Obama resigns from Trinity

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have resigned their membership at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, FOX News has confirmed, after controversies stemming from the congregation created a persistent distraction for Obama’s campaign.

The criticism started with the sermons of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., but Obama’s pastor problems were compounded this week by the Rev. Michael Pfleger, whose videotaped guest sermon at the church Sunday showed him taunting Hillary Clinton and saying she felt she was “entitled” to the presidency because she’s white.

Obama said he was deeply disappointed by the remarks and Pfleger apologized, but Clinton’s campaign still demanded Obama specifically reject the latest remarks.

By resigning his membership, Obama is taking the most definitive stand to date against the church.

He already has roundly condemned Wright.

Videos of Wright’s sermons, in which he claimed the U.S. government created HIV to exterminate black people and said “God damn America,” threatened to derail Obama’s campaign when they first surfaced in March.

Obama Resigns from Trinity

[silverscreenselect]

Obama last month:

“Well, the new pastor, the young pastor, Reverend Otis Moss, is a wonderful young pastor,” Obama responded. “And as I said, I still very much value the Trinity community.”


It's getting mighty, mighty crowded under that bus with the entire church joining Granny and Rev. Wright.

This definitely proves he isn't bitter, though, because he's not clinging to his religion.

[Barack_al_Obama]

I've been a good Christian all my life, and gotten nothing but grief! Time to give Islam a try.

[earendel]

Obama last month:

“Well, the new pastor, the young pastor, Reverend Otis Moss, is a wonderful young pastor,” Obama responded. “And as I said, I still very much value the Trinity community.”


It's getting mighty, mighty crowded under that bus with the entire church joining Granny and Rev. Wright.

This definitely proves he isn't bitter, though, because he's not clinging to his religion.

He's "clinging to his religion" but not to the congregation. There's a difference.

[Weyoun]

Obama last month:

“Well, the new pastor, the young pastor, Reverend Otis Moss, is a wonderful young pastor,” Obama responded. “And as I said, I still very much value the Trinity community.”


It's getting mighty, mighty crowded under that bus with the entire church joining Granny and Rev. Wright.

This definitely proves he isn't bitter, though, because he's not clinging to his religion.

He's "clinging to his religion" but not to the congregation. There's a difference.

No, he used religion to climb the ladder of Chicago politics, and he's tossing it overboard now it's hurting his chances at climbing the ladder of American politics.

[earendel]

Obama last month:

“Well, the new pastor, the young pastor, Reverend Otis Moss, is a wonderful young pastor,” Obama responded. “And as I said, I still very much value the Trinity community.”


It's getting mighty, mighty crowded under that bus with the entire church joining Granny and Rev. Wright.

This definitely proves he isn't bitter, though, because he's not clinging to his religion.

He's "clinging to his religion" but not to the congregation. There's a difference.

No, he used religion to climb the ladder of Chicago politics, and he's tossing it overboard now it's hurting his chances at climbing the ladder of American politics.

Again I think you're confusing his beliefs with his church membership. One can reject a church without rejecting one's personal beliefs. Having said that, I would also say that Obama seems to treat church membership as a means rather than as an end in itself, which is not a good thing. People should join and belong to churches because they support its teachings and message, not because it's a rung on some sort of ladder. Back in Oklahoma when elwing was growing up she belonged to a church that was fairly well-known in the city. It was amazing how many politicians declared their membership in that church. Their names may have been on the rolls but they never attended services, never contributed anything, etc.

[silverscreenselect]

The Trinity Church doesn't seem to have changed much in the last twenty years. There's not a lot of difference between what Father Pfleger said (and he had some nasty things to say yesterday at his own church) last week and what's been said, with or without Obama in the pews, for the last twenty years. The only difference was the increased media attention.

And Pfleger is another radical figure whose ties with Obama go way back. Obama has helped get some sweetheart grants for Pfleger's pet projects while Pfleger was quite active in Obama's campaign up until last week.

The more you look at Obama's connections with Wright, Rezkio, Pfleger, Ayers and others, the more you see a pattern of mutual back scratching that goes back for many years. Obama has never been too particular about who he gets involved with if it can help his career, and he has been a very good friend to to his benefactors in the past.

And that's the sort of person some people want as their President??

[silvercamaro]

Back in Oklahoma when elwing was growing up she belonged to a church that was fairly well-known in the city. It was amazing how many politicians declared their membership in that church. Their names may have been on the rolls but they never attended services, never contributed anything, etc.

