Obama resigns from his church

I think he made the right call. His association with the church was negatively impacting the church and the church's association with Obama was hurting him. Sean Hannity will have to find another tree to bark up. I'm not saying things said at the church aren't troubling and those that said them are justified, but it was a bad situation all around.

 

absolutely correct.

i'd prefer an atheist in office.

 

I don't know which the way wind blows on this, but it was real clear politics and I thought it was interesting.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/8911

I'm sure the Obama fans will come along and say how wrong that all is.

 

As a lapsed member of the United Church of Christ, I'm disappointed and embarrassed that it's come to this.

Both Wright and Pfleger have worked very hard to drag the UCC's public image through the mud. The image they present is not what the UCC is about.

 

Isn't Pfleger a Catholic priest?

 

Yes, but he was at Trinity UCC when he said it. I have to wonder if he'd have done the same in the St. Sabina pulpit.

 

Gotcha. Given Pfleger's previous antics, I think he'd have said it just about anywhere.

 

The IRS would only be too happy to step in and determine whether the church has violated its tax-exempt status by allowing its pulpit to be used for political purposes.

 

It should. Just as soon as it investigates Pat Robertson's 700 Club.

 

They /all/ need to be. This is ridiculous.

 

Because Wright was not just Obama's pastor. He has been a friend, confidant, advisor, sounding board, mentor, etc., for 20 years. That's why some find it hard to believe Obama remained in that church in spite of the pastor (as some on this board have suggested), and impossible to believe that Obama had no idea Wright carried these radical views and Obama had never heard them before all the controversies that have come up during the campaign. He said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004 that he attended church there every Sunday -- but apparently he missed all the incendiary rhetoric. Or perhaps he didn't, seeing as how when he uninvited Wright from his campaign kickoff appearance last year, he told Wright, “You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we’ve decided is that it’s best for you not to be out there in public.” That, by the way, is according to Wright (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/us/politics/06obama.html?_r=1&oref=slogin), and later confirmed by Obama.

I think this is a bigger issue than most of you think, especially if Obama hopes to get crossover votes or votes from the so-called Reagan Democrats. And I don't think it just fades away now. If this is a man Obama turns to for advice, I can see why a voter would be hesitant to want him to lead the nation. He can disassociate himself now that it's expedient, but the fact that he was that close to Wright for that long makes it very difficult for some to vote for Obama.


A few more links on the subject:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/falsani/726619,obamafalsani040504.article

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13390609/campaign_08_the_radical_roots_of_barack_obama/2