Obama on his church and his faith

[Thorgrim]

By Barack Obama

The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.

Barack Obama: On My Faith and My Church - Politics on The Huffington Post

WSJ wrote a piece today:

Obama and the Minister
By RONALD KESSLER
March 14, 2008; Page A19

In a sermon delivered at Howard University, Barack Obama's longtime minister, friend and adviser blamed America for starting the AIDS virus, training professional killers, importing drugs and creating a racist society that would never elect a black candidate president.

The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor of Mr. Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, gave the sermon at the school's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel in Washington on Jan. 15, 2006.

"We've got more black men in prison than there are in college," he began. "Racism is alive and well. Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run. No black man will ever be considered for president, no matter how hard you run Jesse [Jackson] and no black woman can ever be considered for anything outside what she can give with her body."

Mr. Wright thundered on: "America is still the No. 1 killer in the world. . . . We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns, and the training of professional killers . . . We bombed Cambodia, Iraq and Nicaragua, killing women and children while trying to get public opinion turned against Castro and Ghadhafi . . . We put [Nelson] Mandela in prison and supported apartheid the whole 27 years he was there. We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God."

His voice rising, Mr. Wright said, "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic. . . . We care nothing about human life if the end justifies the means. . . ."

Concluding, Mr. Wright said: "We started the AIDS virus . . . We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty. . . ."

Considering this view of America, it's not surprising that in December Mr. Wright's church gave an award to Louis Farrakhan for lifetime achievement. In the church magazine, Trumpet, Mr. Wright spoke glowingly of the Nation of Islam leader. "His depth on analysis [sic] when it comes to the racial ills of this nation is astounding and eye-opening," Mr. Wright said of Mr. Farrakhan. "He brings a perspective that is helpful and honest."

After Newsmax broke the story of the award to Farrakhan on Jan. 14, Mr. Obama issued a statement. However, Mr. Obama ignored the main point: that his minister and friend had spoken adoringly of Mr. Farrakhan, and that Mr. Wright's church was behind the award to the Nation of Islam leader.

Instead, Mr. Obama said, "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree." Trumpet is owned and produced by Mr. Wright's church out of the church's offices, and Mr. Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor.

Meeting with Jewish leaders in Cleveland on Feb. 24, Mr. Obama described Mr. Wright as being like "an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don't agree with." He rarely mentions the points of disagreement.

Mr. Obama went on to explain Mr. Wright's anti-Zionist statements as being rooted in his anger over the Jewish state's support for South Africa under its previous policy of apartheid. As with his previous claim that his church gave the award to Mr. Farrakhan because of his work with ex-offenders, Mr. Obama appears to have made that up.

Neither the presentation of the award nor the Trumpet article about the award mentions ex-offenders, and Mr. Wright's statements denouncing Israel have not been qualified in any way. Mr. Obama nonetheless told the Jewish leaders that the award to Mr. Farrakhan "showed a lack of sensitivity to the Jewish community." That is an understatement.

As for Mr. Wright's repeated comments blaming America for the 9/11 attacks because of what Mr. Wright calls its racist and violent policies, Mr. Obama has said it sounds as if the minister was trying to be "provocative."

Hearing Mr. Wright's venomous and paranoid denunciations of this country, the vast majority of Americans would walk out. Instead, Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle have presumably sat through numerous similar sermons by Mr. Wright.

Indeed, Mr. Obama has described Mr. Wright as his "sounding board" during the two decades he has known him. Mr. Obama has said he found religion through the minister in the 1980s. He joined the church in 1991 and walked down the aisle in a formal commitment of faith.

The title of Mr. Obama's bestseller "The Audacity of Hope" comes from one of Wright's sermons. Mr. Wright is one of the first people Mr. Obama thanked after his election to the Senate in 2004. Mr. Obama consulted Mr. Wright before deciding to run for president. He prayed privately with Mr. Wright before announcing his candidacy last year.

Mr. Obama obviously would not choose to belong to Mr. Wright's church and seek his advice unless he agreed with at least some of his views. In light of Mr. Wright's perspective, Michelle Obama's comment that she feels proud of America for the first time in her adult life makes perfect sense.

Much as most of us would appreciate the symbolism of a black man ascending to the presidency, what we have in Barack Obama is a politician whose closeness to Mr. Wright underscores his radical record.

The media have largely ignored Mr. Obama's close association with Mr. Wright. This raises legitimate questions about Mr. Obama's fundamental beliefs about his country. Those questions deserve a clearer answer than Mr. Obama has provided so far.

Mr. Kessler, a former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporter, is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com and the author of "The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack" (Crown Forum, 2007).

Obama and the Minister - WSJ.com

Now that Obama has claimed he never heard such words, and I think most objective people know that such statements just don't pop out one day, but rather have years and a history...

