Comments

Interesting politics of religion coming into play in this election cycle - and I like how Obama's picture makes him look angry at Jeremiah Wright. Nice image.

Senator "Present" Obama tries to be all things to all people. Does he really expect us to believe that he didn't hear ANY of Wright's vitriol during the 20+ years that he listened to him preach? Nonsense.

Barack Obama may have boatloads of charisma but he has no character. I don't trust that what he says today was the same thing he said yesterday and will be the same thing he says tomorrow. More importantly, his words don't translate to action.

This man cannot be trusted to lead anything, much less our nation.

How sad that a man's pastor will torpedo his campaign for a spot in the limelight.

4-30-8
Why is it that so much attention is given to Sen. Obama's pastor, whom he has consistently distanced himself from, and little is given to the evangelical white pastor who gave an endorsement to McCain and has stated that Katrina was God's revenge on the sinfulness of New Orleans and that 87% of all muslims in America aren't true Americans? McCain, when asked about this, simply said he was glad for the endorsement. The Black chaplain at my school blames this on a double standard for Blacks -- whatever they do is blown out of proportion -- but I, a white man, blame it on the seeming tolerance that the American public has for outrageous acts and statements by conservatives and no tolerance for mis-steps by those labelled as liberals. Compare the horrid bungling of the current President and the realtive pass he's been given (even being re-elected when most of the bad facts were known), with the impeachment of Bill Clinton for a personal, not a constitutional, offense. Obama has handled this, and the race question, well. Those who would condemn him for this probably had their minds made up long before the present incidents.
Jim Showalter

I am disappointed in Obama's repudiation of Pastor Wright-the man he said brought him to Christ and baptized him. He should be standing up for Rev. Wright and speaking out against the media smear campaign.

And for those commenters who are going to say "but, Wright said America spreads Terrorism, so why are we suprised to get attacked", take a look at our country's history of foreign interventions (Phillipines, Latin America, Vietnam, and the Middle East). Take an honest look and you'll have to conclude that we (through our government's actions) have visited many many 911's on the brown peoples of the world. Remember "shock & awe" at the beginning of the Iraq war-certainly it's understandable that the Iraqis might view this as a 911 in their country.

Ask yourself why are we seeing so much about Jeremiah Wright on all the TV channels and next to nothing about John Hagee? Hagee calls for a pre-emptive strike on Iran from his pulpit and says God damned New Orleans with Katrina because of gays.

The controversy over Rev. Wright's comments is important because it allows us to view different facets of Senator Obama's character and ability to make decisions. I find it interesting that some refuse to discuss these issues. Instead, they try to stop debate by attacking the other person's character or language. Why bring up McCain or Clinton or Bush in the discussion about Obama's pastor? Because you are afraid to discuss the implications of Obama's affiliation with a racist church and irrational pastor. If these words really offend Obama now,and he really didn't hear them before, why didn't he do his homework and review them before his speech in Philadelphia? What other decisions would he make or positions has he taken without having the facts? His candidacy is alarming for its superficiality.

This is a tough situation for Obama. I wouldn't want to be put in that situation. He had no choice. Sad.

By the way Jim Showalter, you seem to be missing the motivation aspect in the attacks you mention. U.S. was motivated by the desire to free the oppressed. Al Qaeda is motivated by the desire to oppress the free. That's terrorism.

And, please Jim let go of your racial-phobia. I agree with you about Hagee. He is an ignorant boob. McCain should free himself from entanglements like that, yet it still doesn't mean that Obama or Wright are being singled out because they are black. Obama is the hot news item right now, McCain is not. Sensationalism sells - TV journalism is nothing more than tabloid showmanship. Most of America realizes that.

Never since Abraham Lincoln has a politician spoken to our nation with greater candor, dignity and truthfulness than Barack Obama, especially in his "More Perfect Union" speech.

He stands tall above all the carping right wing commentators who - resentful at being confronted by a person so utterly sincere, honest and, quite simply, good - try in vain to pick him to pieces.

His candidacy will stand the test of time because he represents something new - not politics as usual, but something that lies at the root of all right-minded religion.

I begin to wonder if America is worthy of this person of such uniqueness, stature, integrity and amazing magnanimity.

