Is It "Obama Worship?"

This story appeared in The Arizona Republic newspaper - - that is, ironically, in John McCain's hometown of Phoenix - - last Saturday.

Make of it what you will - - I will have more to day about it later tonight.


by Christine Keith


Barack Obama's election victory inspired celebrations at Black black churches across the country, including in Phoenix. At First Institutional Baptist Church, Pastor Warren Stewart Sr. delivereda sermon Sunday 11/9 called “Ten Commandments Learned From President-electBarack Obama's Life.”

Some showed their support by wearing Obama T-shirts. Stewart's list began with the Obama-inspired version of the FirstCommandment: “Do dare to dream and hope big!”

The congregation's young people gathered at the front of the church, and he went through the other nine commandments, including “Do not let excuses stop you” and “Do keep your cool in difficult situations.” In his pastoral comments, Stewart wrote, “After 232 years, we in the United States now have a President who is a person of color. The world now has aU.S. president of color who can relate to what it means to be on the‘underside' of society.”

During his comments Sunday, he pointed out that it took people of allcolors to elect Obama.A picture of the first family-elect was projected on a high screen in thefront of the church. The African-American congregation looked up to the smiling family. Voices sang out with thanks and joy and praises of God, as they have every Sunday in this fellowship of faith since 1905, when the congregation was founded as just a Sunday school.

“The election of Obama is something that I wouldn't have ever believed in,”said Elmer Curry, 82, a deacon. “… I've seen that over a period of yearsthat the hearts of people in the country are changing.”