Politicians don't have to contribute much, because they don't use all 10 of the Commandments.

[Bob Juch]

The Trinity Church doesn't seem to have changed much in the last twenty years. There's not a lot of difference between what Father Pfleger said (and he had some nasty things to say yesterday at his own church) last week and what's been said, with or without Obama in the pews, for the last twenty years. The only difference was the increased media attention.

And Pfleger is another radical figure whose ties with Obama go way back. Obama has helped get some sweetheart grants for Pfleger's pet projects while Pfleger was quite active in Obama's campaign up until last week.

The more you look at Obama's connections with Wright, Rezkio, Pfleger, Ayers and others, the more you see a pattern of mutual back scratching that goes back for many years. Obama has never been too particular about who he gets involved with if it can help his career, and he has been a very good friend to to his benefactors in the past.

And that's the sort of person some people want as their President??

It's a good thing you're not judged by the wack jobs you hang out with.

[earendel]

The Trinity Church doesn't seem to have changed much in the last twenty years. There's not a lot of difference between what Father Pfleger said (and he had some nasty things to say yesterday at his own church) last week and what's been said, with or without Obama in the pews, for the last twenty years. The only difference was the increased media attention.

And Pfleger is another radical figure whose ties with Obama go way back. Obama has helped get some sweetheart grants for Pfleger's pet projects while Pfleger was quite active in Obama's campaign up until last week.

The more you look at Obama's connections with Wright, Rezkio, Pfleger, Ayers and others, the more you see a pattern of mutual back scratching that goes back for many years. Obama has never been too particular about who he gets involved with if it can help his career, and he has been a very good friend to to his benefactors in the past.

And that's the sort of person some people want as their President??

If we want a president who has never been involved in any "mutual back scratching" we might as well not bother to vote. One doesn't get elected to high office without some of those doings. No one comes to the table with clean hands.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

It's a good thing you're not judged by the wack jobs you hang out with.

I smell a bored motto!

[hf_jai]

If we want a president who has never been involved in any "mutual back scratching" we might as well not bother to vote. One doesn't get elected to high office without some of those doings. No one comes to the table with clean hands.

Agreed to an extent. But the people Obama is associated with, and the duration and nature of the relationships, go well above and beyond the norm. Perhaps that's to be expected of someone who won his spurs in the rather notorious Chicago political machine. Still, makes you wonder when he talks about his "new politics."

[Bob Juch]

If we want a president who has never been involved in any "mutual back scratching" we might as well not bother to vote. One doesn't get elected to high office without some of those doings. No one comes to the table with clean hands.

Agreed to an extent. But the people Obama is associated with, and the duration and nature of the relationships, go well above and beyond the norm. Perhaps that's to be expected of someone who won his spurs in the rather notorious Chicago political machine. Still, makes you wonder when he talks about his "new politics."

That all pales in comparison to Hillbilly.

[TheCalvinator24]

Nobody with any sense of political history and reality would claim that Hillary or Bill is any "cleaner" in that regard that Barack, but Senator Obama is the one who has been touting his "Change" rhetoric, and that adds hypocrisy to the pile.

[Bob Juch]

Nobody with any sense of political history and reality would claim that Hillary or Bill is any "cleaner" in that regard that Barack, but Senator Obama is the one who has been touting his "Change" rhetoric, and that adds hypocrisy to the pile.

Hillbilly have had many more years of practice than Barack.

[hf_jai]

Nobody with any sense of political history and reality would claim that Hillary or Bill is any "cleaner" in that regard that Barack, but Senator Obama is the one who has been touting his "Change" rhetoric, and that adds hypocrisy to the pile.

Depends whose version of political history you're reading, Cal.

I'm happy to match my "sense of political history and reality" with most of the people here.

But it's sadly true that it takes WAY too much money to run for national office, or to wield power effectively at the state level for that matter. They all have to tap big money sources and it makes them all vulnerable to the wrong pressures and enticements.

But the long-standing personal relationships with the types of people with whom Obama has associated are a different caliber of corruption.

[mellytu74]

But the long-standing personal relationships with the types of people with whom Obama has associated are a different caliber of corruption.

Never mind. I deleted it.

I am cranky and just broke my own promise to not answer political threads.

[Bob Juch]

Bill tonight: "This may be the last night I'm involved with something like this (Hill's campaign)".