I am apalled at the forgetfulness and stupidity of the American people. Obama embrassed his long time pastor, having had to have known his positions after 20+ years, until it was killing him politically. As for Hagee and McCain, McCain has not had a long standing relationship with Hagee. Hagee's remarks concerning Katrina involved nature, God's nature, demonstrating a disaster that could wake us up from our spiritual slumber. I do not think it was punishment from God, however, it may have been one of many things God could use to wake us up. As for Wright's comments about our being terrorists, I think he needs to realize that it is America that sends most of the aid to foreign countries, aids foreign governments, forgives their debts and attempts to release other nations to a free form of government. SO, the media's quiet concerning Hagee and their noise concerning Wright is only JUST! As for Obama...he can't be trusted.

A pastor is a spiritual mentor. For Rev. Wright to say it’s “voodoo” to call him a spiritual mentor is off the wall and spiritually irresponsible. Rev. Wright is trying to evade his responsibility by saying an attack on him is equivalent to an attack on black churches. Both Wright and Obama are not being truthful.

Rev. Wright is trying to gloss over the “God d---- America!” He called down God’s wrath on our country. He used the verb in the present action tense.

I taped the sermon Rev. John Hagee preached on Hurricane Katrina. I can say authoritatively that Rev. Hagee did not say God had damned America. He questioned whether God had in mind retribution for Israel being removed from Gaza. There is no comparison between Rev. Wright and Rev. Hagee. Rev. Hagee has too much respect for the 10 Commandments to violate “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain.”

I’ve attended a number of African-American churches, and I’ve never heard someone say, “God d--- America.” Neither have I read that any well-known Christian leader like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson ever said something so vitriolic.

Jeremiah Wright never said anything about the US that Jeremiah ben-Hilkiah didn't say about Judah.
The problem is that the majority white US wants him to say: 'Yessuh, Yes'm, the US is perfect and wonderful and we poor N*****s should just be happy you let us live in your ghettos. Nossuh, No'm, we don't mind being overwhelmingly singled out to live in poverty. Yessuh, Yes'm, we's just happy to help the US maintain the highrest rate of incarceration in the world. Nossuh, No'm, it's all right if your white police officers want to arrest us for DWB– 'driving while Black'– or if they want to unload their police revolver clips into us at will. Yessuh, Yes'm, the US is perfect just as it is.'
No honest black– or white– man could say that. Quit condemning Wright; we've all of us got massive tree trunks stuck in our eyes…

In response to Discerning believer's assertion that well-known Christian leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson have never said something so vitriolic: days after 9/11, Falwell, with Robertson's agreement, pointed the finger at pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the ACLU, and People for the American Way, saying "You helped this happen" (http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/14/Falwell.apology/). Robertson advocated assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, saying "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war" (http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/23/robertson.chavez.1534/index.html). I think these statements are vitriolic on the level of Rev. Wright's "God damn America" statements; we need to keep our standards the same whether the leaders are ones we like or ones we don't like. We have a God-given duty and charge to judge fairly, not judge based on our emotional reactions or media portrayals or predispositions toward or against people.

I've been watching Pat Robertson for about 7 years. He's an intelligent, congenial, versatile individual who believes in the Judeo-Christian heritage of this country. I disagree with a few of his views but agree with a majority of them. He’s a liberal media target because he’s a very knowledgeable individual interested in numerous issues, even in his 70’s.

I’ve never heard Rev. Falwell speak. I’ve only read what he wrote for several years following 9/11. Nothing written down stands out in my mind that I remember disagreeing with.

I saw the controversial 700 Club show in which Pat Robertson made his remarks about Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. Robertson commentated after the news. His remarks were clearly tongue in cheek, responding to Hugo Chavez’ wild assertions that America was trying to kill him. Robertson said something to the effect of “Well, maybe we should oblige him.” There was much liberal media coverage immediately after. Most didn't get Robertson’s satire. I think they just wanted another reason to slam him.

Regarding Rev. Falwell and Robertson, when a minister is committed to the Gospel and Jesus Christ, he must be committed to an exemplary life, per Scripture. I believe these two were and are. God calls some to prophesy. When the Biblical prophets warned their people about the consequences of sin, they were not popular. Falwell and Robertson follow(ed) the Bible.

