Christmas Eve and President Obama

[Salty]

Fill in talk show host Tammy Bruce seemed concerned that President Obama only attended church service on the day after Christmas, rather than being there on Christmas Eve for service.

Do you see that as a problem - or is it making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Here is the letter I sent to Tammy.
Tammy,

I was listening to you yesterday on the Laura show.
I would have called yesterday, but was unable to do so.

I would like to comment on the subject that President Obama did not attend Christmas Eve Service.

First, I would like to mention that I am not a supporter of Obama policies. In New York State, I am the Town Chairman for the Conservative Party.

You let known your displeasure that the President did not attend Christmas Eve services, rather went to church the day after Christmas.

I would like to point out the fact I am an Ordained Baptist minister. I do not attend Christmas Eve services! I do not have anything against them, neither will I put anyone down who does attend.
My main reason for not attending is that to me Christmas Eve is a family night; to stay home together. Our tradition is to read the Christmas Story from the New Testament.
Like the President, I also attended church the day after Christmas - because it was the Lords Day. The Day we worship weekly to celebrate the blessed resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I would also like to point out that as Baptists we believe in the autonomy of the local church - that is there is no hierarchy. Many Baptist churches do have Christmas Eve services, just as many Baptists do not schedule services on Christmas Eve. The United Church of Christ (of which Obama attended in Chicago) is similar to Baptist churches in that they are also basically autonomous.

I have started a thread on a board I am on. You may find some interesting answers.



Rev R. Bob Teachout
Pastor

SO CHRIST MAY BE MAGNIFIED
Phil 1:20





Salty

PS - I put this in the Bap Only section as I only wanted input from the Baptist members.

 

[blackbird]

I didn't attend any sort of service either!! Does that mean I'm goin' to "The HOT Place"???????

 

[abcgrad94]

Since when has Obama worshiped anyone but himself? If the man actually DID worship Christ, it wouldn't matter WHERE. The problem is not when and where, but DOES he even worship Christ at all? Tammy is missing the forest for the tree. Since when does the worship of Christ have to take place at a certain time in a certain building?

Christmas Eve has always been considered a special family time in my home, because Christmas Day is spent with extended relatives. I've been Baptist all my life, and have never been in a Baptist church that held Christmas Eve services. It was always understood we'd worship at home with our family on that night.

 

[glfredrick]

If there is a Christmas Eve service, I tend to go. If not? I don't.

I was in church Sunday morning with the rest of our church family.

The issue with Obama is not whether he attended a Christmas Eve service, but whether he attends ANY church service. He tends to go only when it will be politically expedient to do so, i.e., cameras running and some cause he supports.

 

[Alcott]

"Other answer." I was home, but not 'with family' because I live alone, and I was preparing for a 2-hour drive to my brother and sister-n-law's place, where another brother, a niece, her husband and 2 kids, would be. I could have made the first (of 3) services we had that day, but I have heard it told that that's the one in which most parents with young children attend, with no nursery, so it's packed and noisy. Besides, this was the rainiest C.E. I can remember, making loading and travel more difficult.

 

[preachinjesus]

I forgot that we elected a "pastor in chief" and not an actual president.


Anyhoo, I marked "other" since we were traveling.

 

[mcdirector]

of all things to ask about. We went this year. We didn't go last year. It has been pretty much a part of our Christmas Eve routine as long as it was early enough. We couldn't go to church this Sunday morning because services were canceled due to the snow we got. Otherwise, we would have been there.

Perhaps we could ask him about the economy, jobs, the value of the American dollar?

 

[Dr. Bob]

I spoke at a Christmas Eve service 1150 miles from home. Our church is family-oriented and would not be on our radar to have a service at that time. Odd.

 

[Tom Butler]

Mountain out of a molehill.

 

[glfredrick]

I forgot that we elected a "pastor in chief" and not an actual president.


Anyhoo, I marked "other" since we were traveling.

We didn't... But virtually every US President in our history has had some faith practice. Up until the past decade or so, that would reflect the people of this nation, but now, we're adrift in a sea of agnostic nihilism. Why should we expect our President to be different?

