Posted on 03/18/2008 11:20:16 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama in a speech Tuesday addressed the controversy surrounding his former minister, using it as an opportunity to challenge Americans to take a closer look at race relations.
Speaking to supporters at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, the Democratic presidential candidate said he rejected racially charged comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but he tried to explain the root of those remarks.
Wright formerly preached at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where the senator from Illinois worships.
Some of Wright's old sermons came under fire after an ABC News report last week, becoming a YouTube phenomenon.
In one, Wright said America had brought the September 11 attacks upon itself. In another, he said Sen. Hillary Clinton had an advantage over Obama because she is white.
Obama on Tuesday said his belief that all people want to move in the same direction comes from his "unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story."
The senator said that race only became a divisive issue in the campaign during recent weeks.
Obama admitted he had sat in church and heard his former minister make controversial remarks.
"Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely -- just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Now there’s an idea—Chelsea gets a REAL job!
I believe it was Dr. Williams that made that very point.
Slavery has nothing to do with hussein, he is east African.
The slaves from the west of Africa were the ones purchased from tribal leaders and brought to America.
Muzzies enslaved east Africans.
Before all of this Wright - Obama stuff came out, I had no idea as to how much the Backs apparently continue to hate the Whites.
There are very few Blacks where I live and I have never had any reason to be concerned about them..... before.
Oh,that just GREAT logic.Well, then lets just bring over millions more Africans that are suffering today.
And,hey,lets give the Chinese Communists props for rescuing those backward Tibetans from their reactionary Dalai Lama.
Never thought I’d see the day when so called conservatives endorsed the slave trade.This world is just too bizarre for me.
Omama, once rce hucksters like jesse jackson, al sharpton, wright, and you go away, then we can move on, and have hope. Until then you will keep the divide alive as much as you can.
Its Oprah’s church as well.
I’ve heard my minister make statements with which I’ve strongly disagreed. But I’ve never heard him say “God damn America” or that the U.S. deserved 9/11/01. This goes beyond “strongly disagree”.
Did he say that he had been in the pew when “those type of comments” were made or when comments were made the “he didn’t agree with”?
I will heal the divide by rejecting racists like Obama and Wright.
“Obama’s Speech Translated: “Blame Whitey”
So, does Obama plan to continue going to this church where the members stand and shout for joy when the pastor is putting down “whitey?”
Didn’t he tell us in so many words that he doesn’t plan to leave this hate filled church?
Will his children continue to be taught to hate all white people if their dad gets elected president of the United States?
However, he is still very clean.
Why is it that the leftists say we should keep politics out of the church while a large number of their churches exist only to further their political agenda?
I have never heard my pastor say anything from the pulpit that I would disagree with, but he preaches the Gospel not politics.
The Obama cultists don't care. Look at their national letters to this local free weekly rag in Houston (about other observations on Obama by someone who knew him personally):
http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/#comments
“Any Christian recognizes that a man who is filled with as much anger as Rev Wright has is entertaining a few demons of his own.
The members of his congregation were inspired to adapt Wright’s anger. That’s not Christian.
Obama’s “weird uncle” defense doesn’t bode well when common sense is applied.
Obama has said Wright is his spiritual adviser.
When you chose a weird uncle as your adviser, you get weird advice.
Obama’s supporters seem more interested in seeing him win than his past accomplishments or his foundation.
A man who claims to embrace Christianity as well as partial birth abortion demonstrates that he serves two masters.”
That’s a good point. I hadn’t realized it either!
with this one speech Obama has successfuly inflamed racial tensions in the USA and CREATED a divide.
Sadly it is like OJ sympson with the racists in delusion mode and the rest of the USA shaking heads in disbelief.
You mean like you and your preacher are?
Alex Hailey, the (black) author of “Roots”, said that (and I freely paraphrase) - every time they saw a famine in Africa on the TV, American descendants of slaves should kiss the Confederate flag and give thanks that their ancestors were so enslaved.
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