Obama Resigns 20-Year Church Membership

Controversial Remarks From Church's Pastor, Minister Prompt Obama To Submit Letter Of Resignation

(CBS/ AP)  Barack Obama has resigned his 20 year membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in the aftermath of inflammatory remarks by his longtime pastor the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and more recent fiery remarks at the church by another minister.

Obama campaign communications director Robert Gibbs said Obama had submitted a letter of resignation to the church and would discuss his decision in a session with reporters later Saturday.

It happened "over the last few days," Gibbs said.

In the letter, obtained by CBS News, Obama told Rev. Otis Moss III he made the "decision with sadness," noting it was the place he and wife Michelle were married and where the couple's children were baptized.

"But as you know," wrote Obama, "our relations with Trinity have been strained by the divisive statement of Reverend Wright, which sharply conflicts with our own views."

The letter was signed by both Obama and his wife.

In a statement released by the church, Moss wrote, "we are saddened by the news, we understand that it is a personal decision."

Comments by Wright have inflamed racial tensions and posed an unwanted problem for Obama, front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, as he seeks to wrap up the nomination.

More recently, racially charged remarks from the same pulpit by another pastor, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, has kept the controversy alive and proved the latest thorn in the side of Obama.

Pfleger earlier this month mocked Obama rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as a guest speaker at Obama's church.

Obama has condemned comments by both Wright and Pfleger, but the controversy has persisted.

For months, Obama has been hamstrung by the rhetoric of Wright, whose sermons blaming U.S. policies for the Sept. 11 attacks and calls of "God damn America" for its racism became fixtures on the Internet and cable news networks.

Initially, Obama said he disagreed with Wright but portrayed him as representing a part of him he couldn't disown. The preacher had officiated at Obama's wedding and been his spiritual mentor for some 20 years.

But six weeks after Obama's well-received speech on race, Wright claimed at an appearance in Washington that the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested that Obama was acting like a politician by putting his pastor at arm's length while privately agreeing with him.

After that, Obama denounced Wright's comments as "divisive and destructive."

On Thursday, Obama was again forced to reject another man of the cloth, this time Pfleger, who made racially charged comments mocking Clinton in a guest sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama's church.

Obama made it clear he wasn't happy with the comments - in which Pfleger pretended he was Clinton crying over "a black man stealing my show" - and said he was "deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause."

Pfleger, too, issued an apology, saying he was sorry if his comments offended Clinton or anyone else.

[barbjc1]

I think Hillary should run as an independent in November with Ron Paul as her VP. They would clean Obama and McCain''s clock.

[patriot12436]

joecoolswat
Guess what we will never win in Iraq. How could we accomplish something that noone has been able to do thru out history ? Iraq will be fighting for centuries to come. This is their way of life, they know nothing else.

[patriot12436]

thgdriver
Hopefully they are not bolted to the floor. The destruction of the DNC would be one of the best things to ever happen in this country. They tried to shove obama down our throats and we wouldn''t swallow. They keep shooting themselves in the foot. How many feet do they have ? If they stay with obama then they will give this election away. Hillary should have run as an independent after the way the DNC has treated her. I have never belonged to a perty and this is why. I would not blindly vote for any party. I always want to know what a candidate will offer to get my vote.

[patriot12436]

blackmilitan
I wouldn''t want to stand next to obama in front of God or anywhere else. And i have walked the walk so i can talk the talk. Have you walked the walk, or do you hide behind your religion ?

[patriot12436]

blackmilitan
No one sits in church like spounges...no one but fools.
Well said.
Now have you asked obama why he sat there for 20 years ?

[patriot12436]

obama8years
Wouldn''t it be considered racist for a black caucus to not allow white members ? Oh i forgot, being blacks are a minority thy can''t be racist.

[patriot12436]

blackmilitan
Maybe the white race needs tostart a tv channel called WET. You think the black groups would mind if we followed their example ?

