Obama has yet to pick church since distancing from Wright

BY DEANNA BELLANDI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2008

Email this story | Printer-friendly version

CHICAGO — His name was invoked at church services nationwide Sunday, but Presidentelect Obama didn’t attend any of them. He went to the gym instead.

Obama doesn’t have a church in Chicago since he severed ties in April with his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. And his decision on which church to attend when he moves to Washington will undoubtedly be closely watched.

When he left Trinity United Church of Christ in May, Obama said his family would look for a new congregation. Obama spokesman Jen Psaki said Sunday that the president-elect hadn’t yet picked a church.

He knows the stakes when choosing one. Wright’s fiery sermons from the pulpit caused Obama problems during his campaign. One video showed Wright saying, “God damn America.”

Obama later denounced Wright for “divisive and destructive” remarks after the pastor delivered an eyebrowraising speech praising Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan and suggesting Obama distanced himself from Wright for political reasons.

Since the election, Wright has claimed the media used him to try attacking Obama. Wright has said that some of his statements, especially from the pulpit, had been taken out of context.

“Their intention was to use me as a weapon of mass destruction to tear down that man’s integrity,” Wright said Thursday during an event in Connecticut.

FEEDBACK:

Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online