Obama's Faith: Fascinating Interview Unearthed

Cathleen Falsani of the Chicago Sun-Times interviewed Barack Obama in 2004 on his faith and spirituality. She's now published the entire interview. Here are some highlights.

On prayer:

FALSANI: Do you pray often?

OBAMA:
Uh, yeah, I guess I do.

Its' not formal, me getting on my knees. I think I have an ongoing conversation with God. I think throughout the day, I'm constantly asking myself questions about what I'm doing, why am I doing it.

One of the interesting things about being in public life is there are constantly these pressures being placed on you from different sides. To be effective, you have to be able to listen to a variety of points of view, synthesize viewpoints. You also have to know when to be just a strong advocate, and push back against certain people or views that you think aren't right or don't serve your constituents.

And so, the biggest challenge, I think, is always maintaining your moral compass. Those are the conversations I'm having internally. I'm measuring my actions against that inner voice that for me at least is audible, is active, it tells me where I think I'm on track and where I think I'm off track. ...

Looking for, ... It's interesting, the most powerful political moments for me come when I feel like my actions are aligned with a certain truth. I can feel it. When I'm talking to a group and I'm saying something truthful, I can feel a power that comes out of those statements that is different than when I'm just being glib or clever.

FALSANI:
What's that power? Is it the holy spirit? God?

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OBAMA:
Well, I think it's the power of the recognition of God, or the recognition of a larger truth that is being shared between me and an audience.

On spiritual leaders:

FALSANI: Do you have people in your life that you look to for guidance?

OBAMA:
Well, my pastor [Jeremiah Wright] is certainly someone who I have an enormous amount of respect for.

I have a number of friends who are ministers. Reverend Meeks is a close friend and colleague of mine in the state Senate. Father Michael Pfleger is a dear friend, and somebody I interact with closely.

FALSANI:
Those two will keep you on your toes.

OBAMA:
And theyr'e good friends. Because both of them are in the public eye, there are ways we can all reflect on what's happening to each of us in ways that are useful.

I think they can help me, they can appreciate certain specific challenges that I go through as a public figure.

On his church:

FALSANI: Do you get questions about your faith?

OBAMA:
Obviously as an African American politician rooted in the African American community, I spend a lot of time in the black church. I have no qualms in those settings in participating fully in those services and celebrating my God in that wonderful community that is the black church.

(he pauses)
But I also try to be . . . Rarely in those settings do people come up to me and say, what are your beliefs. They are going to presume, and rightly so. Although they may presume a set of doctrines that I subscribe to that I don't necessarily subscribe to.

But I don't think that's unique to me. I think that each of us when we walk into our church or mosque or synagogue are interpreting that experience in different ways, are reading scriptures in different ways and are arriving at our own understanding at different ways and in different phases. ...

Nothing is more powerful than the black church experience. A good choir and a good sermon in the black church, it's pretty hard not to be move and be transported.

On spiritual inspiration:

OBAMA: As I said before, in my own sort of mental library, the Civil Rights movement has a powerful hold on me. It's a point in time where I think heaven and earth meet. Because it's a moment in which a collective faith transforms everything. So when I read Gandhi or I read King or I read certain passages of Abraham Lincoln and I think about those times where people's values are tested, I think those inspire me.

I can be transported by watching a good performance of Hamlet, or reading Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, or listening to Miles Davis.

On heaven:

OBAMA: What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don't presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.

When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I've been a good father to them, and I see in them that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they're kind people and that they're honest people, and they're curious people, that's a little piece of heaven.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[MurrayAbraham]

I would be so much more comfortable if he looked back at the enlightenment and philosophers such as Voltaire to handle the matters of faith since he doesn't seem to be at ease with any particular denomination.

It is one of the only things I don't like about Obama: his incline to speak about religion although he does not believe in the way most people calling themselves Christians do. It makes the whole thing a little phony. None of the founding brothers was a devout christian and it certainly didn't prevent them from serving their country well.

[fivecard]

"It is one of the only things I don't like about Obama: his incline to speak about religion although he does not believe in the way most people calling themselves Christians do."

What do you mean?

[plwood01]

Christians always want everyone to do as they say. Even God said, "judge not, lest ye be judged!" Most people in the world have questions about religion, so they go about the task of studying all religions and they generally end up understanding that religion allows us to join groups of people of like mind to worship with on Saturday or Sundays in America. That means we go to a certain place to worship our God. For spiritualists, it does not matter whether or not they belong to a group (i.e., denomination). They are just as happy to worship in the park, while driving along the highway, communing with nature, or painting a lovely picture of the meadow near their home. The Sunday morning Christians listen to a sermon, after a couple of hours leave, to spend the week working on themselves. Spiritualist are not that far away from the life that Christ lived. He walked around talking to people, asking questions, discussing issues of the day, and providing his teachings for them to take or leave. It was all about "free will." Belonging to any group causes "group think," influencing members generally the wrong way. It makes no since to pigeonhole faith which is inside of us. Instead, we share it by being our brothers keeper, not his ruler, or his critic, especially when he is not doing anything wrong, only different.

[tomjones44]

$20 says the only reason that we're seeing this now and not before the election is because of the bit about Jeremiah Wright.

[Dailyfare]

He wrote a book - 2 actually - that talked about Rev. Wright. This is not new information.

[MarieFara]

I was actually wondering the opposite. Wouldn't this prove he's not Muslim?

[plwood01]

This interview does contain anything that was not already put in the angry ads by McCain/Palin. It merely gives up more of the reasoning behind what was said about Rev Wright which was nothing more than can be said by any African American minister on any given Sunday who tries to teach his congregation about how to deal with perpetual persecution in their lives! I think this just was surprising to the perpetrators of the abusive racism that is still part of the American fabric.

[Bronxcutie]

There is nothing like the black church! The music, the vibe is AMAZING. When my people praise God, they raise the roof! LOL!

You can be a Christian without spreading hate like the radical right.

[EvilPoet]

Obama is supposed to be familiar with the constitution, civil rights, and the law. He talks a lot about those types of things and that's all well and good but what about my rights? http://humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=330&article=0 Does he support those as well?

[luvangelHussein330]

Of course he does...but if you have to ask then you realy don't know Obama very well or have been paying much attention outside of yourself

[EvilPoet]

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated.

@luvangelHussein330 - you're correct and incorrect. You're correct when you say I don't know Obama - he's a politician not a family member. All I know is what I read - I don't really feel that qualifies as knowing him or his true intentions. That's why I always say: actions speak louder than words. You're incorrect when you say I have not been paying attention. I have and so have others:
http://atheism.about.com/b/2008/11/03/obama-campaign-accepts-anti-atheist-bigotry-doesnt-care-about-atheists.htm

[HappyIdiot51]

"Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation of church and state. I am a big believer in our constitutional structure. I mean, I'm a law professor at the University of Chicago teaching constitutional law. I am a great admirer of our founding charter, and its resolve to prevent theocracies from forming, and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root ion this country.

As I said before, in my own public policy, I'm very suspicious of religious certainty expressing itself in politics.

Now, that's different form a belief that values have to inform our public policy. I think it's perfectly consistent to say that I want my government to be operating for all faiths and all peoples, including atheists and agnostics, while also insisting that there are values tha tinform my politics that are appropriate to talk about."

I thinkk your rights are in tact.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Dude, you can be a Christian and not have that compulsion to impose your beliefs on others. My parents and my brother are Christians and they do not impose their beliefs on me. They respect my views, even when we disagree and are respect theirs.
This is the type of damage the Christian Right has done to liberal Christians that we need to get rid of

[plwood01]

Professor Obama taught the Constitution, Constitutional Law to be exact to budding lawyers and politicians. If there were anyone in this country who knew the constitution and how not to infringe upon your rights, it would be Barack Obama. Because he came from community organizing it is in his second nature to fight and support people's rights, that is what a community organizer does, you know like Christ!