Rev. Falwell apologized 2 days later for his statement.

Before the mainstream media began to focus on Wright and his "Black Liberation Theology," CT Liveblog routinely refused to post my comments that merely pointed out the incongruity between Obama's supposed magnanimity, as one blinded acolyte phrased it above, and the easily verified racist doctrines of Wright's church. Given the majority of comments on this thread in the face of the ubiquitous evidence of evil doctrines, I'm simply aghast at the disconnect that otherwise rational people can continue to maintain in their thinking, a condition that obviously affected the censors here at CT Liveblog. I mean, come on, Obama actually attended a Church for 20 years that enthusiastically preaches the twisted theology of James Cone, who teaches that Whites are the Anti-Christ, and all the lemmings just keep on worshipping the ground that this racist walks on. You deserve him!

I feel for Obama. I stayed in a church for 20 years because it brought continuity to my life, yet the preaching was deadly. Why did I stay? I had friends there. The people in the church knew my history and loved my children. And I had so little confidence in myself that when I heard dangerous, heretical speaking, I didn't trust my own discernment - especially with all of the people around me agreeing with 7-fold amens (that might be a slight exaggeration). Finally I left, but not before it did, maybe, irreparable damage to my spirit. Yet, I remain friends with the pastor and the people who stayed. I have reconciled myself to the fact that the pastoral heresies could be based, in part, on a dyslexic reading of the text (i.e., "we shall all sleep but we shall not all be changed," etc.) and the congregation's whole-hearted agreement was due to the tradition that the pastor says it, it must be right, and the ill-used scripture about not bringing a charge against the Lord's annointed. I know how Obama could sit through heresy Sunday after Sunday and not leave, because I couldn't leave either.

Secondly, I feel for Wright. Plenty of pastors have said the same things he says, just perhaps without the same vitriol and glee. His congregation just enjoyed it a little too much when he said "God damn America" and similar things. But he is not the only one taking the Lord's name in vain. I have heard the same types of things out of the mouths of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and even last Sunday at the church my daughter goes to, where the pastor invoked 9/11 and Katrina as God's judgment on America for sin. And just for the record, I want to point out that although Falwell apologized for his 911 comments, he retracted his apology in 2004 at First Family Church in Overland Park, Kansas.

I looked up the word "racist" and the meaning doesn't fit what people are describing Pastor Wright and his church. I listened to the sermon by Pastor Wright that was preached seven years ago and not one time did I hear him say to his congregants go out an lynch white people or bomb there churches or rape their women. Why is is when black preachers talk about the past unjustices in America they are labeled as racists. I heard on MSNBC that white people in Philly has vowed that if Hillary doesn't get the nomination, they would vote for McCain or not vote at all because they couldn't vote for a black man. What this primary has done is opened a lot of eyes and ears. More black preachers are preaching liberation theology now because of the attack on Pastor Wright and more blacks are being prompted to stay at home if Obama doesn't get the nomination. Who wins?

Everybody is upset over the sermon of Pastor Wright but nobody is concern about the economy. Nobody but Obama is still talking about the issues while black americans are seeing the real Clintons. We see sound bites after sound bites of Pastor Wright's sermon while Bush cracks dull jokes on TV. Nobody knows why we are in Iraq and our brave men and women are dying everyday. Nobody seem to care Bush borrowed millions of dollars from China for his so called stimilus package. Nobody cares that we thousands of gallons of oil in reserve yet nobody says let's keep paying outlandish prices. We don't have to burn buildings and riot in the streets any more, we will just stay home in November and let nobody say nothing is wrong

I'm glad, Alison, that you aren't running for President. Unfortunately, Obama is.

Whites are the "Antichrist;" the U.S. government created the aids virus to decimate the Black community; Whites are responsible for most of the world's suffering. Nah, Justin H, none of this is racist, it's just meek, magical complaining about past injustices.

I agree with you, DiverCity. That is what makes his story and my story different. I'm in a good church now, but from a human perspective, I can empathize with his inability to "cut the cord."