When would he have time to really participate in a community of faith except for worship? Being a member of community is more than showing up on Sundays when you are in town. I like it that he has not "settled" on one church put keeps up his spiritual practices.

You must be kidding...President Obama is as Christian ¨welcoming¨ and Hospitable as one can get...amazing the quality of his ¨community¨ religious affairs would even be noted after this weeks intrigue with China over the Dalai Lamas visit, ¨exclusionist¨ Rick Warren and the ¨inclusion¨ of our very own, greatly beloved, Bishop V.Gene Robinson...and then there was the Bishop of Rome...wow, those are some OPEN ARMS!

“You can’t be using the church just to get elected and then push the church to the side,’’ said the Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, a prominent Chicago pastor who had campaigned for Obama among Hispanic evangelicals, many of whom had voted in earlier elections for George W. Bush. “If the president says he’s Christian, then in his narrative, and in his speeches and in his life, that should be displayed.’’

On the other hand, where is it in his life that the good pastor doesn't see such evidence displayed, and who is he to judge? Seems like this is more about others see the President than about the President himself.

"If the president says he's Christian, then in his narrative, and in his speeches and in his life, that should be displayed," Pastor Wilfredo De Jesus said. I'm not sure how one is to square that with eight years of war under false pretenses, erosion of rights and respect for the individual, and economic policies that benefitted the rich at the expense of the poor -- none of which jibe with Jesus Christ's gospel -- under a two-term president whose Christian credentials were constantly trumpeted. The world could do with a good less Christianity of that sort. So perhaps naysayers and head-scratchers ought to give President Obama a break. Public displays of faith can be deceptive and delusional. Jesus had a lot to say about not showing off in public, not letting your left hand know what the right one is doing, retreating behind closed doors to pray and doing good in private where only our Father in heaven sees it. Or as the axiom attributed to Francis of Assisi puts it: "Preach the gospel at all times -- and use words only if you need to." Given the hospitality, openness, inclusiveness and civility that Obama has displayed to friend and foe, as Leonardo Ricardo pointed out, the watchful onlooker might discern that our current president just might be following his faith along the lines of that quieter tack. (And in the final analysis, nobody but God is perfect...)

Gregory Orloff

The apparent lack of interest in a public religious life has been noticed by some religious leaders and political analysts, who say it opens Obama to questions of sincerity.

Balderdash!

With all the security measures necessary for the president and his family to attend church, is it possible that Obama is reluctant to regularly impose that sort of disturbance on a congregation? I would take great care in criticizing Obama for calling himself a Christian and then not attending church. He may choose not to regularly attend church services for other reasons than what I mentioned, but his is a special case, and I believe we should let him be in this matter.

June Butler

I'd turn attention to Andrew's last paragraph about community.

Regarding the Obamas, some reality set in once they saw that they became the focus of undo attention when they attended church. And they do have a church community at Camp David and the whole family has engaged that community. This is something not highlighted in the Boston Globe report.

But then there is, as Andrew underscores, us. Americans are doing more religion alone (r.e., bowling alone). Or are they? Wasn't the problem with your private devotionals, worship alone, and then making your community the one in which you live. Compare that with the common error we make in treating our parish as our community.