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THE QUESTION
Obama Quits Church
Should Barack Obama have resigned from his church?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on June 4, 2008 4:21 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Senator Obama and His Religious Affiliation
Mr. Obama had every practical reason to leave Trinity United Church of Christ, but his spiritual reason for leaving remains in doubt.
Posted by Gardner Calvin Taylor, on June 9, 2008 11:02 PM
Choose "Humbly" Next Church
Can anyone remember knowing nearly as much about the congregation of a presidential candidate—or even of an actual president--as we know about the church from which the Obamas have now resigned?
Posted by Richard Mouw, on June 8, 2008 11:54 PM
No Place Like a Spiritual Home
It is difficult to understand how Senator Obama could attend a church for twenty years, defend it in one of the most eloquent speeches I have heard, and then suddenly have an epiphany about the nature of the place where he trusted his own and his children’s spiritual well being.
Posted by John Mark Reynolds, on June 8, 2008 11:51 PM
Christians and Church; Muslims and Mosque
The debates surrounding Barack Obama “leaving” his home church, Trinity United Church of Christ, is admittedly puzzling to many Muslims.
Posted by Daisy Khan, on June 8, 2008 10:15 PM
Motivation, Expectations Matter in Church Dilemma
In the spirit of the no religious test clause in Article VI of the Constitution, we should give our candidates for president (and other offices) a lot of leeway in determining where they worship and who their spiritual leaders will be.
Posted by J. Brent Walker, on June 8, 2008 10:06 PM
Preaching is an Extended Conversation
Ideally, preaching is an extended conversation, and without a frame of reference, quotes and YouTube excerpts are bound to distort that conversation. These days there’s no such thing as a word between only preacher and pew. In digital times, the world is our parish.
Posted by William Tully, on June 8, 2008 9:54 PM
Obama's pastor would have kept our troops out of Iraq
If we had listened to Jeremiah Wright instead of George Bush, we wouldn’t have made the tragic mess we’ve made in Iraq. America needs more preachers like Jeremiah Wright and more politicians like Barack Obama.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on June 8, 2008 8:06 PM
Fool Me Once
If resignation is what it takes to get the stumbling block that is Trinity United Church of Christ out of Senator Obama's path, that is what he should do as a political necessity.
Posted by Kathleen Flake, on June 8, 2008 7:11 PM
Sound Bites Replacing Thought, Truth
It is a sad fact of our society today that sound bites make up most of what we know about people, places and events. It is also a sad fact of politics in America that any tactic seems acceptable to discredit political candidates, whether it be rumor and innuendo, hyperbole or guilt by association.
Posted by Pamela K. Taylor, on June 5, 2008 11:31 AM
Quitting a Community
Barack Obama didn't just leave the building. He left a community of faith. That's not something done lightly or easily.
Posted by Gustav Niebuhr, on June 5, 2008 10:50 AM
Obamas Entitled to Some Privacy
Few other Americans have to search out and select a home Church with 300 million fellow citizens looking over their shoulders.
Posted by Leith Anderson, on June 5, 2008 9:00 AM
Obama The Unchurched: It Was Good Enough For Lincoln
The outrage at all of the comments by nut-case clerics that have already surfaced during this campaign reflects a deep split in American attitudes about religion and about what kind of religion they want political leaders to embody.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on June 4, 2008 8:31 AM
Racism Bites Back, Using Religion as its Pawn
The main issue isn't whether Obama was right to quit his church. Nor does it matter deeply whether he made his decision out of political necessity, conscience, frayed loyalty to an old mentor, or religious conviction -- each no doubt played a part.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on June 4, 2008 6:27 AM
What Does Obama Really Believe?
I am less interested in whether Obama resigned from his church than I am in whether he resigned from the theological tenants of the church.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on June 4, 2008 6:12 AM
Obama Should Have Spoken Out Years Ago
Barack Obama needed to speak out years ago, not resign now. Leaving now is just a sad example of politics as usual from a candidate who promises change, and that is truly disappointing.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on June 4, 2008 5:09 AM
Obama's Right
A church, in my opinion, is a house of worship where people go to commune with God. If it is turned into a political or comedy stage then it defeats its purpose.
Posted by Arun Gandhi, on June 3, 2008 3:35 AM
Save & Share:
Pottery: Should Senator Obama have quit his church? Yes.
These dog and pony shows are invigorating on a level, but given this churches high profile ...
Sandra Tucker: He should not have had to resign, but because the media and all of the politicians who made his church affiliation a big deal, he had no cho...
