Our Newly Atheist President?

[FarLeftFist]

The Senate vote on final passage of health reform almost scuttled their plans, but it looks like the First Family will still make it to Hawaii for Christmas. They've had a whirlwind holiday season so far, starting with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, through hosting more than 50,000 people for 27 parties and open houses, and ending with a visit by the First Lady, Malia and Sasha, and the family's dog Bo, to deliver cookies to the Children's National Medical Center. The Obamas have also started their own holiday traditions in their new home, adding a Christmas wishing tree to the decorations festooning the White House.

But there's one common Christmas practice not on the First Family's schedule: a visit to Christmas Eve church services.

Church, in fact, has been a surprisingly tough issue for the Obamas. They resigned their membership with Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in 2008 after Obama renounced the church's controversial former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. And while the First Family intended to find a local church to attend when they moved to Washington, concerns about crowds and displacing regular worshippers has prevented them from finding a new religious home during their first year here.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I find it refreshing to have a President that doesn't feel the need to be indoctrinated by a religion while holding office in a country made up of such a diverse religious population.

[stopbush]

1. Reagan never went to church either. He also never visited with his children.

Which is why he constantly talked about god and family values. :sarcasm:

[DesertFlower]

2. i also find it refreshing. nt

[babylonsister]

3. I like it too. Rec'd. nt

[FarLeftFist]

4. It's not like he's anti-religion...

Obviously he attended a christian church, I guess he just doesn't feel the need to politicize the church and use his attendance as a photo-op. Or maybe he came to his senses on religion and thought "I'm President of the United States, why do I want to listen to some guy read a book I've already read and tell me how I should live my life. He's not some magical person, he wasn't transported here from heaven, he's just some guy. His name is Scott, he drives a Buick, he used to play soccer, and probably got beat up in high school."

[Prism]

5. He better be religious

Actually, now that I think on it, either way, it doesn't really make his opposition to gay marriage any better.

But he does cite his religion as his personal justification.

If he's lying about that, well, eh. Doesn't really say anything about him we didn't already now. But it'd somehow make it just a little bit worse than it already is.

[FarLeftFist]

9. Idk how opposed he is to gay marriage but...

I will say this, religion is a funny thing. These same tax-exempt religious institutions are opposed to the marriage of 2 tax-paying citizens. Ridiculous. As a straight male my stance on gay marriage is this: If 2 people pay taxes they should be allowed to marry, anything less is archaic and uncivilized. I can't believe it's 2010 and people in the U.S. still have to fight for civil rights. Effin ridiculous.

[Hippo_Tron]

12. Let me give you a hint, he's definitely lying

Nobody except for a politician could possibly have a stance on gay marriage where they oppose gay marriage but also oppose Proposition 8 (unless of course for some strange reason they think gay marriage should be legal but only in California). His "official" position on gay marriage is the sum of a bunch of political spin and posturing that our political system demands candidates do.

[immoderate]

6. I don't care what he believes. I want his policies to be religiously neutral.

He should drop faith based agency, religious advisers. Prohibit religious organizations from running charter schools.

--imm

[FarLeftFist]

7. Agreed.

[LostInAnomie]

8. I wouldn't doubt we've had quite a few Atheist presidents.

They would probably have never admitted it, but I'm sure quite a few were. I wouldn't doubt most of them were Republicans too.

[Ineeda]

10. many of our 'founding fathers' were Deists, not Christian as they are portrayed. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

11. He's an Atheist Muslin who goes to teh evil Reverand Wright's Church

Any questions?

[earth mom]

13. ROFLMAO! You must be joking!

:rofl:

Obama has continued the faith based office that * set up. And mind you, that "faith based office" is unconstitutional!

http://www.secular.org/issues/faith_based

Not only that but in Obama's address to the troops he bought up jesus! Another violation of the separation of church and state!

"Even in these tough economic times, Obama said, there's still much to celebrate this Christmas, including the birth of Jesus."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/24/obamas-send-christmas-gre_n_403423.html

It really looks like the reason Obama's don't go to church is because they can't find one that fits their needs in Washington.

But to say that Obama is holding back on his beliefs to respect ALL beliefs is absolutely laughable because if anything it's just the opposite. :eyes: