Obama’s response:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7piGy0u43c

Really?  I’m just wondering how he could attend and be a member for 20 years, and have him as a personal mentor for that long without knowing these extreme views.  I think it will hurt him in the long term; but am surprised it came out now, rather then during the general election.

You’ll notice that the Clinton camp isn’t touching this one with a ten foot pole. 

Todd

Obama, the consummate politician, quite un-offensively distances himself from J. Wright. IMHO he should not try to be so polite and kind to Mr Wright. He should stand up straight and loudly denounce those totally racist comments. Racism is racism, no matter from where in the color spectrum it originates. 

And stop with the “social gospel” Mr. Obama. I know of only one Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If Mr. Wright had been preaching the Gospel of Jesus, then he wouldn’t be preaching hate and using the rhetoric of white vs. black.  Jesus loves people of ALL colors and backgrounds, you know, the “whosoevers” of John 3:16. When you set up strife between believers of different racial backgrounds, you divide the kingdom.  Our goal as Christians should be to untie as many people under the banner of Christ as we can.

Mr. Obama, tell us where you really stand.

I have served relatively long-term (on a volunteer basis) in churches where I had some real disagreements with the pastor in areas of politics and/or theology. I didn’t leave and try and find some place where I agree with my pastor on everything.

It’s not so unusual.

I don’t know, Pastor Wright’s excerpts are not much different than Luke 6:24 IMV:

Damn you rich!  You already have your compensation.

Damn you who are well-fed!  You will know hunger.

Damn you who laugh now!  You will weep and grieve.

Damn you when everybody speaks well of you!

Oh, OK, it’s “Woe to you” in modern translations… …I think this “controversy” is another vivid illustration of how much American Exceptionalism has seeped into American Christians, and how they hold up an idol of nationalism.

Nothing was untrue in Wright’s comments - while I don’t agree with him on all the things said, he’s not incorrect in pointing out America moral failings on slavery, genocide of native American, imperial follies, segregation, the 100+ year campaign of terrorism waged against non-white individuals after those Americans were supposedly granted Constitutional freedoms, etc.…

Unfortunately, most Americans breadth of history is limited to jingoistic bromides.

No doubt, my post will be tagged as “America hater” but I love my country, I just recognize that its far from perfect, and while not barbaric as the Roman empire of Jesus time, it’s a far cry from the model Jesus gave his followers.

My pastor during my youth and most of adult life was a wonderful, benevolent tyrant (now in heaven).  Though he was always prone to being “on-the-edge,” as he got older, he would say and do things that often had us scratching our heads, sometimes hiding our faces.  Because ours was a large and influential church in the community, the media would seek him out and sometimes his inappropriate comments found their way into the public forum.  If I had been running for office, I’d have had to distance myself too.  People link you to someone, and although we know better, we juxtapose all that person’s views on us.  Distancing myself wouldn’t change the influence my pastor had on my in my formative years.  Someone can mentor us in some areas, while we still disagree strongly about others.

I agree that Obama appropriately distanced himself, though the association might hurt him.  We should remember that after 9/11 there were some comments from well known evangelicals that we would be distancing ourselves from if we were running for office.  A candidate who is a member of Thomas Road would be facing the same problem, right?

And I so agree with Dean.  Let’s not jump to discrediting, but try to listen to people whose shoes we’ve not walked in.  Assuming that these kind of comments come from actual experiences I cannot possible identify with doesn’t make me agree with them, it is just extending grace to that side and prevents polarization.  Isn’t that a better posture?

Wendi

My question is: Would if it would have been John Mccain, associated with Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church? He wouldn’t even be in the presidential race any more. If you don’t know this church, their website is http://www.godhatesfags.com.

I have a friend and mentor that was my pastor before I began vocational ministry. He has had an enormous role in the shaping of my theology and walk with Christ. While I don’t agree with everything he says or thinks, we share a like mind on the important things.

The statements Obama’s pastor makes are what I would call important. And I must agree with CS. If his understanding of scripture has come from Wright, than he must have some similar thinking regarding the other issues.

While he has distanced himself from the comments, he has not distanced himself from the man. I believe his allegiance to his mentor is deeper than he wants people to think. His true convictions will come out if he gets into office.

And that is really scary.

