REVrant 35.3 - "Obama’s Church Fires Back" - But They're Shooting With Blanks
Obama’s Church Fires Back - America’s Election HQ.
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that Barack Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright, was in the headlines last week for many of the controversial statements he made in his sermons. Apparently, over the weekend, his church members stood up to defend their pastor and are alleging that this is an attempt to attack the history of the “African American church.” Huh? The pastor has said and done some very controversial things and now the media and/or politicians have to take the blame? Because there is a conspiracy against the African American Church? Unbelievable.
Let me review where I stand on this matter. As I blogged earlier, any headlines with the word “Pastor” in them catch my attention. I want to be clear:
1. I don’t believe Obama should be held accountable for every statement ever made by his pastor in any sermon he ever preached. (Any more than I would suggest that people at FBC are accountable for everything I’ve ever said.)
2. Jeremiah Wright is in trouble for statements HE made. They’re on videos. They were aired all last week. Words matter. The suggestion that responding negatively or strongly to these statements is somehow tantamount to “racism” or an “attack on the African American church” is preposterous. I’d respond strongly no matter what the race of the pastor making these statements.
I strongly object to a pastor…
a. Endorsing a political candidate from the pulpit as Wright has clearly endorsed Obama.
b. Using the “N-word” during a sermon when referring to the fact that he believes Hillary Clinton has never been called by this racial slur. If I used that word in a sermon, I would pay heavily for it, but he gets a free pass because he’s black? I don’t think so.
c. Saying that instead of singing , “God bless America,” we should be singing, “God **** America,” for what America has done to the oppressed, and in particular, to oppressed blacks in the US.
d. Alleging that the American government came up with the AIDS virus to specifically target killing black people. I believe the Pastor implied that it was strategic genocide against blacks – funded by the white government establishment.
e. Taunting white Americans by insinuating that we asked for the 9/11 attacks because of American foreign policy.
I could go on…but I think you get my point. That his church would be defending remarks like this makes me wonder about the character of such a flock. They’ve obviously been listening to Wright for nearly 30 years. If they are good with this, then perhaps their response reveals a core belief in “conspiracy” – that the white establishment is all about oppressing blacks. If so, their charges would be consistent with that presupposition.
They also make me wonder how Obama is going to handle this. If he joins the church in “firing back, “ I imagine his chances of securing the Democrat nomination are negligible, at best.
Well, either living under a rock or living in emporia, kansas.......
Posted by: Anna Thorne | Monday, March 17, 2008 at 12:48 PM