Obama: Frequent, But Not Without Controversy
Obama, whose favorite hymn is “Amazing Grace,” told the AP that he attends services at the Trinity United Church of Christ, on the South Side of Chicago, “frequently.” (Obama also “regularly attends church while on the campaign trail.”) The church, the denomination’s largest, calls itself “unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian.” Pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr. has invited some controversy for his allegedly anti-white ideology, for placing some blame for the 9/11 attacks on America’s foreign policy, and for his friendship with Louis Farrakhan. Obama has tried to minimize any damage Reverend Wright could have on his campaign; he canceled plans to have Wright speak at the official announcement of Obama’s candidacy in February 2007.
McCain: Switched Teams
Born and raised Episcopalian, John now attends North Phoenix Baptist with his wife, Cindy, when he is home in Arizona. He finds the Baptist “message and fundamental nature more fulfilling than I did in the Episcopal church,” John told the AP. “They’re great believers in redemption, and so am I.” His Waspy roots grip him still, however, as he was never baptized a Baptist. “I didn’t find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs,” he said.