Photo by NCinDCNo matter how many news inches or cable spots are dedicated to coverage of President Barack Obama’s church attendance, the message just will not reach some people. Some 11 percent of Americans still mistakenly believe that Obama is a Muslim, a number that might seem outrageous to those who live in D.C., where the number of the pew the President occupied is reported on the front page of the Metro section.
For the big Easter service, the Obamas picked St. John’s Episcopal Church, the so-called Church of the Presidents, so named because every President since James Madison has popped his head in for at least a quick prayer. The Washington Post reported his attendance in detail, and by that account, nothing of interest happened inside the church beyond what you might expect of an Easter service yet outside crowds and tourists gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the President.
Putting aside the question of spiritual nourishment, which no one but the Obamas themselves can speak to anyway, wouldn’t it be better for everyone if the First Family didn’t decide on a church home? For one, parishioners at a permanent church home for the Obamas are likely to get over their regular attendance far, far more quickly than tourists, who will spend the next 4 to 8 years’ worth of Sundays gawking at this church, wherever it is. If the Obamas were to spread their love for the divine, on the other hand, more churches might enjoy an Obama bounce. The Sunday after a First Family visit might be a visitor draw to match the boost that restaurant would once report the night after a dining visit from the Clintons. Further, roving Obama worship might motivate local reporters to write in depth about area churches, a beat that has been sadly neglected since the end of the “Service Industry” column at the Washington City Paper.