 

[SaggyWoman]

I didn't because I had to work. I am going to hockey stick.

 

[KenH]

Why is Tammy Bruce concerned about this since she is a homosexual?

 

[Salty]

Why is Tammy Bruce concerned about this since she is a homosexual?

Do you have a solid source for that?

She says she is a conservative - if so - she is a very liberal conservative -
wonder if the Libertarians would have her

 

[KenH]

My source is Tammy Bruce's website. Plus I already knew who she is.

"Informing her commentary is the fact that she is also a gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, Tea Party Independent Conservative."

- http://tammybruce.com/biography

 

[menageriekeeper]

We have better things to hold against Obama than whether or not he took his family to church on Christmas Eve.

I would have loved to have attended our Christmas Eve service, only for 23 years on Christmas Eve we have celebrated with my family. Along the way, my brother disowned my parents (for good reason), therefore I am now the only child my parents have (it ain't easy either). My parents are in their 70's now, mother has alzheimers. Believe me when I say I'd rather have gone to church!!! My husband who doesn't go to church would rather have and would have gone to church!

But, I have to look at it this way. Which shows the grace of God: Spending time with a lonely elderly couple who have little family or going to Christmas Eve service. Even if they weren't my parents, I can't help but think God is more honored by my physical service, than my passive worship.

Find something else to complain about.

 

[preachinjesus]

We didn't... But virtually every US President in our history has had some faith practice.

President Obama claims a faith practice and attends services at times. Frankly I don't know what you want, an every week, front pew President?

No President in the last 100 years would meet that criteria.

Up until the past decade or so, that would reflect the people of this nation, but now, we're adrift in a sea of agnostic nihilism. Why should we expect our President to be different?

Actually I'll call it neural buddhism, but nevertheless...we live in a pluralistic society. That means we Christians don't have the corner on dictating others' religious practices (not that we should anyways.) So I don't get it when people get upset about the Presidents' church attendance. Hey let's start by celebrating that he claims Christ.

 

[TC]

I have attended Christmas Eve services in the past, but I have had to work C.E. and C. day for the last couple of years. I have no problem with people seeing C.E. as family time and not attending C.E services.

 

[glfredrick]

President Obama claims a faith practice and attends services at times. Frankly I don't know what you want, an every week, front pew President?

No President in the last 100 years would meet that criteria.



Actually I'll call it neural buddhism, but nevertheless...we live in a pluralistic society. That means we Christians don't have the corner on dictating others' religious practices (not that we should anyways.) So I don't get it when people get upset about the Presidents' church attendance. Hey let's start by celebrating that he claims Christ.

President Obama has been fairly evident that his church-going activities are not in keeping with standard Protestant levels. His preferred pastor is the chaplain at Camp David, but Obama has not even made an effort to unite with a local church, something that most presidents in history have done.

Here is a list of the affiliations of our Presidents.

Baptist Warren Harding
Harry Truman
Jimmy Carter (Southern Baptist)
Bill Clinton (Southern Baptist)

Congregationalist
Calvin Coolidge
Disciples of Christ
James Garfield
Lyndon Johnson
Ronald Reagan (also Presbyterian)

Dutch Reformed
Martin Van Buren
Theodore Roosevelt

Episcopalian
George Washington
James Madison
James Monroe
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Zachary Taylor
Franklin Pierce
Chester A. Arthur
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Gerald Ford
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush (later Methodist)

Methodist
James Polk (originally Presbyterian)
Ulysses Grant (allegedly; his theology is unknown)
William McKinley
George W. Bush (originally Episcopalian)

Presbyterian
Andrew Jackson
James Polk (later Methodist)
James Buchanan
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Woodrow Wilson
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ronald Reagan (also Disciples of Christ)

Quaker
Herbert Hoover
Richard Nixon

Roman Catholic
John F. Kennedy

Unitarian
John Adams
John Quincy Adams
Millard Fillmore
William Howard Taft

United Church of Christ
Barack Obama (later no affiliation)
Note that the 1957 merger which formed the U.C.C. included the Congregational Christian Churches.

No denominational affiliation
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses Grant
Rutherford Hayes
Barack Obama (previously United Church of Christ)