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THE QUESTION
Obama and Church
President-elect Obama hasn't been to church in three weeks, saying he doesn't want to disrupt the service for others. Reagan and Bush said the same thing, but Carter and Clinton attended church regularly. What's your advice? Where should presidents worship?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on November 25, 2008 9:10 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Obama's Church Choice His Choice
It seems to me that whether Barack Obama goes to church and where is an entirely personal matter.
Posted by Julia Neuberger, on January 5, 2009 7:59 AM
No Substitute for Church Going
Plenty of people think they can go it alone--making up a faith and observing it privately. But even the great mystics and hermits of early Christianity knew they had to be linked to community or else the power of the solitary life could turn to plain weirdness.
Posted by William Tully, on December 1, 2008 9:22 AM
Even (and Especially) the President Needs God
Mr. Obama will need a palpable God. He will need music that transcends the noise of a bothered and confused world. He will need the silence of a sacred space in order to connect with the God who will get him through his presidency, unrealistic expectations notwithstanding.
Posted by Susan K. Smith, on December 1, 2008 8:12 AM
None of Our Business Where Presidents Worship
Where should a president and his family worship, which means to many, which church should they join?
Posted by Martin Marty, on December 1, 2008 6:38 AM
Internet Church for Obamas
Barack Obama is the most high tech and Internet savvy politician in American history. So, let's invite the Obamas to experience the Internet Church.
Posted by Leith Anderson, on December 1, 2008 1:58 AM
President-Elect Needs Better Excuse For Avoiding Church
If President-elect Obama chooses not to attend church, that's his business. But telling us that he has made that choice because he "doesn't want to disrupt the service for others" stretches even this supporter's ability to trust his answer on this issue.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on November 29, 2008 2:30 PM
How About the Church of Hope?
In short, if Obama went to a different church every week, with the intention of healing the wounds of divisiveness, he'd be extending the message he was elected on. It's already a sign of hope that we are going to be led by a uniter and not a divider. Even better would be a uniter of souls.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on November 29, 2008 12:50 PM
No Substitute for Worship in a Community of Faith
Presidents, too, can go to hell here and hereafter if they allow their souls to shrivel and decay with hubris and starvation of the spirit. Secular office, no matter its height or esteem, is no substitute for worship in a community of faith.
Posted by Gardner Calvin Taylor, on November 29, 2008 11:16 AM
Church Is a Christian Obligation
Being a participating member of a local church is a serious obligation of every Christian. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances when it is not possible. Perhaps this is one.
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on November 29, 2008 10:08 AM
President Carter's Sunday School Lessons
It is important for a president to be seen worshipping God if it is genuine and not political window dressing. There were stories in the press at the time that Jimmy Carter's example encouraged other Americans to go to church and seek God's will for their lives.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on November 25, 2008 8:00 PM
Obama's Deliberate, Judicious Approach
Given the major role that debates over religion, church affiliation, and black liberation theology played in both the Democratic primary and, to a lesser extent, the general election, Obama might be even more deliberate about what church he will call his future "church family".
Posted by Dwight Hopkins, on November 25, 2008 7:05 PM
Welcome To The Unchurched, President And Mrs. Obama
Lincoln, who was suspected by many of being (gasp!) a secret freethinker and religious skeptic, resisted considerable political pressure in his refusal to join a church. Obama, who is a believer, might choose to remain unaffiliated for different reasons.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on November 25, 2008 6:06 PM
The Obamas Should Worship in the National Cathedral
As a United Church of Christ clergyman, I'd love to see the Obama family in one of our many churches in the Washington area. But in a way no previous president has been, Obama will be a president for all the people; and being identified with any one denomination within one religion would be un-ecumenical.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on November 25, 2008 5:49 PM
Presidential Worship in the Age of YouTube
This is what happens when you drag candidates' pastors into politics, especially in the age of YouTube. It becomes literally impossible for the President and family to join a single worshipping community.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on November 25, 2008 4:00 PM
Don't Wait
The longer President-elect Obama waits to go back to church, the harder it'll be for himself and for the congregation. Get back on the horse and everyone will quickly get used to your riding it.
Posted by Nicholas T. Wright, on November 25, 2008 12:21 AM
FEATURED COMMENTS
kimba1: Although none of our business, the choice of a church does send a powerful message. I am anticipating another out of the box decision to be ...
cognitivedissident1: I believe that presidents, along with other Christians, should follow the command of Jesus to pray in private:
"But thou, when thou prayest...
lepidopteryx: If they wish to attend a church, the Obam family should find one that suits their spiritual needs and not worry about what others say about ...
