Barak Obama & family – welcome to the PNCC?
In the spirit of this post at Shuck and Jive: Why the Obamas Should Become Presbyterian, and a dose of good natured humor, I offer the following as reasons the Obama Family should become members of the PNCC:
- The PNCC was founded by immigrants, right here in the U. S. of A. We are 100% American, pluralistic, and respect and honor our immigrant ancestors.
- We were founded by hard working Americans who were Labor organizers and members. Labor will love that.
- We began in Scranton, PA (Hillary’s hometown 🙂 ), Buffalo, and Chicago. We are 100% in touch with our blue collar roots. These are the folks you need.
- We are One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, and democratic in our governance. You can say that both you and your Church honor and protect the democratic process. A Democratic President from a democratic Church? Sounds good – right?
- We are Catholic, but no, not that kind. We’ve already had a Roman Catholic President so that’s less of an obstacle, and what are people going to say? They can’t say that Rome is ordering you around.
- Roman Catholics will recognize the fact that you believe what they believe (even though their Church might not).
- You get to attend very cool High Church liturgies. It’s really visual and looks great on TV – especially for your kids first communions and confirmations.
- Our Confession of Faith includes the following: I BELIEVE in immortality and everlasting happiness in eternity, in the union with God of all people, races and ages, because I believe in the Divine power of love, mercy and justice and for nothing else do I yearn, but that it may be to me according to my faith. People identify with that.
- We are constitutional.
- We don’t compromise on core beliefs. In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. or words to that effect.
- We have the world’s greatest church cooks. All those fundraisers and long campaign nights will be more than bearable with a load of pierogi and golambki on the stove.
Folks from other Christian Churches – what would attract the Obama family to your Church? Any predictions?
The problem for Obama with your church is that the PNCC does not have many
minorities of color in its congregations either here in America or anywhere in
the world unlike the Roman Catholic Church which has a variety of racial and
ethnic congregations here and abroad. The really “Catholic” (universal) Church
is the one headquartered in Rome with members around the world.
Thomas,
Thus one of the top 10 for the Roman Catholic Church.
It is interesting that many of the newest parishes in the PNCC (in California, Florida, and Texas) are primarily Hispanic. I think that Mr. Obama and his family would be quite at home in any of our parishes, for all are welcome to come and pray.
We would posit that to be catholic – i.e., universal means that we are part of the one, holy, and apostolic faith. Universality does not necessarily encompass racial differences for in the Holy Church there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in Christ.
This is true…geographic extension and cultural or racial diversity are not, in themselves, marks of catholicity…the Church was catholic even in the upper room after the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, althought the numbers were very small and there was little ethnic or cultural diversity in the Apostolic community. In patristic writings universal usually refers to the fullness of the Faith and the means of salvation present in the Church. it is understood in the Eastern (including Catholic) Churches in way to this day. The geographic understanding of geography comes in large part from St. Augustine in his arguments against the North African Donastist claims to be the only true catholics. Augustine used the geographic extension of the Orthodox Catholic Church as an example of its better and obvious claim to be the true Church compared to the donatist sect. This was one of many de facto examples used in a particular argument–not a fundamental principle or definition of catholicity per se.
Amaveral,
Thank you and well put.