Obama resigns from Trinity church

Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:23 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones and NBC's Mark Hudspeth
ABERDEEN, SD -- Barack Obama resigned his membership at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, campaign communications director Robert Gibbs confirmed this afternoon.

The resignation came just more than a month after Obama denounced former Trinity pastor and friend the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and days after another long-time Obama associate, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, had delivered a sermon at the church ridiculing Hillary Clinton. Both men's comments were captured on video.

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Comments

This was probably inevitable - he had to take this issue completely off the table.

Sad for him, nonetheless, to feel compelled to leave behind a place that has meant so much to him and his family.

As St. Paul wrote, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize..."

Gail, TN (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:30 PM)

How can such an announcement be made before the vote by the RBC?

Terry, IN (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:30 PM)

Far too late. This will still haunt him into the fall election. He either needed to stay at the church and say "I like this family of faith, even if there are a few extremists in the crowd, and that's it," or he needed to quit a month ago. Instead of looking principled, Obama now looks wishy-washy.

Mr. Rational, College Station, TX (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:31 PM)

What a joke. 20 years and two racist pastors too late. Mr. Pandering is at it again. How anyone can vote for this guy or trust him to lead out country is beyond me.

Jay Link, Chicago, IL (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:33 PM)

Yeah,

Good riddance!

What is wrong with that church.

ET (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:33 PM)

THAT should keep the whining Clintons a little quiet. (How come they don't want Amy Poehler to be fired??)
And he did it in his own way. Hopefully, one headache
put aside. Now if he can just get rid of the CLINTONS
by Wednesday...

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:33 PM)

ALICE GERMOND just beautifully addressed my 48 other state blog remark.
Well done, Alice.

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:34 PM)

Excellent. Now, can we get Hillary to denounce and repudiate that crone Geraldine Ferraro? Apologize sincerely for making assassination comments? The disgusting comments her husband has been making? How about firing Harold Ickes?

No, didn't think that was in option in HillaryLand.

Women for Obama.

Lana, California (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:38 PM)

With a condrite spirit and a repent heart but with an open mind, God loves you Barack Obama..and we love you for your courage and honesty..

You are welcome in our church anytime..
Love is the most powerful thing in the universe..
that's our savior our LORD, HIS Only Begotten SON,
Jesus Christ..
Amen

BJ, CA (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:39 PM)

Regardless, this Reverend has a future on SNL!!!! It is like he was briefly reincarnated to deliver that zinger/mocker.

D. Kollings, Hobe Sound, FL (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:39 PM)

Well now, that didn't take long now did it? What, 20 plus years? Now Obama, the great Uniter of men, was part of this church for decades, and this church is the result of his actions? Oh, but he was just a memeber. Apparently he was more then that, getting $200,000 of state and federal ear-marks for his church and Pflegers church. You'd think that the message would be different from those churches with Barack's leadership, one of peace and unity, but alas, that doesn't appear to be the case. And now this man has the gall to tell us he can unite the country when he couldn't even unite his church? The man is a fraud and a phony.

Ben Roseberg, Chicago, IL (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:44 PM)

I do think this was a necessary move for Obama to make. However, as a member of the larger United Church of Christ, I would urge readers of this and other blogs to know that the snipets of Rev. Wright and of Father Pfleger (a Catholic guest preacher) are not in any way representative and anything I have ever seen at any United Church of Christ. It concerns me that the entire denomination not be painted with such a broad, repugnant brush stroke.

Anita, Yorkville, IL (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:45 PM)

The resignation is fresh, but the stench just won't go away. Obama can't even control what goes on in his church, you'd think he might say or do something in the twenty years he was there, so how is he going control the entire country?

Min Wang, St. Paul MN (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:46 PM)

O, irony, thou art bittersweet! Didn't Jesus overturn the tables of the money changers in or near temple? Certainly one function of any church, perhaps especially [the] African-American church historically, has been to hold a mirror up to America. Can we no longer withstand criticism? I do think the mocking of Hillary was too much, however I suspect we wince due to a grain of truth. Elsewhere Obama has been referred to as a 'Golden Boy,' respectfully, recognizing his gifts. In baseball when you play the Yankees, your play tends to elevate to their skill level. Ditto Hillary.

