News of the Day - 1/29/2010: Obama & Church Attendance

There were several possible stories today I could have commented on from Mother Teressa being put on a U.S. postal stamp (and the objective of an atheist organization), to the moving of KSM's trial from NYC to another location.  Or I could have commented about how the university at the Climategate scandal broke the law.  Another option was the Obama Administration trying to take on the BCS and change college football.  Instead I decided to focused on the following article : Holy BlackBerry! Obama Finds Ways to Keep the Faith During First Year in Office: Has the First Family's D.C. Church Search Come to a Close 

Also I am trying to keep this short since I seem to be coming down with a cold or something like that.

This article makes several points over the span of it.  It goes into great detail on the President's personal spiritual life and his faith.  The main issue seems to be that the President has yet to find and attend regularly any church in the Washington, D.C. area. It also breaks down and goes into this history of the modern presidents practice of going to church.

The easy way of looking at this is, who cares?  So the President does not go to church, as a Christian that does concern me a little, but its not that big of a deal.  As stated in the article many modern PResidents have not gone regularly to a church in DC.  What most people will have issue with is that the president holds himself to be a Christian but he obviously is not practicing, at least in the more traditional way.

If I were in his shoes I would attempt to find a church to worship at while I was President.  The main issue you deal with is security.  Obviously there is some danger of the President being out in the open without any real security.  Regan had this problem when he tried to worship.  The Secret Service wanted to search everyone who came into the church and that is just not practical in any sensible way.  If I could get away with a detactment that just hung back during the service and not bothering the other parisoners I would do so.  I don't think that would be likely though.

Instead I would more than likely find a church my family could attend with a minimal security escort so our children could be brought up in the fear and respect of the Lord; not just the church service but Sunday School as well.  I would then try and see if the minister would come in at least once a week to be my confessor and serve to me the sacraments.

The other main issues I have taken with this article is the implication that most priests, pastors or ministers have a political agenda.  I have never been to a single Lutheran church that has push politics instead of preaching the Gospel.  I would walk out of the church if they did so.  Church is about preaching the gospel not pushing a political agenda.  Also if the media and other make the president's lack of church attendance a political issue they are stupid and should focus on real issues at hand.

That's my take today.  Have a great night everyone and a good weekend.  Remember my third lesson on the U.S. Constitution will be posted tomorrow probably in the afternoon, since I have some training at my school in the morning.  This week's topic is the structure and power of the House of Representatives, Article I, Section 2.

Enjoy and as always, leave comments.