Denomination Wrestles With Pastor’s Statements

NY Times ^ | 5/3/08 | NEELA BANERJEE

[Dawnsblood]

Ministers said they heard in Mr. Wright’s language “the same kind of passion and hyperbole as the Hebrew prophets,” said the Rev. Richard Wagoner of Union Congregational Church, a United Church of Christ church in St. Louis Park, Minn. Clergy members have cited the prophet Amos, who cursed all the nations, saving his harshest words for his own.

But many congregants heard something different, Mr. Wagoner said, and were angry about Mr. Wright’s sermons. After his speech at the National Press Club, more frustration surfaced.

“Many in our congregation are resonating with Obama’s talk of raising the discourse and that sort of idealism, and Jeremiah Wright’s comments have pulled the level of discourse down,” Mr. Wagoner said. “People are angry at the effect it is having on Obama’s campaign. And they are angry at having to revisit the race issue.”

Clergy members say some good may come out of the controversy, including a deeper conversation on race.

“When you have diversity, you’re going to have conflict — that is the price of diversity,” said the Rev. Joseph C. Hough Jr., president of Union Theological Seminary in New York. “The challenge is to recognize conflict and open windows of reconciliation.”

[the invisib1e hand]

wright’s a muslim masquerading as a Christian.

[popdonnelly]

Notice that it’s the ministers who rationalize Wright’s remarks, and the church members who criticize.

[DarthVader]

Those ministers are wolves in sheeps clothing.

[Question Liberal Authority]

On Sunday, Barack said Wright's comments were taken out of context and looped over and over again by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

On Tuesday, Barack said that Wright's comments were inflammatory and beyond the pale.

Wright's message, meanwhile was exactly the same on Monday as it was in 2001, 2003, 2007, and probably his entire career.

If any opponent of Barry has the guts to hammer on the inconsistencies between the Sunday Barry and the Tuesday Barry, then Barry would be toast.

[Mercat]

Wright is a race baiting snake oil salesman mascarading as a minister.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Notice that it’s the ministers who rationalize Wright’s remarks, and the church members who criticize.

They're being quoted in the New York Times. Who knows if they even exist?

[WorkingClassFilth]

Between the apostacy, the kneejerk leftism and the double-talk of PC newspeak, the mind reels...

These people are so twisted they’ll have to be corkscrewed into the ground when they die.

[ozark hilljilly]

“the same kind of passion and hyperbole as the Hebrew prophets,”

True. But Wright's inspiration isn't from the same source as those guys. ; )

[Eric in the Ozarks]

You're on to something. Any time the NYT quotes unidentified sources, you can bet they were created from whole cloth in the NYT’s newsroom.

[JustaCowgirl]

Notice that it’s the ministers who rationalize Wright’s remarks, and the church members who criticize.

My local liberal rag has all sorts of 'Wright rationalization' from black pastors in it this morning too. Of course they completely disassociate Obama from anything that loon says.

[bboop]

My black friend — who is so conservative in some ways, but she doesn’t yet realize it — says that Wright is terrible, poisonous, and trying to do the Obamas in. “And Barack and his wife seem like such nice people.”

!!

I was glad to hear her say, at least, that Pastor Wright was scum. I suppose I was not clear if the black community stood behind him.

This might be a common way this is interpreted.

[hinckley buzzard]

Clergy members say some good may come out of the controversy, including a deeper conversation on race. “When you have diversity, you’re going to have conflict — that is the price of diversity,” said the Rev. Joseph C. Hough Jr., president of Union Theological Seminary in New York. “The challenge is to recognize conflict and open windows of reconciliation

Next to sex we have been talking about little else for the last fifty years. I would like this knucklehead to explain how Wright and his ilk are going to advance "reconciliation."

One reason the lameline protestant churches are dying, aside from their apostasy, is that their preachers are generally dull-witted and not very smart.

[george76]

[Hoof Hearted]

"“When you have diversity, you’re going to have conflict — that is the price of diversity,” said the Rev. Joseph C. Hough Jr., president of Union Theological Seminary in New York."

B..b....but I thought multiculturalism brought "unity through diversity".

Well libs, which one is it?

[PapaBear3625]

wright’s a muslim masquerading as a Christian.

Both Wright and Farrakhan are Black Supremacists pretending to be something else. Nation of Islam has no relation to Quranic Islam, and Wright does not seem to have any relation to Christianity

[no dems]

wright’s a muslim masquerading as a Christian.

Same goes for Barack Hussein Osama-Obama.

[Dr. Ursus]

What’s laughable is pundits and talking heads trying to
debate the words of Rev. Sportin’ Life in a serious manner!

[VOA]

Notice that it’s the ministers who rationalize Wright’s remarks,
and the church members who criticize.

A couple of years ago my mom was a little sheepish when she told
me that the new preacher at her fairly conservative Church of
Christ congregation hadn't attended seminary/theology school.

I told her that from what I'd heard about today's seminaries...
that may be a good thing.

(and the new preacher has worked out quite well from what I've heard)

[VOA]

Clergy members say some good may come out of the controversy,
including a deeper conversation on race.

Yeah, like this has been a censored subject in America for the
last generation or two.

When it comes to race, homosexuality, or dictator thugs like Castro
being "picked on" by the USA...
liberal churches can't help themselves from yapping about it
24/7!

Of course, conversation about how this impacts the numbers in
the pews of their churches...well that's sort of a verboten topic!