--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a Christian is not a political…" description: "\"Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the president, but he is a centrist.\" — Cornel West" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg" --- # Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the… ![“Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the president, but he is a centrist.” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg) > “Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the president, but he is a centrist.” [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political identity should not define religious belief, yet leaders often blend faith with policy. **In simple terms:** Faith isn’t a party label. Key Takeaway Separate faith from politics. Themes religion politics leadership Mood thoughtful serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - presidential campaigns - faith communities - policy debates Key Concepts secularism identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders honor faith without bias? - What boundaries protect secular governance? A Different Perspective Faith can still influence decisions subtly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Centrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centrist/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Orientation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orientation/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [Political orientation is unimportant in populism because it does not deal in evidence or detailed proposals for change but in the manipulation of feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/political-orientation-is-unimportant-in-populism-because-it-does-not/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“Regardless of your political orientation, if you are reasonably intelligent, you should strongly resent being manipulated. Guileful scoundrels in business, government, and media smugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/regardless-of-your-political-orientation-if-you-are-reasonably/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [“Thus political orientation about social issues reflects sensitivity to visceral disgust and strategies for coping with such disgust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/thus-political-orientation-about-social-issues-reflects-sensitivity/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“If Christians today understood this distinction between the role of the private Christian citizen and the Christian in government, they might sound less like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-colson/if-christians-today-understood-this-distinction-between-the-role-of/) [Charles W. Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-w-colson/) > [“With a few exceptions, conservative Christian political activists are as ineffective as White Russian exiles, drinking tea from samovars in their Paris drawing rooms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/with-a-few-exceptions-conservative-christian-political-activists-are/) [Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/) > [“Christian political theory does not adhere to a passive conservatism. nor is it enamored of progress. It is conservative in principles, but progressive in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-a-rommen/christian-political-theory-does-not-adhere-to-a-passive-conservatism/) Heinrich A. Rommen > [“Following the Lord's authority, one of the distinctives of Christian cultural understanding is that it also is minimally concerned with politics. The restoration of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/following-the-lord-s-authority-one-of-the-distinctives-of-christian/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [I believe that all of us have gangster proclivities and greedy orientations that need accountability. That's why democracies are necessary. We have to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-believe-that-all-of-us-have-gangster-proclivities-and-greedy/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What I want to try to do is unify the two wings of the Democratic Party. What's considered the more progressive wing of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-i-want-to-try-to-do-is-unify-the-two-wings-of-the-democratic/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I am not a centrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/i-am-not-a-centrist/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [Obama behaves like a centrist who leans tentatively left on certain social programs but boldly right on military force and civil liberties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-k-shipler/obama-behaves-like-a-centrist-who-leans-tentatively-left-on-certain/) [David K. Shipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-k-shipler/) > [We're living in a world that's divided into two economies: the economy of the 1%, and the economy of the bottom 99%. I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/we-re-living-in-a-world-that-s-divided-into-two-economies-the-economy/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [I'm a true centrist: my beliefs put me in the middle... You know what happens to people who drive in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-m-a-true-centrist-my-beliefs-put-me-in-the-middle-you-know-what/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Within the paradigm of Democratic politics, even though people probably think I'm a centrist, I'm more a liberal, except for abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/within-the-paradigm-of-democratic-politics-even-though-people/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) ## More by Cornel West > [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I feel as if I have been blessed to undergo a transformation from 'gangster' to 'redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-feel-as-if-i-have-been-blessed-to-undergo-a-transformation-from/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [When we think of globalization we are thinking in part of structures and institutions that have been developed over time and that have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-we-think-of-globalization-we-are-thinking-in-part-of-structures/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Barack Obama has domesticated the left in such a way that we feel as if we have no alternative but him...I refuse to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/barack-obama-has-domesticated-the-left-in-such-a-way-that-we-feel-as/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Larry Summers, I think, he had a long history of arrogance and relative ignorance about poor people's culture and working people's culture and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/larry-summers-i-think-he-had-a-long-history-of-arrogance-and-relative/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-gift-of-inspiration/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-see-it-in-terms-of-the-obsession-on-wall-street-with-not-just/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) [Explore all 400 Cornel West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More Centrist quotes > [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) > [Within the paradigm of Democratic politics, even though people probably think I'm a centrist, I'm more a liberal, except for abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/within-the-paradigm-of-democratic-politics-even-though-people/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [I'm a true centrist: my beliefs put me in the middle... You know what happens to people who drive in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-m-a-true-centrist-my-beliefs-put-me-in-the-middle-you-know-what/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [We're living in a world that's divided into two economies: the economy of the 1%, and the economy of the bottom 99%. I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/we-re-living-in-a-world-that-s-divided-into-two-economies-the-economy/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [Obama behaves like a centrist who leans tentatively left on certain social programs but boldly right on military force and civil liberties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-k-shipler/obama-behaves-like-a-centrist-who-leans-tentatively-left-on-certain/) [David K. Shipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-k-shipler/) > [I am not a centrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/i-am-not-a-centrist/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [What I want to try to do is unify the two wings of the Democratic Party. What's considered the more progressive wing of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-i-want-to-try-to-do-is-unify-the-two-wings-of-the-democratic/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Only in Washington can the pursuit of a conservative agenda, with centrist policies, be depicted as liberal reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/only-in-washington-can-the-pursuit-of-a-conservative-agenda-with/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [My lesson from history is that if there is a strong moderate centrist party which can lead the country, there is no room for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-orban/my-lesson-from-history-is-that-if-there-is-a-strong-moderate-centrist/) [Viktor Orban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-orban/) > [I'm getting a little tired of politicians trying to prove how 'moderate' and 'centrist' they are by taking more of my money and freedom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-m-getting-a-little-tired-of-politicians-trying-to-prove-how/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [My audience is much more center right, or centrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/my-audience-is-much-more-center-right-or-centrist/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [I think that what's actually happening is the collapse of the Center - the centrist semi-coalitions, mildly social-democrat, mildly conservative, that have been running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-think-that-what-s-actually-happening-is-the-collapse-of-the-center/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Centrist voters typically decide general elections, so hard-left or hard-right platforms don't help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-m-daley/centrist-voters-typically-decide-general-elections-so-hard-left-or/) [William M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-m-daley/) > [I feel like a centrist, an issue-specific person. I'm pretty conservative fiscally and pretty liberal on social issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gordon/i-feel-like-a-centrist-an-issue-specific-person-i-m-pretty/) [Howard Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gordon/) > [I consider my voice to be a centrist moderate voice among the nine Democratic candidates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/i-consider-my-voice-to-be-a-centrist-moderate-voice-among-the-nine/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) [Browse all 55 Centrist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centrist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the president, but he is a centrist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornel West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-orientation-for-the-president/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Centrist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-orientation-for-the-president/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/cornel-west-708_christian_being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-ori_1189435.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being a Christian is not a political orientation for the president, but he is a centrist.” — Cornel West", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cornel West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being a Christian is not a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-orientation-for-the-president/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/being-a-christian-is-not-a-political-orientation-for-the-president/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```