He’s done it while talking about abortion and the Middle East, even the economy. The references serve at once as an affirmation of his faith and a rebuke against a rumor that persists for some to this day.
As president, Barack Obama has mentioned Jesus Christ in a number of high-profile public speeches - something his predecessor George W. Bush rarely did in such settings, even though Bush’s Christian faith was at the core of his political identity.
More than four months into the Obama presidency, a picture is emerging of a chief executive who is comfortable with public displays of his religion - although he has also paid tribute to other faiths and those he called “nonbelievers” during his inaugural address.
Still, it is ironic that Obama, who rode a wave of young, Internet-savvy and more secular voters to the White House, would more freely invoke the name of Jesus Christ than did Bush.
clipped from: www.cbsnews.com