President does the prayer breakfast right

by Dennis Coday

View Author Profile

dcoday@ncronline.org

Join the Conversation

Send your thoughts to Letters to the Editor. Learn more

President Obama's appearance at the Annual prayer breakfast impressed at least two commentators who follow the nexus of religion and public life professionally.

Cathleen Falsani, Religion News Service, has watched Obama since his Chicago days. She writes:

"During the prayer breakfast, the president gave more than just a glimpse into his spiritual life -- he detailed the how, when and what of his daily prayer life, and spoke eloquently and intimately about his love and devotion to God. ...

"The president concluded his remarks by describing his nightly prayers.

“I wait on the Lord and ask him to forgive me my sins, look after my family and the American people, and make me an instrument of his will.”

NCR's own Michael Sean Winters isn't big Prayer Breakfast fan. "As something of a stiff-necked RC, I have always been suspicious of “American civic religion," he writes. But Winters found Obama's talk yesterday "refreshing."

"Future presidents should follow Obama. It is better to have our President allow some of the Mystery of the Godhead to emerge into our civic religion, as Obama did, lest we reduce our religion to a prop for Americanism.

Latest News

Advertisement

1x per dayDaily Newsletters
1x per weekWeekly Newsletters
2x WeeklyBiweekly Newsletters