Attacks on his church trouble Obama

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | MARY MITCHELL

[indcons]

When Sen. Barack Obama joined Trinity United Church of Christ 20 years ago, little did he know that the church’s charismatic pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., would become a flashpoint in a Democratic presidential primary.

Wright, an activist pastor who brought the South Side church from a 85-member congregation to an 8,000-member mega-church, has been under constant attack on Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” as a “cult” and “separatist” church.

In an interview, Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times that, despite the controversy swirling around Wright over racial comments he made from the pulpit about Sen. Hillary Clinton, he is not abandoning his church.

“We are still members of the church,” Obama said.

At the same time, Obama strongly condemned the racially explosive language attributed to Wright.

“The particular statements that have been pulled out of Rev. Wright’s sermons are ones that I profoundly disagree with,” Obama said, adding that he has never been at Trinity when Wright made similar remarks.

“If I had heard Rev. Wright making those statements while I was sitting in the pews, I would have talked to him afterwards and said I am troubled by these statements. They do not reflect . . . how I feel about this country, how I feel about race relations.”

Campaign has put burdens on church

Apparently, Wright’s offense — at least in the video clip that is getting hits on YouTube — was telling his congregation that “Hillary has never been called a n - - - - -.”

For the last week, both campaigns have had to put out racial brush fires, beginning with Geraldine Ferraro’s widely quoted comment that Obama “would not be in the place he is if he was a white man.”

Under pressure from pundits, Ferraro, a chief fund-raiser for Clinton, was forced to resign from the candidate’s finance committee, but she stood by her remarks.

Obama’s predicament is different. Wright is not involved in Obama’s campaign, nor is Wright a fund-raiser.

Moreover, Obama has already distanced himself from Wright. Last year, when Obama announced his intention to run in the Democratic primary, he rescinded his invitation for Wright to give the opening prayer.

Obama acknowledges that his campaign has put “burdens” on Trinity and its members. The church has been under scrutiny by conservative talk show hosts since Obama announced his candidacy.

The parent church, the United Church of Christ, is now being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service for a speech Obama gave at a church convention attended by 10,000 people.

“It is tougher now to go to church, period, because of the attention that I draw . . . and obviously the controversy surrounding Rev. Wright,” Obama said.

Wright retiring in June

“They are constantly getting inquiries and having press people to show up reporting sermons. I feel bad about the burdens that I have placed on the other members of the church.”

In June, Wright will retire as the senior pastor, and the Rev. Otis Moss III will ascend to church leadership.

In a statement released to the Huffington Post, Obama said that because of his “strong” links to the Trinity faith community, the church where he married his wife, Michelle, and where his daughters were baptized, he does not think it is appropriate to leave the church.

But it’s also clear to me that Obama is troubled by how Trinity, a pillar of social activism in the black community, is being portrayed.

Wright “has preached for 30 years,” Obama said. “I don’t think this is a well-rounded portrait of him.”

Obama, who has been campaigning across the country since last year, is no longer among the Sunday morning worshippers at Trinity.

Although still a member of the church, Obama acknowledges that these ongoing controversies have put “strains” on his relationship with his pastor.

“I have felt frustrated by how the church has been characterized and by the suggestion that this is somehow a separatist church and by other statements made on these talk shows,” he said.

“Anybody who has been to the church knows this is a terrific, welcoming church,” Obama noted. Trinity “is a wonderful faith community that has done very positive things in the community and also in my life.”

As the gospel teaches, Obama is looking for a way to condemn Wright’s actions but still love the man.

[Charles Henrickson]

(IF LOVIN' THE U.S. IS WRONG) I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WRIGHT
Tune: "(If Lovin' You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" Original

If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright
If joinin' his church means hearin' his hatred
I'd up and change belongin' tonight

Obama, your pastor says it's a shame
It's a downright disgrace
America's problems, all the blame
Is the fault of the white man's race

Barack, you say it's the future
And healing is in your plan
But if you can't leave this kind of hate
Believe me, yes we can

If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright
If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright

Am I wrong to smell
The sewage he loves to spew?
Knowin' you wanna lead, then why do you waffle
Defendin' you know who?

And am I wrong to question
Your ability to unite,
Knowin' you got someone there at church
Dividin' black and white?

