The Obamas leave Trinity

Well, this has been out in the news for a while, I know, but I have still not decided how I feel about it. It is a shame that this year, at least, it isn't possible for a successful presidential candidate to be a serious, committed member of a progressive Christian church.

When I was a volunteer in DC, Bill and Hillary Clinton attended Foundry United Methodist Church, which was reasonably progressive. There was a GLBT fellowship group, for example, and during one uncomfortable sermon moment, the pastor looked directly at the President and told him to expand a nuclear arms treaty. But he was a white pastor, and this wasn't being recorded for YouTube.

In all, this is a clear reminder to me of the value of separating church and state. The aims of faith and the aims of politics diverge quite a bit. How much worse would it be for Trinity to compromise its faithfulness to God for the sake of political gain! I agree with Obama that his staying at Trinity would continue to provide a wealth of resources for journalists interested in scandal.

I know this, and yet it's still sad.