Should President Obama Go to Church?
President Obama's aides are roaming across Washington, DC on one of their most politically fraught missions. With Easter only a few days away, Obama, as both Fox News and the Washington Times are reporting, has not attended church on Sunday, something that the right is predictably enough adding to its catalog of complaints about Obama's supposed war on religious values, whether it's stem cell research or abortion. Indeed, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Tuesday branded the entire administration as "intensely secular" and "anti-religious"--as though the White House's mission should be to promote religion.
It used to be that when it came to attending church American presidents had an easy choice. They would worship at the U.S. Capitol; Thomas Jefferson rode on horseback to the Capitol for services. That's no longer an option. Now the American president has a retinue on the order of Louis XIV the Sun King at Versailles. Ronald Reagan, citing the disruptive nature of a presidential visit, did not attend church regularly, something that conservatives have always preferred to overlook.
George W. Bush was different. By this time in his presidency, Fox breathlessly informs us, Bush, in contrast to Obama, had already attended church several times. And golly gee, look at all the good it did him!
Some of the top candidates that Obama's aides are looking at include Foundry United Methodist Church and the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Obama is said to be weighing various considerations, including the political fallout of joining either a predominantly white or African-American church.
But the blunt fact is that Obama would be politically better off making a choice quickly or face mounting claims that his piety is simply a sham.
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As I recall, Mr. Obama characterized church as a good vehicle for instilling morality in youth but not much else, so if Mr. Obama doesn't need moral prodding, wouldn't his attendance in a church simply be hypocritical and more political campaigning?
Good grief. Why is this even a question anyone asks or cares about??!
I hope he does not go a single time in his presidency maybe that would cure us of that need to care about such ridiculous issue!
No. If God is everywhere, that includes the White House. If there is no God, then what's the point?
SOT
Secular nation = I prefer to see Obama NOT going to church. There's a reason for the separation of church and state!
whether he does or not is noone's business i never heard these problems with the sinner bush
Obama should not be forced to go to church.
I would respect him more if he did not.
Given his eclectic, pragmatic wold view, a simple answer to Obama's need to apear religious would be to attend a different church evey Sunday, or every other Sunday, for a while until enough photos have been taken as the family emerges from church doors after services. Then an occasional church service should suffice. Just part of the ridiculous, religilous throwbacks majoritarian Americans have imposed. Oi Veh!
Well said!
If you read his autobiography and his description of his salvation, you can see he is sincere in his faith...but "Should Obama go to church?" What an unAmerican question. His faith or lack thereof is his business and he should go if he wants to, when he wants to. It's not our business.
In this country people are not happy until they are able to indoctrinate everyone. We are all put under a religious test to prove our worthiness. This is a mental illness in the high order.
I completely agree!
I think it's a great idea for him to go. I say this as an agnostic, in the same way that I think it's important for a president to show up at a baseball game, even though I don't give a damn about baseball either.
Well, not entirely true. Baseball can be fun to watch and you never know the outcome.
By this time in his presidency, Bush hadn't done anything BUT go to church. And on vacation.
I would certainly appreciate the President not having the Secret Service overrun my service every Sunday.
Wow. I am religious, but never in a million years would I require any other human being to do as I do just because my ego needs the affirmation that I'm on the right path. Christianity has turned into a political thing, not that of the heart, certainly no longer a spiritual thing. And for those who take it to the point they feel the need to use someone else's choice as their measuring rod, like where Obama will spend Easter and 'he better make a decision now?" It shows a huge lack of security for their own individual faith. Either I have grown up and am more aware of it now than 20 years ago when I was a teenager, or Christianity has changed over the past 20 years in a manner I am less compatible. Christians lost sight that America is about religious freedom, and that means the right to practice religion and the right to not practice religion. Both. Tolerance was how I saw Christians 20 years ago. Where did that go in the past 8 years when the Evangelicals got a hold of it? It has become a hateful, nay-sayer, critical, judgmental, "Do it my way or else I'll make a law that forces you to" group. President Obama, enjoy Easter outside a church. Practice the American right to religious freedom, and that includes not being in a church.
I can't sto plaughing about Newt Gingrich -- married 3 times, adultress relationships while married -- chastising President Obama about not attending church. A lot of good it did Newt! If that's the result, I think everyone should boycot and perhaps this would be a much better country.
And how about the awful story of the Sunday school teacher killer in Tracy, CA, of the little 8-year old? Does church really make one better? Are good people really obligated to attend church? With church attendance dropping in the U.S., our President is probably reflecting the nation's increasing position of choosing to go to church, not having to go to church.
Obama's should gather other DC families and hold an open air service on the White House lawn every month with a different pastor/rabbi/ teacher/priest.
It would broaden his children, not make any one church bear the security risks/hassels, it would also ROYALLY p*ss off the Christian Reich, who want to pigeonhole him to one congregation, or claim he's Muslim, or aethiest.
A problem the Catholic Church would have with this option would be that the Church does not allow non-Catholics to share it communion. How weird would that be. As part of the Mass, it would be announced that only practicing Catholics would be invited to share the bread and wine. There are probably other demoninations that would have similar problems, e.g., Jews who worship on Saturday?
All are invited to join in for Reform Judaism services. Not so much for the Orthodox... So, if Obama had a Reform Jewish service on a Saturday, there would be no problems.
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