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December 27, 2010

Obamas make rare public church appearance

Associated Press writer Mark Niesse reports:

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii – President Barack Obama and his family took a break from their Hawaiian vacation to attend Sunday church services, a rare occurrence for a president who prefers to worship in private.

The first family arrived at a chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii mid-morning for a multi-denominational service. The Obamas were greeted by about 100 clapping parishioners and a band playing "Joy to the World" as they were led to their seats in the front row.

In his sermon, chaplain Steve Moses asked worshippers to recommit to God in the new year. He also joked that the reason God put him through a heart surgery was so he wouldn't suffer a heart attack while preaching before the president.

Obama was the first worshipper to take communion, dipping the wafer in wine before placing it in his mouth.

Though Obama speaks frequently about his Christian faith, his family rarely attends church services in Washington. The White House says the president hasn't joined a parish because his appearances would be disruptive to the rest of the congregation, though he does attend private services when he spends weekends at Camp David, the presidential retreat.

Obama last attended church in September, shortly after a poll was released indicating that a majority of Americans had doubts about the president's religious beliefs.

During the hourlong service, Obama and the other churchgoers sang along to a youth band playing Christmas carols such as "Silent Night" and "Oh Holy Night."

After church, Obama went golfing on the Marine base despite sporadic light rain.

The president and Mrs. Obama also extended wishes to people celebrating Kwanzaa. "The seven principles of Kwanzaa — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — are some of the very values that make us Americans," the Obamas said in a statement issued by the White House.

Associated Press writer Julie Pace in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Posted by Matthew Hay Brown at 5:00 AM | | Comments (13)
        

Comments

It doesnt surprise me that the president attended church services with his numbers in the polls being the way they are. If he wants to prove to anyone that he is a Christian, there is only one way for him to do that. He needs to stop acting as though his office is a religion neutral one and to come out and make a statement that Jesus Christ is the Son of the only true and living God. Will he do that? If he does, I may vote for him even if he doesnt mean it. It wont happen. That is my prediction. Lets start looking at who the GOP candidates will be for 2012. It makes no sense whatsoever to do anything else. Even if they also dont make such a statement, they have to be better than the extreme left wing ideology that we have had in power.

Clay - You do so well, all on your own, proving that you have your head lodged firmly up your butt. You are an idiot's idiot.

I am trying to help our country. You come off as an angry man who makes comments without logic. I cant help but think that you put too much emphasis on youth and vitality which you no longer have. Remember, we are always young with Christ.

Where do you get that "always young with Christ" nonsense Clay. It isn't in the Bible.

In 1 Corinthians (14:20) Paul says “Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.”

In the passage before that he spoke about you, Clay. He said “I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.” In other words, say something that makes sense rather than babble on with nonsense.

Your “young with Christ” is a misinterpretation of Matthew 18:3. Paul did not admonish us to think like toddlers Clay, only to be humble. You need only read the next line to know this “"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4)

I simply meant that we are encouraged as Christians. That encourages us to feel energized and if we are energized we usually feel a little younger. I was trying to encourage Mr Littel. Thanks.

So, Clay, you're betting the President won't make announcement, "Jesus Christ is the Son of the only true and living God"? Way to go out on a limb, Clay ... considering that if, the President did such a thing, he'd be in direct violation of his oath of office.

Poor Mr Obama. When he doesn't go to church enough to please you, Clay, he isn't "on fire for Christ." When he does go to church, he's pumping his poll numbers. What's the secular President of a secular (and increasingly un-churched) Naton to do???

So Robert, do you feel encouraged?

Does Clay's comment that you are "an angry man who makes comments without logic," make you "feel energized," like Clay suggests that it should?

More to the point, Mr Littel, do Clay's exhortations make you feel younger?

Clay's ranting absolutist rubbish definitely makes me feel smarter, by comparison, which would also hold true for him and several other forms of primate. I find that he may represent a true demarcation point in our development, that may herald our evolving beyond our recent stage up to this point, with Clay representing the lower form left behind. It would not surprise me in the least if many of us have moved so far up the scale that cross-breeding with his kind may be impossible, which would protect the more highly evolved from further contamination. He is lucky this time because the last time such an event occurred (Neanderthal/Cro Mag-non), the higher developed form found the lower developed form to be quite delicious.

I think you will find, Robert, that the Neanderthal's were eating one another before Cro-Magnon had opened the Tabasco sauce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap-OO0xqTe4

Clay should be so lucky!

Ah Robert! Congratulations. You are still carrying on the good fight. I see you have not altered the landscape one bit. Clay has reappeared with more Clay where his brain needs to be. Extracting all that Clay, don't you know is not only an arduous job, it is well nigh impossible. If you are not Christian you are not human--the gospel according to Clay.
R Anon

Clay why is it you feel the need to question the President's faith. Isn't it a bit prideful an un-Christian for you to be judging the faith of others. The office of president is religion neutral Clay. The constitution requires that. I am curious why you wouldn't hold a GOP candidate to the same "come out and make a statement that Jesus Christ is the Son of the only true and living God" you require of the president?

Dana - Clay's ancestors (as well as the rest of ours) were eating each other routinely as little as 20,000 years ago, but Clay will say that is impossible because the universe is only 6000 years old.

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About Matthew Hay Brown
Matthew Hay Brown writes and blogs about faith and values in public and private life for The Baltimore Sun. A former Washington correspondent for the newspaper, he has long written about the intersection of religion and politics. He has reported from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, traveling most recently to Syria and Jordan to write about the Iraqi refugee crisis.
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