President Obama’s pastoral advisors, post-Wright
Since President Obama is the world’s most powerful church “seeker” (he still hasn’t found a church home since his split with southside Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ), The New York Times provides an interesting overview of the pastors who now advise the President on pastoral and spiritual matters.
It is an intriguing group. They would all be considered what we would broadly define as evangelicals. But they defy stereotypes. They represent a wide spectrum in political beliefs and could hardly be called politically conservative, even though their theology certainly would be.
They represent what has historically been some of the hallmarks shared between American evangelicalism and the Black church: theologically conservative, politically progressive. By “history,” I mean the same strains of evangelical faith and action that propelled the anti-slavery and women’s enfranchisement movements, not its more recent incarnation in the “religious right.”
As the Times points out, though, they would certainly represent conservative views on abortion and homosexuality, which may provide a modicum of comfort for those who have been terrified by what they see as President Obama’s aggressive agenda on those issues. And perhaps a modicum of discomfort for those who believe otherwise.
Travis Scholl, 35, is managing editor of theological publications at Concordia Seminary. A graduate of Yale Divinity School (MDiv), he is an ordained Lutheran minister. Despite some time away, he and his wife are native St. Louisans, as is the child they are now raising. 
Why doesn’t he just pack up the wife and kids and go like every other president? Surely there is at least one church in the DC area that believes the CIA invented AIDS and crack to exterminate black people like his previous one did.
Go_Fish,
That was an extremely ridiculous thing to say. Are you a believer and follower of Christ? If so, I doubt that your response would been the one you have stated. Why don’t you genuinely hope or even pray that Obama will find a church that God is very pleased with and not one any man according to his own mind think is acceptable. You are exactly what you have judged Rev. Wright to be, a person who truly do not know God or our Savior Jesus. And, if you were wise, you would repent.
I do hope the president can find a church that God is pleased with, but if past performance is any indication, it doesn’t seem likely.
I fear Pres Obama uses religion and church membership the same way most other politicians do - as vehicles to enhance their social and political careers. Obama and his handlers talk alot about his supposed spirituality and sense of moral duty, but if he’s shown any tangible proof of those convictions, they sure don’t get any attention. Obama billed himself the entire presidential campaign as a devout believer and a regular church goer. You would think he’d have found a church to take his family long before he arrived in Washington. Near as I can tell, he hasn’t been to church in over a year. Could it be because he has no use for them now that he’s reached the apex of his political career?
There are some basic and fundamental problems with politicians and religion. Our society is a civil one, a non-sectarian one and an open one. Do we want moral politicians and leaders who have values outside themselves, who are interested in the welfare of all? Of course we do. But once our elected representatives start making a point of being overt about their particular religion or even denomination the risk is run of becoming exclusionary. People are left out. Even if you have a kitchen cabinet of religious advisors someone is going to be left out. A president is a president, not a president/chaplain or religious example. The special problem of religion in politics is that faith in the unseen, the unknowable, leads to certainty and certainty leads to divisions. If you doubt that think to yourself if you know anyone who would say that they couldn’t vote for someone who didn’t believe in God no matter how moral they were. Think of people who sy freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom from religion. I think actually it does mean that. When people and politicians base their decisions on articles of faith room for disagreement is lost.