-E

I am sure that all of us have had people in our lives that have had meaningful impact, with whom we do not agree on every subject.  My parents come to mind, but isnt there a point at which we can love them and even in some ways respect but because of their hatred we have to remove ourselves from their sphere of influence because we should not give them our seal of approval.  While Jesus hung with publicans and sinners he did not hang with the pharisees. 
The reason I could not vote for someone like Obama is his lack of exprience.  Charisma is not a job qualification for POTUS.

PT well said.

There are some other facts not addressed here.  The quotes in the article are just a few of many, many sermons where the same things have been said.  World Net Daily has had the sermon links and transcripts for over a week.  Suddenly when the main stream press gets a hold of a handful, the ministry site gets scrubbed and now you can’t get them.  The truth is he has been saying things for 20 years that are not just inflammatory, but racist, anti-semitic, divisive and perpetuate myths.  Obama can’t claim he wasn’t there for this sermon or that and not know what this man has been preaching. He’s been doing it for two decades.

Secondly, and this is very important- up until 2 days ago, Rev. Wright was an official member of the Obama campaign, and his “retirement” or sabbatical until May as the church said, was specifically to travel, counsel and mentor Obama on the campaign trail until the nomination is clearly decided.  This is a much closer relationship than being “associated” with someone you don’t always agree with.  Obama had him fired and not because of what came to light, but because he knows full good and well that it will damage his campaign.  So either Obama is making a savy decision at the expense of a long time friend, or he is trying cover up his deeper relationoship with this pastor.  Either way, it shows he is willing to do ANYTHING to get elected and the media gives him a pass.

It strains common sense to think that he could be close to this man for twenty years and NOT know some of the things he says. In addition...Oprah used to go to that church, and left because of the Reverend’s subject matter. Obama wouldn’t have heard about THAT?

I am not surprised by Wright’s comments, neither am I surprised by Obama’s association with him.  I attended Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1980-83, while earning a D.Min. in “Family Ministry”, and this type of racist rhetoric was rampant there.  The hatred under the guise of black liberation theology wasn’t just down with America, it even went to the degree where one dissertation was written by one student who instructed those who wanted to liberate Puerto Rico from the U.S. influence by teaching them how to conduct terrorism against innocent civilians to acheive that end.  The dissertation included teaching people how to create public hysteria by planting car bombs among the public in public places like post offices, schools, etc., the assasination of public officials and significant private individuals, and this was all under the guise of black liberation theology.  Needless to say, once you open the door to hatred, there is no end to what one will justify to achieve its end: hatred is hatred under any lable. 

What does this have to do with Barak Hussein Obama?  There is an old proverb: “birds of a feather flock together.” Plus, “bad company always corrupts good morals.” There are differences we all have with teachers, Pastors, and mentors, but hatred is hatred any way you slice it, and to think that a man who has attended this church, and said it was like “coming home” when he first started attending, is one who can’t have much of a problem with hate speech. 
Yet, I also heard at Colgate that blacks can’t be racist, because they are black-only whites can be racists.  So, do we really want to overlook this man’s history and beliefs, since the only way to predict a man’s future decisions is to look at the way he has conducted his life to this point?  I don’t think so. 

When I look at pictures of him where he refuses to cross his heart during the National Anthem while the flag is being raised, and his wife only recently said she’s not ashamed of America, it is easy to see that he isn’t too far off from Wright’s opinions. 

I do not say these things pretending that America is without faults and problems, some were tragic in scope.  Yet, for anyone who has traveled out of the country, America, even with its problems, is not equaled anywhere else in the world.  However, if Obama, or Clinton get into office, there policies of “fair speech”, homosexual marriage, hate speech crimes, are all aimed at one group of people-conservative, Christians.  Plus, they are absolutely against the “Bill of Rights” that the Founding Fathers recognized that Scripture established as a right for all human beings.  Under the Clinton/ Obama America, free speech and the open debate of ideas will be controlled by the government’s idea of what is appropriate and sanctioned.  Under there administrations, Christian radio, Christian television, the right to teach your children at home Biblical standards will all be shut down under the guise of equal time for opposing views.  I know many don’t think this is possible, but those in England are starting to awaken to the criminal penalties for parents teaching their children that homosexuality is sin, and this is the “culturalism” that Clinton and Obama have in mind for the American Church, as well.