Hank Harwell, Phoenix, Arizona (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:47 PM)

Great...let's move on!

Kimberly in Texas (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:47 PM)

Que the Republicans, racists and Hillary Clinton supporters: "It's too late!" "He should've quit that church 20 years ago!" "It's a political stunt!" Watch the comments after this one. So transparent it's sickening. No matter what Obama says, does or no matter how similar his policies are to Hillary Clinton's, you would find fault.Like you were ever going to vote for the man anyway. If the Republicans win this election after all of the damage they have done, you deserve everything they put on you.Now I am begginning to believe that the Europeans are right, Americans are some of the STUPIDEST people on the planet.

E.L. (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:50 PM)

What a pity. A church is much more than it's preachers. If it's not something's wrong because Christianity is a active faith that everyone should participate in -- not just observe on Sundays. By all accounts Trinity UCC is a solid Christian church that's active in the life of Chicago and has given the Obama family 20 years of support. That's what his church should be judged on!

That said, him leaving will give his church a break from being in the fishbowl. But still, it's sad to see a Christian church being swift-boated.

J, Madison, Indiana (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:51 PM)

This is dumb. So now Obama is responsible for comments from anybody who speaks at trinity, and as a result has to quit the Church he was married in. The church is not the Pastor, and Obama is not the Pastor. This is when politics is just disgusting, because obviously, internal polling dictates he has to do it, otherwise some chaps in wes verginny won't vote for him. I don't hold McCain responsible for the ridiculous comments of his pastors, for the simple reason "HE DIDN"T MAKE THEM."

This second pastor nonstory was promoted by the media, and began to stick. It has absolutley nothing to do with the future of this country...

Willy (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:52 PM)

I believe strongly in equality and respect for all people and am very familiar with the United Church of Christ, a loving and progressive religious community. But, reluctantly, I have come to the conclusion that Trinity UCC in Chicago is a cesspool of racism. It does not remotely teach love. The Catholic priest's diatribe was show-boating and hate filled; totally inexcusable. And, the congregations was in full agreement standing and clapping and saying "Amen". Members need to remember whose name is included in the name of the church.

T Walker; Montgomery, Alabama (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 6:53 PM)

What a joke! BO has been attending his church for over twenty years and now, because it might get him a few more votes, he resigns. You will never get the votes of the millions and millions of Hillary supporters. We will write-in her name in November if it does not appear on the ballot. BO has split the democratic party and there is no fixing it.
Your lame ploy to quit your church for a few lousy votes is pathetic, BO will never bring our party together, hes the one who split it in the first place. Does he think that we Americans are some kind of fools? I believe he does.
I will support Hillary Clinton all the way to the White House!!!
I hope all you delegates and superdelegates get the message, we will never support BO as our democratic choice for President, simply because he is not our choice!!!

DaddysDarlin, Cedar City, Utah (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:00 PM)

Now we see the result of Barack Obama 'community organizing' work in Chicago, most of it done through his (ex)church. Nice work Barack. Looks like you united the people real good, if you call hating people that don't agree with you uniting that is.

Stone Walters, Cleveland (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:05 PM)

I'm glad Obama severed ties with this church. Obama should not get the blame for what other adults say! It's unjust and unfair. It's ridiculous. Every adult is responsible for his or her own actions!

Wanakee, Mandeville, LA (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:05 PM)

Now can we concentrate on issues? I don't even care if McCain and his shills denounce Robertson, Hagee, Parsley, and I'll even throw in Falwell, even though he's long dead

laughaday (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:06 PM)

Barack don't need those people anymore anyway. He's big time now.

Rapher Alson, Houston Texas (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:07 PM)

Thank goodness. What will Fox News do now?
Maybe talk about issues that matter?

David Kolva, MD Oswego/Syracuse, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:13 PM)

after he drank the coolade now he dos'nt like it
and dos'nt want to pay for it.

brianne bronx ny (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:16 PM)

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