Get ready for quotes from the 1990s where his Pastor said those words and Obama was supposed in attendance in some way...Obama looks pretty screwed...not enough to really affect the primary, but the general will sink him unless something else comes up

[Thorgrim]

From the liberal blogosphere:

Imagine this 30 second ad, run heavily next October. I think it would be devastating among undecided and swing voters.
"What does Barack Obama really believe in? His spritual teacher for 20 years has been Jeremiah Wright. Wright wedded Obama & his wife. Obama named his book from a sermon of Wright's. [insert video of favorable comment about Wright by Obama]. What has Jeremiah Wright taught Obama? [Insert rabid clip of Wright capped by "God Damn America!! God Damn America!!"] We need a solid patriot to lead our nation. Someone we can trust. Vote John McCain 2008."

[David Octavius]

Didn't hurt Bush and he actually believes some of the shit Pat Robertson et all has said....but I guess guilty by association is the new thing these days?

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by David Octavius

Didn't hurt Bush and he actually believes some of the shit Pat Robertson et all has said....but I guess guilty by association is the new thing these days?

Pat Robertson wasn't Bush's personal pastor for 20 years, infact they only have a celebrity-to-celebrity relationship that seemed to quickly collapse

[kinggovernor]

welcome to Obama's first real problem, he is swimming in the deep end now

[SoFlaJDM]

thankfully, it's the god they worship and not the pastor

common sense will prevail

[motivez]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

thankfully, it's the god they worship and not the pastor

But if this guy is your spiritual leader, obviously you have to think he has his head in the right place about a great many things.

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

common sense will prevail

[Thorgrim]

I heard someone say the "up" side to this being drug out is:

1) It won't be an issue in the primary

2) If enough people hear it, the stupid muslim story will die...I don't think a voter can say "yeah he's with that crazy christian pastor...but he's actually a muslim"

One has to cancel the other out

[Scrum]

Obama is a muslim!

No wait, he belongs to a christian church with radical views!

I don't really care either way. As long as he doesn't run the country as if the rapture could be here tomorrow, i'm not bothered.

And I don't really think the pastor was that far off base.....(other than the whole jesus thing)

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by Scrum

Obama is a muslim!

No wait, he belongs to a christian church with radical views!

I don't really care either way. As long as he doesn't run the country as if the rapture could be here tomorrow, i'm not bothered.

And I don't really think the pastor was that far off base.....(other than the whole jesus thing)

haha damn straight

[Thorgrim]

Obama just went on Hannity & Colmes (it's on right now)

Hannity said Obama has the same beliefs that those minister has...basically Obama hates America, etc

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by Scrum

And I don't really think the pastor was that far off base..

Yeah, America made the AIDS to kill blackie

Glad to see you are in his camp with that one.

[Thorgrim]

style i think you can give a real opinion rather than just take a snipe at someone

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Yeah, America made the AIDS to kill blackie

Glad to see you are in his camp with that one.

I said he wasn't that far off base, I didn't say I agree with his exact words.

Mr. Wright thundered on: "America is still the No. 1 killer in the world. . . . We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns, and the training of professional killers . . . We bombed Cambodia, Iraq and Nicaragua, killing women and children while trying to get public opinion turned against Castro and Ghadhafi . . . We put [Nelson] Mandela in prison and supported apartheid the whole 27 years he was there. We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God."

His voice rising, Mr. Wright said, "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic. . . . We care nothing about human life if the end justifies the means. . . ."

There is a bit of truth mixed in there. You can't say that everything he mentions is completely false.

[SoFlaJDM]

whatever, i don't think he'll lose 1 vote from this crap

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

whatever, i don't think he'll lose 1 vote from this crap

Oh I think he will. They may not vote for someone else, but after hearing this I'm sure there will be many people who don't turn out to vote for him.

[northhunter]

And now in the interest of fairness we'll be taking a look at the other candidates house of worship and the remarks made by the pastors there right?...................................I kind of thought not. The more time that goes by without any mention at all of the church/chruches that Hillary and McCain attend or the fact that they don't attend at all whichever the case may be makes this story work in Obama's favor.
I can hear it now, something to the effect of "They didn't go to Hillary's church did they? They didn't go to McCain's church did they? You have to wonder why they went to Obamas church then." or close to that. Then the whole racial thing will start over once again.
Personaly I think the unusual comments is why the interest but it won't be received that way especially if the other two's religious history isn't looked at or at least mentioned.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

whatever, i don't think he'll lose 1 vote from this crap

Yeah Honestly I think everyone has made up thier minds already. If you have decided to vote for Obama, he would have to kill a baby before anyone changes thier vote. Same thing goes for the other candidates too.

[Thorgrim]

After some reflection, I think that has made Obama unelectable, he is putting his entire "new politcs/honesty/open/hope" on the line saying he NEVER in his 20 years heard Wright say ANY of this...and there's this fucked up shit about hearing some it 2nd hand, but only a year ago when he was about to run for president...

Sorry, but for the 8 months people are going to be saying that's ridiculous, and his "integrity" and "honesty" are going to slide down until he comes across as a just plain a guy you don't want to trust being the president of the United States...enter McCain playing the role of Nixon, exit Humphrey/McGovern who were played by Obama