DES MOINES, IOWA — Sen. Hillary Clinton, with the traveling press corps in tow, attended church services this morning. She sang and nodded in agreement during the service, and even stuck a contribution on the offering plate before heading out for a full day of campaigning through the Hawkeye State.
Clinton (D-N.Y.) sat towards the front during the service, held at Grace United Methodist Church.
She participated in the unison prayer: "God of empowerment, help us to give all of our children the anchor of faith, the rudder of hope, the sails of health care and education, the paddles of family and community to keep them afloat when life's sea gets rough. Amen."
Rev. Jill Flyr, associate pastor, read from the book of John and gave a sermon about the importance of supporting those who can't help themselves. Clinton nodded when the pastor read off some statistics, such as 35 percent of Iowa children are part of low income families, and added 45,000 children in Iowa are without health care.
"We should be outraged by these numbers," Flyr said, encouraging the congregation to work toward changing public policy to fund "high quality preschool" for disadvantaged children. She said health care and education should not just be for children from "well-to-do" families.
"We as adults need to advocate for them," she said. "Let the candidates know they need to be strong advocates for children."
Another parishoner stood during the service to publicly welcome Clinton, who received polite applause.
Before the service, church-goers crowded Clinton to shake her hand and bend her ear. "Tom Harkin is fabulous," Clinton was overheard saying about the state's Democratic senator.
Melissa Pardock tugged on the presidential hopeful's pant leg because she wanted to show off her red, white and blue-starred teddy bear named Twinkles. Clinton bent down to get at eye level with the toddler and gave her a big smile. Melissa's father, Dan, a soccer coach in Des Moines, told me his band "Faculty Lounge" had played at a Clinton event earlier this year.
"They told me I could play the inauguration if she wins, but I'm still a free agent," he said. "The guys are giving me grief about it because I have to decide if I am going to support her."
Not everyone was excited to see politics in church. "I don't know how we're going to start service because everyone is out here," one worshiper complained loudly.
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (13)
hillary is a phony! she is not to be trusted! she only wants to put on a show about relationship with the church. what is her relationship with Christ? If she really has a relationship with Christ, she would not allow abortion and that these unborn are precious gift from God. Her attitude towards Christianity is hostile. It's great that she wants the media to know that she attends church. My question to her have you really accepted Christ into your heart. God knows her heart and at the end we will be judged and if your name is not found in the Book of Life you will not enter the Kindgom of Heaven. I hope she takes deep look into her heart and ask Christ into her Heart!
Posted by paul fowle | November 25, 2007 5:51 PM
"Evita aka Hugo of the Potomac" in a church!
Is it still standing??
Posted by Paul Harrington | November 25, 2007 8:15 PM
Praise the Lord and pass the suction tube! Let's get these kids outa here!
Posted by Paul V Mercille Sr. | November 25, 2007 9:42 PM
I notice you guys are quiet about divorce, war and sickness...but you bash Clinton for giving free choice about abortion...hep!
Posted by Jeanette C. | November 25, 2007 9:48 PM
What the (****) happened to "separation of church and state"? Where's the screaming left and the ACLU? And who is the "god of empowerment"? Let's all make up our own religion and say it's mainstream. I haven't heard the word "PANDERING" when it comes to Democrats. This would be a fine time to do so, national media.
Posted by jenny nance | November 25, 2007 10:08 PM
It would be interesting to find out how many times Reverend Flyr had been outraged before by the poor and uninsured. The church should be advocates for their particular religion in regard to the poor but not by pushing class conscience on the congregation for political purposes. The church then becomes an advocate for the politician placing the state above the religion.
Posted by Larry Stone | November 25, 2007 11:32 PM
Jeanette, dare I ask whose choice. For I cannot imagine it is the choice of the child who is killed
Posted by Scot | November 26, 2007 12:30 PM
Rev. Jill Flyr, associate pastor, read from the book of John...
Sounds like the Reverend was reading from the book of John Edwards.
I think I'll vote for the teddy bear 'Twinkles'.
Posted by MagicalPat | November 26, 2007 6:47 PM
paul f, I know that you believe that you are a good christian. yet for those of us who have been to the light at the end of that tunnel, I highly disbelieve that you really understand the teachings of christ. I really feel that your misunderstanding is not allowing you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. God bless you; God Bless America; God Bless Hillary Clinton!
Posted by anonymous | November 27, 2007 1:09 AM
The level of venom in some of these postings are very distressing. Is a civil discourse about politics in this country no longer possible? If so, our democracy (not to mention religious tolerance) is doomed.
Posted by Uwe Rudolf | November 27, 2007 10:30 AM
Go check out the website for the church. I think it wins the award for most cliches in a single setting! "faith journey", "diversity", "sexual orientation", blah blah blah. Some words you will never see on this site are "sin", "the blood of Jesus", "repentance", "salvation by faith in Christ alone".
An old and wise preacher was asked about what he thought of woman preachers. He said he felt about them the same way he felt about dancing dogs. "You know, they don't do it very well, but then, you are pretty surprised to see them do it at all!"
Poor Methdodist church. What have you become!?
Posted by David T | November 27, 2007 5:52 PM
What do the Clintons and God have in common? They are never wrong. With the same intensity that a believer may declare, "whatever God does is right" a liberal Democrat will just as vehemently declare, What ever a Clinton does is right". Just ask James Carville, Sidney Blumenthal, Harold Ickes, most professors or the liberal media elite. The disciples of each religion claim that the object(s) of their devotion can do no wrong. In both cases, right and truth are solely determined by the words and actions of the deity. Both set of worshipers believe there is no confining rule that binds the deity to certain actions or precludes other choices. In both religions is the supposition that it may be wrong to assume equality with the deity. According to the devotees of either sect, it may even be sinful to claim the right to imitate the behavior of the deity. The deity has the right to say, "Do as I say, not necessarily as I do". The god or goddess has the right to certain words, actions and decisions that are forbidden to mere common humans. It is blasphemy to invade the prerogatives of the divine one(s). Both faiths have the presence of the evil ones, whose words, actions and beliefs are always wrong. There is Satan, alias Lucifer, and his demons as the antagonist in one faith and George Bush and the conservatives as the nemesis in the other.
There is one difference. One God has the reputation of never lying, as for the incarnations of Zeus and Hera in the progressive Pantheon.Well?.........
Michael Guy
Posted by Michael Guy | December 1, 2007 11:52 PM
ARTICLE 124. In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the church in the U.S.S.R. is separated from the state, and the school from the church. Freedom of religious worship and freedom of antireligious propaganda is recognized for all citizens.
From Chapter X of the 1936 Soviet Constitution>
This is where liberals, Progessives and Democrats get their version, not Thomas Jefferson's Letter to The Danbury Baptist Church, That is why we have a restriction Congree shall make no law...prohibiting the free excercise thereof.
Preachers who endose a party that advocates abortion, refuses inteligent design in its schools are what Vladimir Lenin Called "useful idiots" at best
Posted by michael Guy | December 2, 2007 12:46 AM