be awesome to have a president who doesn't pretend to believe in the invisible sky wizard.

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.

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.

Interesting theory, but if that were the case, the good Cardinal wouldn't have told Father Pfleger to STFU.

user-pic

Where does leaving the church leave Obama? I think it leaves him worse off. Yes, this little incident with the priest is ridiculous, but it has nothing to do with Obama. The priest doesn't even belong to the UCC! The Republicans will still hang every word they find juicy and "controversial" on Obama anyway so what does he gain? Nothing. It's a bad move.

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.

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

How can you say that?

Don't you realize that according to ObamaDogma, he is without sin, political or otherwise?

Today's news is

  • Hillary's fault
  • A tactical retreat
  • An opportunity to better focus on the United Church Of Obama

Well! Preach it!

He'll do anything to win. What else is new.


Oooh... You're so good looking!


Stop flirting with him while you have your hand up my butt!!!

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

djamo: Typical Obama hating crap. It is very sad that the only things you are willing to acknowledge about Obama's former church is a few dumb things his pastor and a Catholic priest said. In fact, both Reve. Wright and Fr. Pfleger have done a lot of good things. That doesn't make them perfect but, unlike the right wing hacks who have turned Christianity into a subsidiary of the Republican party, they don't get a break from the MSM. But, based on the rest of your posts, balance and and understanding of facts is not one of your strong points. Hatred of Obama is. Good, live with that. He'll be President for 8 years and so your life will have some purpose to it for a while.

Obama is stepping away from this church FINALLY based on political expediency not principle. He is a fraud and a hypocrite.

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

user-pic

Obama will be moving to Washington DC for the next eight years anyhow.

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.

user-pic
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.

I'm not divided about this at all.

Trinity Church was becoming Obama's Roger Clinton. They knew that he needed them to stay out of the race, but they refused to check themselves. Obama went out of his way to try to remain part of their congregation, even as they became a liability to them. After watching this latest blowup, my own opinion is that there are entities at Trinity who don't want Obama to prevail. Appears Obama might sense this as well.

It's a shame that he had to do it, but completely understandable.

I hate to keep posting, but the Clinton posters, now clear that their candidate is clearly defeated, are even more irrational than usual. Obama has been talking about issues, Hilary just talks about talking about issues. People who think Rev. Wright and Fr. Pfleger are monsters, two flawed but progressive christians, are either ignorant or right wing trolls. The real goal here is advancing a progressive agenda. So far, the Clintons, helped the GOP win the Congress in 1994, helped George Bush win in 2000 because of Bill's zipper problems, and, if Hilary really does take this to Denver, could help McCain win in 2008. Now, compared to that, Obama's relationship to Wright and Pfleger, that really doesn't seem so terrible.

user-pic

I'm sure you don't want irrational Clinton supporters vote for Obama. If you think that Obama's relationship to Wright and Pfleger, that really doesn't seem so terrible we can't possibly vote for the same candidate in GE and we will not.


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.

Hallelujah.

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.

er ..... I don't think it was a political MOVE,

Do you think he would've quit if he wasn't running for President? Seriously, you can't be this naive.

Well, as someone who attends a UCC every Sunday -- a very different kind of UCC than Trinity, of course, but the UCC is a covenant church, not a doctrinal one, and there are different flavors -- I'm sorry that Obama left. But. Father Pfleger's "sermon" had no place in any church in this country, and I think if my church had permitted anything like that I'd be out the door in microseconds.

I just watched his press conference about this on Fox (yeah, I know...), and Obama was very good there. He was humble and reflective, and he comfortably spoke about his religious convictions and what lead to this decision. I hope all the major networks carries the press conference in its entirety.

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.

Whatever one's judgment about the substance of Wright's and Pfleger's remarks, two observations are worth making. Both seem to relish the attn in ways that the self-absorbed do. Wright proved this by his 'don't you forget about me' press self-love-fest tour. There are those preachers who only feel 'loved' if they're slinging arrows - even if there's no purpose to their message other than to stir the pot.

Secondly, McCain's surrogate, Lieberman (nose can't be too brown to beg for VP nod) - is getting a relatively free pass while hugging Hagee. The double standard is the elephant in the media coverage room.

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.

user-pic

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.

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.

Leave a comment

Advertise Liberally
Share
Close Social Web Email

"To" Email Address

Your Name

Your Email Address