<p>Discuss.</p>
<p>[Political</a> Radar: Obama Quits His Church](<a href=“http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/obama-quits-his.html]Political”>http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/obama-quits-his.html)</p>
<p>I’m waiting on news of him joining a new Church. I wonder if he’ll join one in the Hyde Park area.</p>
<p>How convenient</p>
<p>Is that type of activism by Catholic priests common in other parts of the country? It’s pretty-much unheard of here. The Archdiocese really doesn’t allow that much freedom of speech for its priests.</p>
<p>I was thinking that, too, Zoosermom. I’ve never heard of Catholic priests speaking in such a manner.</p>
<p>Too little, too late. I don’t buy that he was thinking about leaving for a while now, as he said in his speech. Obama’s character is suspect.</p>
<p>^Don’t try to play it like you were objectively evaluating this leaving of the church. You plan to vote McCain no matter what.</p>
<p>He left a Church that he should have left 15 years ago. On this issue, his resignation from the church has zero impact.</p>
<p>Obama and his wife donated 22500 to Trinity in 2006, as I understand it. Now he’s leaving the church. As tega put it, how convenient.</p>
<p>The problem with speaking about candidates in a church is the potential loss of non-profit status. I’m pretty sure the Catholic Church will watch this guy carefully.</p>
<p>Pfleger has never played by the rules. He is quite an activist, and has done some controversial things. Though plenty of Catholic priests will bring politics into the church, this guy is definitely over the top.</p>
<p>I believe the Church has tried distancing itself from him.</p>
<p>I find it amazing Senator and Mrs Obama enjoyed the fellowship and teachings of this church for 20 years but suddenly find themselves outraged by its leaders and teachings.</p>
<p>Do you think this has something to do with Senator Obama running for President? 
</p>
<p>I suspect that the church’s minister has never had such an opportunity to be in the national spotlight before Obama’s campaign, and has used (and abused) that opportunity. People do weird things when they think they have a national platform, when they know others are paying attention when that’s not happened before.</p>
<p>This has little to do with the church itself (Congregationalist, which is a liberal Christian church, one that accepts people of all races, gender identities, sexual orientation, etc. and so on), and everything to do with one man who saw an opportunity for his 15 minutes of fame and took it.</p>
<p>I agree, owlice, that’s how I see it. Even when Wright spoke out a few weeks ago, he was just so full of himself.</p>
<p>I have disagreed with many political sentiments expressed during my own Church services, some to the point where I have missed Church for a few weeks because of my irritation, but then I go back because I missed all of the other things I was getting from my Church, I felt a spiritual void, and was not prepared to drive 1 hour to a different Church.</p>
<p>While I saw this coming for weeks, it saddens me anytime someone feels they need to leave a church for reasons beyond their control.</p>
<p>And while on the outside it appears that it was a political move, I believe the impetus behind this all has been an increase in violence and death threats against the church due to the heightened media attention. Obama and his wife are hoping that their distancing themselves from the church will remove the spotlight from it and let them move forward. Trinity has a new pastor who has a more contemporary approach to preaching, but unless the spotlight is removed, the church will not be allowed to move past this and resume its mission of ministry.</p>
<p>Obama and Michelle know that, had it not been for their celebrity membership at Trinity, none of these death threats and inappropriate intrusions on the lives of its congregants would be going on. While it’s not their fault that some psycopaths are using this to feed their need for judgement and control, I certainly believe Obama and Michelle feel some responsibility for the attention the church has received due to their membership, and hope by distancing themselves from it, the threats and attacks on the church will subside over time.</p>
<p>“While I saw this coming for weeks, it saddens me anytime someone feels they need to leave a church for reasons beyond their control.”</p>
<p>If a church is just plain wrong on doctrinal matters, why would you stay? Unless you are just there for the social benefits.</p>
<p>Who defines what’s right and what’s wrong on doctrinal matters?</p>
<p>The United Church of Christ, a denomination of which Trinity is a member, is widely known as the most liberal protestant denomination. The UCC gives much more leniency to its local congregations than any other protestant denomination in matters of local governance.</p>
<p>And regarding the social benefits - who doesn’t attend a church that doesn’t meet their social benefits? If I’m not affirmed by those I sit in the pew with, and don’t feel a connection to the common vision and mission of that church, why would I continue to go there? It’s not selfish to say we belong to a church that also gives us something back; I am by no means any Mother Teresa.</p>
<p>“Who defines what’s right and what’s wrong on doctrinal matters?”</p>
<p>That goes back to the core of a religion. If you don’t know that, then anyone can make up anything for doctrine.</p>
<p>“And regarding the social benefits - who doesn’t attend a church that doesn’t meet their social benefits? If I’m not affirmed by those I sit in the pew with, and don’t feel a connection to the common vision and mission of that church, why would I continue to go there? It’s not selfish to say we belong to a church that also gives us something back; I am by no means any Mother Teresa.”</p>
<p>I don’t. I left the one that changed their doctrine to increase revenue and acceptance. Yes, it can be hard to leave the social comforts. But that’s a decision that everyone has to make as to what is more important.</p>
<p>So does that mean when you’re looking for a new church, you will choose one that has no social benefits for you?</p>
<p>“So does that mean when you’re looking for a new church, you will choose one that has no social benefits for you?”</p>
<p>That’s rather twisted logic.</p>
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