Rayburn The West Wing

In the pilot episode, the President's relationship with the church and religious values can be very easily misconstrued to the public, due to it's inherently complicated nature. The President's affiliation with religion is, in reality, quite moderate: He is himself an actively practicing Christian, and volunteers his time and money to supporting Christian organizations, however, he will never try to force his own Christian beliefs on the laws of the nation, because he has a comprehensive understanding of the meaning of "separation of church and state".

Most people would agree with this moderate political stance, seeing as he is solid in his own beliefs while not intruding on others. Unfortunately, many of the events in this episode effectively distort and mutilate the President's moderate views as communicated to the public. His most pressing issue is to distance himself from Josh Lyman's statements, without looking like he is embracing the behavior of a rather radical Christian group. Distancing himself from both could cause him to lose support from too many political proponents. It is a delicate situation that could very easily cause much of the public to either no longer believe he is a Christian (which is apparently an integral of the Presidency, to be a Christian), or it could alienate proponents of firm separation of church and state, effectively associating him with the radical church group.

This was his most pressing issue. Religion in politics is a very touchy subject, and the way the President in the show handled the controversy was quite effective. He dissociated himself with radical Christians without denouncing his faith, and disapproved of Lyman's remarks without firing him, thereby avoiding more controversy.