[larysinclair]

Obama,...come on!! You love these people and agree with all of these psychos!! You decide to resign now that it makes sense politically? It seems that at least 17 million intelligent people see through your BS, and then you have the 17 million that drink your kool-aid!! You are a disgrace,...drop out now!!

PUNISH THE DNC!!!

Obama/YourMama!!

[thgdriver]

Nobama was the one who took himself out of the Michigan primary vote, he did not have to do that but that is what he did. Hillary on the other hand stayed on in the balloting.

Why should he be given almost half plus 4 more of hers?

He should be receiving 0, none, nix, Nada, ETC.

The Democratic party is going to self destruct for good like they almost did 1n 1968. Remember the riots in the streets of Chicago? This time the riots will be right in the convention center. I can see them busting chairs over each others heads, hopefully they are bolted to the floor. LOL

[blackyowe]

Fight Girl, Fight! We want you to be the one! The greenhorn is not up to the job! PLEASE don''t quit Hillary. Push all the way to the Convention! Time for a show down at the OK corral! The coastalcrats have no right telling us in the heartland what we have to do!

[blackmilitan]

THEIR IS A WHITE CAUCUS ITS CALLED KKK AND MOST OF YOUR SO CALLED WHITE FOLKS NOT WHITE GENETICALLY ENOUGH TO BE A MEMBER
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
IMAGINE THAT A WHITE CLUB THAT ALL WHITES CANT JOIN
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[blackmilitan]

TERRORISM
TELL THE MILLIONS OF OLD FOLKS WHO MONEY WAS STOLEN BY MCCAIN. THAT HE IS A GOOD DECENT CHRISTAIN
FOOL.
AND GUESS WHAT, THEY WERE HARD WORKING WHITE AMERICANS WHO SAVED UP FOR RETIREMENT.

THIS GOOD CHRISTAIN MCCAIN ROBBED THEM.

[blackmilitan]

REAGAN LOVE WICCA

On August 30, 1974 Governor Ronald Reagan signed this legislation into law which became Chapter 583, and added Section 50027 to the Government Code, relating to astrology. After this legislation was passed, Sacramento licensed astrologers and allowed them to practice for compensation.

WHEN DID CHRISTIANS PRATICE WICCA?
REAGAN DID

HE HAD HIS PALMS READ AND SAUGHT A FORTUNE TELLER ADVISE ON WHETHER RUSSIA WOULD USE NUKES

YET HE WAS THE GREATEST PRESIDENT????

[joecoolswat]

obama8years.....SSSssshhh...you''re not supposed to mention the war is won, or being won....This will take away all the Democrats have, they are putting all their hope on re-election on a loss in Iraq....A win would be devestating for them

[obama8years]

BREAKING NEWS.....WASHINGTON POST SAYS US WINNING WAR! IRAQ GOVERMENT HAS MOST CONTROL.. Could we be pulling out of Iraq with a Victory!

READ IT if your a true american. All other foreigners and Islamic Radicals, dont bother reading.


Great News Everyone, the Washington Post is reporting the US is Winning the War. READ IT!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/w

p-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR200
80
53101927.html

[obama8years]

Great News Everyone, the Washington Post is reporting the US is Winning the War. READ IT!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR2008053101927.html

[joecoolswat]

IS THIS FUNNY OR WHAT.....With 5 months left in a major Presidential election....He resigns from the church after 20 years....I guess the previous 20 years, everything was fine and dandy and very agreeable with your beliefs? Obama?

[obama8years]

Is there a White Caucus, that is exclusively for Whites....i think this black caucus is bad for america. Why doesnt somebody say something.

The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the African American members of the Congress of the United States. Membership is exclusive to African Americans[1] and its chair in the 110th Congress is Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan.

[obama8years]

I had no Idea this existed?? ***..


The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the African American members of the Congress of the United States. Membership is exclusive to African Americans[1] and its chair in the 110th Congress is Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan.

[terrorislami]

Posted by BLACKMILITAN at 12:15 PM : Jun 02, 2008

and he was found INNOCENT,,,

got it