Barack Obama has resigned from Trinity UCC, which played a central role in so many milestone events of Obama’s life: his coming to Christianity, his start as a community organizer–and, by extension, a politician–his ability to finally identify comfortably as an African American after being raised by a white mother, not to mention his marriage and the baptisms of his two daughters. The move comes after a guest sermon by Rev. Michael Pfleger at Trinity UCC put the church back on front pages of newspapers, weeks after Rev. Jeremiah Wright had done so (again). As surprised as God-o-Meter was by the announcement, after a third round of national controversy at Trinity UCC’s hands, how must choice did Obama really have?

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