[Meah]

Obama is on the path. He discovered his inner voice that directs us to the good. He is highly evolved.

[nearandfar]

I agree Meah. He has reminded me that I need to get back on the path too. His spiritual connection to that larger Truth has been obvious to me from the start.

[bogues]

President elect Obama has what I think is the perfect balance where religion is concerned. He has his own belief system and ideas about life and he invites those around him to practice their own. Since he studied constitutional law and taught it, I think his appreciation for ones right to believe as they see fit, is finally going to be respected in the White House and we will have a leader who knows how important it is to allow people to be what they want to be. I do pray that the evangelical movement will finally get the picture and see how wrong they have been in their quest to force Christianity on America. I am a Christian, not because it is mandatory but because it is what I feel inside. I would never dream of insisting that others choose what I chose but I will always invite them to join me if they want to.

[LisaLisa1234]

Yes!

[ckfan]

Thank God - an intelligent post. Well said.

[TruthResearcher]

"I think his appreciation for ones right to believe as they see fit, is finally going to be respected in the White House and we will have a leader who knows how important it is to allow people to be what they want to be."

AMEN and thank you so much for this post.

[Dailyfare]

Amen. Christianity is a journey of the heart, and the heart cannot be forced or legislated.

[plwood01]

There are so many people with negativity and evil spirits in church that I learned a long while ago that I felt much better before I went than I did coming out. They used to have a problem with where people sat, and there was just so much animosity over that, that it just ruined the entire service. In those mega churches, the volunteer ushers and others seem to want to just take over. They get drunk with power in the church and start treating the guests and members like they have no business even coming there for Sunday service. Generally, the pastor's do not know what is going on because there are so many people, but those who believe that the church is their for them rather than the other way around, often end up having to leave for reasons that have nothing to do with getting the word. Sad but true.

[tinarm]

Of course those who hate Obama didn't listen to the entire sermons. That would actually take time from their hating. I listened to Wright's entire Audacity of Hope sermon and I was moved in a way I rarely am anymore by pastors and religion as a whole. I think I view faith more in abstract terms than those on the evangelical right. I believe faith is kind of like the sounding board you use to make sure you are being who you and your family want you to be or see you as. The difference is many in the evangelical right never question anything. They believe it's all right there in the book, but my experience with faith and religion is a process of questioning. What was most important to God, love, or moral decency? Did Jesus scream and vilify his opressors or those he disagreed with or did he speak with respect and understanding, trying to move them in a more sensible direction? Evangelicals demonize, critize, but I believe God and Jesus love and care, just the opposite of those on the right.

[LisaLisa1234]

I hope that, now that the election is over, people will get to see more of who Rev. Wright is & what he stands for.

My husband has said things in his sermons (which are recorded & online for all to hear) which came out differently than he wanted them to, or which, taken on their own, without the context around them, could be misconstrued.

[sparkal]

This was in 2004.....4 years ago I was a different person spiritually than I am now. Sounds like an honest account of a human being on a spiritual journey. I bet you this gift that God has given him has taken him to another level.....­. For sure....

[NicoloM]

Thank God for a spiritual person on a spiritual path, rather than the moralists of religions whose spirituality was forzen in the past so that it isn't a living and evolving guide today.

[athenasword]

"....the most powerful political moments for me come when I feel like my actions are aligned with a certain truth"

I think it is this exactly that helped make him our next POTUS. I have always felt he has an extrordinary ability to tap into profound, universal truths that resonate with many people, regardless of their faith. It reminds me of a quote from Gandhi - "Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony." Barack Obama works in a way where what he thinks, what he says and what he does are in harmony. And this appeals to our own better selves.

