Obama dumps Trinity United Church of Christ
Saturday, May 31, 2008
You probably could have seen this coming but it's still a shock. The major news outlets are reporting that Presidential candidate Barack Obama has quit Trinity United Church of Christ. From ABC News:Sources tell ABC News that Obama felt that as the campaign continued, the media would continue to focus on the church, to the detriment of the church community, that Obama would be held responsible for what happened in the church, and that the Church would be held responsible for his campaign. It would be best, Obama felt, to simply cut ties. He has not yet joined a new church.I don't see any winners in this decision. Politically, I can't see how this helps Obama and if anything, he's alienating his church which has served, on a small level, as a base of support. It would have been one thing if he quit Trinity at the height of the Jeremiah Wright controversy but I can't imagine how quitting now limits the political damage he may have suffered.
As he distanced himself from Wright on April 29, Obama expressed disappointment in how the media maelstrom had intruded on the church.
"When I go church it's not for spectacle, it's to pray and to find to find a stronger sense of faith, it's not to posture politically it's not to, you know, it's not to hear things that violate my core beliefs," he said. "And I certainly don't want to provide a distraction to those who are worshipping at Trinity. As of this point I'm a member. I haven't had a discussion with Rev Moss about it so I can't tell you how he's reacting and how he's responding ... there’s been great damage."
Obama will address the matter this evening at a campaign stop in South Dakota.
Trinity comes out of this looking like a bunch of extremists and the United Church of Christ loses the opportunity to claim a potential President as one of our own. The spin is that he doesn't want his candidacy to draw the wrong kind of attention to Trinity. It may be true, but it's a weak response to a politically shrewd move that doesn't have much of an upside for anyone.
7 Comments:
commented by 
Paul Jamieson, 11:19 PM
Paul Jamieson, 11:19 PM
wait, let me get this straight... YOU are part of this WE who left the UCC... and now you want to change the UCC? Why do you even care, I mean if you already left....
If you really cared you would have stuck around and changed the UCC from the inside.
...Which is why your comment doesn't compute with me... Obama (who HAS an activist, liberal viewpoint) is leaving his local UCC church because it is preaching exactly what it has been preaching for the 20 years --> BLT
So you won't convince me that you are interested in changing the UCC unless you explain to me why you even care about the UCC.
If you really cared you would have stuck around and changed the UCC from the inside.
...Which is why your comment doesn't compute with me... Obama (who HAS an activist, liberal viewpoint) is leaving his local UCC church because it is preaching exactly what it has been preaching for the 20 years --> BLT
So you won't convince me that you are interested in changing the UCC unless you explain to me why you even care about the UCC.
I guess I was being too kind to my congregation - I had my own Rev Wright
I was basically forced out - I didn't have to leave, but I wasn't going to sit there and listen to that anti-American, gay-agenda driven lunacy EVERY SUNDAY like Obama did.
I would like to see the UCC become truly diverse and respect its more conservative brothers and sisters nationally.
I was basically forced out - I didn't have to leave, but I wasn't going to sit there and listen to that anti-American, gay-agenda driven lunacy EVERY SUNDAY like Obama did.
I would like to see the UCC become truly diverse and respect its more conservative brothers and sisters nationally.
Gee, Paul -- I know exactly how you feel. After the Synod of 2005, and the pro-gay marriage, anti-Israel, highly political direction of the UCC, we questioned that direction. In doing so, we found out how "tolerant" the church was. They were only tolerant if you go along with the agenda. There no longer is a place at the table if you have conservative beliefs.
I have never seen such anti-Christian hateful behavior and words out of the people that I thought were my friends. After lifelong, very involved membership we left. We do pray that someday the UCC will welcome and tolerate all of us. Even conservatives. But for now, we've moved on, but still grieve.
I believe there are many of us out there like us Paul.
Jessica
I have never seen such anti-Christian hateful behavior and words out of the people that I thought were my friends. After lifelong, very involved membership we left. We do pray that someday the UCC will welcome and tolerate all of us. Even conservatives. But for now, we've moved on, but still grieve.
I believe there are many of us out there like us Paul.
Jessica
"If you really cared you would have stuck around and changed the UCC from the inside."
7 years there - the last 3 after 9/11 it all went down hill. I tried desperately to have dialog with people who didn't want to hear it.
I was reacting to sermons! I wasn't walking around talking politics - I was reacting - and I was told to sit down and shut up.
My minister told me he had the power of prophecy when it came to homosexuality, basicallyu like saying I know better than you.
My point was - I don't want any politics right or left spewed at me on Sunday morning
I DO NOT ask anyone who they sleep with when they come into church in the morning - I am welcoming to all. But don't expect me to affirm the lifestyle and have my children celebrate it.
I tried to change it, but it gets old arguing with stubborn liberals who have way more time on their hands and as such control certain parts of the congregation and the workings of the church.
I needed to get some peace for myself and family and found it Thank God
7 years there - the last 3 after 9/11 it all went down hill. I tried desperately to have dialog with people who didn't want to hear it.
I was reacting to sermons! I wasn't walking around talking politics - I was reacting - and I was told to sit down and shut up.
My minister told me he had the power of prophecy when it came to homosexuality, basicallyu like saying I know better than you.
My point was - I don't want any politics right or left spewed at me on Sunday morning
I DO NOT ask anyone who they sleep with when they come into church in the morning - I am welcoming to all. But don't expect me to affirm the lifestyle and have my children celebrate it.
I tried to change it, but it gets old arguing with stubborn liberals who have way more time on their hands and as such control certain parts of the congregation and the workings of the church.
I needed to get some peace for myself and family and found it Thank God
You guys need to deal with your attitudes towards homosexuality.
Homosexuals will become mainstream in our society both in the religious world and the secular world.
I am glad that Obama left his hate church, but it would have been better if he didnt leave it solely due to political expediency.
It is a rather insincere gesture, but at least it is an acknowledgement that the race baiting that goes on there is not acceptable.
Homosexuals will become mainstream in our society both in the religious world and the secular world.
I am glad that Obama left his hate church, but it would have been better if he didnt leave it solely due to political expediency.
It is a rather insincere gesture, but at least it is an acknowledgement that the race baiting that goes on there is not acceptable.
freedomnow said; "you guys need to deal with your attitudes towards homosexuality"
This is why we continue to talk past one another.
This is why we continue to talk past one another.
It is confirmation that we did the right thing
Maybe we can still change the UCC