[skmbho]

As a modern, educated person who was raised by fundamentalist parents to believe that everything written in the bible is unquestionably true, I am heartened to know that PE Obama thinks of faith in the same way I do. Our scientific education tells us that "talking snakes" and a "kingdom in the sky" are not real, but the faith in me finds comfort in not feeling alone when faced with difficult situations or decisions. Life is not black and white. Like Obama, I think of it as looking for what is good and right. I try to always find faith in the fact that even the worst situation works out and we survive. I have never had this conversation with anyone, so it is encouraging to know that there are others who have an emotional part of themselves that is based in the belief that there is something greater than ourselves
I reject the "religous" belief that God (oddly enough) always tells people in power what they want to hear. I cannot imagine that God will tell Sarah Palin to stay home with her disabled baby and make the best life for him. She has already decided the door to the White House has been put there for her to "blast right through". Today I thank God that we have put a person in power who is thoughtful and looking for a "moral compass" not a "golden ticket" to selfish self-fullfillment.

[demjustice]

Amen!

[Chaucea]

Wow, beautifully said! :-)

[Minako]

Very well said.

[OldKnute]

Yes,

And the less timid of faith study creation freely and openly, embrace science and disciplined research and never suffer spiritual conflict in their lives.

They find universe in a grain of sand, the Almighty in every mystery, goodness in every heart and every peace home.

It is rather simple.

All the best

Knute

[gladys46]

I'm not getting what's so "fasinating" ... P.E. Obama has said that he is a "christian" !

I'd be "fasinated" to know how Palin reconciles "G od" & witches ... ah, witch dr. exorcising witches be gone ... does she consider witches the same as devils ... and how one so holier than be so possessed ! Would some MSM interviewer come with that dichotomy !??

[plwood01]

Great comment! I would like to hear that explanation myself! I have studied superstition, the basis for the beliefs in the occult, separate from the creation and all, which many feel is the same thing! There were folks throughout time that worshipped statues of animals for example, and sacrifice that comes from the Old Testament, so getting a better understanding of that would be helpful to many of us who continue the research on this subject, which in my mind is contradictory to what the word is for and contrary to what I choose to believe. Notice I said, choose to believe from scientific evidence rather than any denomination.

[Da Centrist]

What you must understand is that the universe is a mystery, one that most people want answers to. Some turn to the old books that tell stories of god or gods depending what old books you are reading. Others turn to science to get explanations of the universe around them. and still others have the belief that there is no mystery to get answers to.
The fact is we humans don't KNOW much when it comes to this what we have is BELIEF.

I suggest that we all don't judge others beliefs to much but fight for the freedom of belief of any kind. because that is what America is all about. and there is also nothing wrong with a little mystery it makes the ride fun.

[demjustice]

Exactly, and for you merle7, the "truth" PE Obama is speaking about is freedom and justice for all.

[sonshine]

I think any god would care more about thest things than whether it was worshiped.

[SoCalTees]

My mother who has been a Republican all her life, and in many cases a 1 issue voter, this year changed course and voted for Obama. She was moved by his speech and most importantly his values. As a Christian she came to think that maybe, just maybe, his policieswere more Christ-like because they were ore likely to care for the poor and disadvantaged.

She really is moved by this man and is actaully decorating her Christmas tree with Obama ornaments.

http://www.cafepress.com/socaltees/6092633

Whether she will stay this way or not after his 8 years in office is up for debate. It probably depends on whther the democrats become corrupted by the power as the Reps did these past 8 years. Still, that she could see be persuaded to see the Christ-like values of the Demo party and not be blinded by the single issue of abortion (which is a fall choice by the way, State vs Fed would have little affect on reducing abortions) is a testament to Obamas character IMO.

[DevRock]

Ooh, nice sneaky way to sell your ornaments! I like your style! :-)

[WoodyCPM]

My god, that we elected such a wonderfully aware and intelligent man to the highest office in the land is a total miracle. Amazing. Simply amazing. Is America reinventing itself again? I don't even believe in god and I want to say God have mercy on us that we not lose hope, and keep and protect Mr. Obama.

[HappyIdiot51]

Love your post WoodyCPM. I feel the very same way. And, yes, I do believe America is reinventing itself. Thank God.