And are you wrong to give your tithe
To a racist man?
And is he wrong for tryin' to get God
Not to bless but instead to damn?

If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright
If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright . . .

Are you wrong to give your tithe
To a racist man?
And is he wrong for tryin' to get God
Not to bless but instead to damn?

If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright
If lovin' the U.S. is wrong
I don't want to hear Wright

I don't want to hear Wright
If it means hearin' his hatred
I don't want to hear Wright
If it means black against white . . .

[PGalt]

I won’t be surprised to see the MSM spin this as Buraq’s Sista Souljah Moment.

Spin (propagandize) they will. They get away with it 60/60/24/7/365.

[geo40xyz]

Ooops: 20 Years.........

[Louis Foxwell]

Since when is political speech not religioous speech? The IRS is dead wrong on this one. Their gestapo tactics - gagging religious groups by denying their tax exempt as a nonprofit for engaging in political speech - is an abridgement of free speech.

[kalee]

A. “If I had heard Rev. Wright making those statements while I was sitting in the pews, I would have talked to him afterwards and said I am troubled by these statements. They do not reflect . . . how I feel about this country, how I feel about race relations.” B.Moreover, Obama has already distanced himself from Wright. Last year, when Obama announced his intention to run in the Democratic primary, he rescinded his invitation for Wright to give the opening prayer. Why did Obama "distance" himself from Wright and "rescind" the invitation. I'll tell you, because B follows A and Obama knew what Wright had been preaching and doing and he knew this would be troublesome if it came to light and was connected with him. I guess he thought he would smother the spark that could erupt and destroy his campaign. It may not work.

[ApplegateRanch]

Obama's Church: Cauldron of Division
Jim Davis
Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007

[snip] Wright's strong sentiments were echoed in the Sunday morning service attended by NewsMax.

Wright laced into America's establishment, blaming the "white arrogance" of America's Caucasian majority for the woes of the world, especially the oppression suffered by blacks. To underscore the point he refers to the country as the "United States of White America." Many in the congregation, including Obama, nodded in apparent agreement as these statements were made.

The sermon also addressed the Iraq war, a frequent area of Wright's fulminations.

"Young African-American men," Wright thundered, were "dying for nothing." The "illegal war," he shouted, was "based on Bush's lies" and is being "fought for oil money."

In a sermon filled with profanity, Wright also blamed the war on "Bush administration bulls--t."

Is this what is called a Gary Hart Moment?

Also buried in that article:

Obama and Wright appear, at first blush, an unlikely pair. Wright is Chicago's version of the Rev. Al Sharpton.

It was no surprise that Sharpton recently announced that with Wright's backing, he was setting up a chapter of his New York-based National Action Network in Chicagoland. The chapter will be headed by Wright's daughter, Jeri Wright.

[Lord Basil]

Attacks on his church trouble Obama

Attacks on my country by his paster in church trouble me.

[ApplegateRanch]

If you want Man's benefit, play by Man's rules. Otherwise, stay OUT of the world, and say what you will. Tax exempt status is not a God given right; it is a government bestowed privilege.

When in Rome, render unto Caesar, and submit yourself unto his laws. As I recall, that is, so to speak, orders from Headquarters; I leave it to you to look up Chapter & Verse, as an exercise for the student.

[Ptarmigan]

Agreed!

[Beagle8U]

“Of course none of the other networks would dare...”

ABC it the one that brought it out and Chris Matthews on MSNBC has devoted his entire show to it for three straight days.

[skimask]

The guy who interviewed BO last night on Hannity’s show asked BO if he had been in attendance when any of the hate filled sermons were given. BO said NO emphatically. After the interview the guy said something along the lines of....If it can be proven that BO was in attendance then he is lying and that would be tragic for his campaign.

[Salamander]

“Attacks on his church trouble Obama”

“Cry Me A River”

Now you say you’re lonely
You cry the long night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

Now you say you’re sorry
For being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember, I remember, all that you said
You told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me and

Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
I cried a river...over you...

[metmom]

Attacks BY his church should trouble obama as well.

It’s very telling that it hasn’t.

[MSRiverdog]

Amazing this guy can run for POTUS and hasn’t known,been presented with or advocated his “ex” pastors views for 20 years, just amazing.

[Erik Latranyi]

I guess months of ‘discussion’ and ‘concern’ over another candidate’s Mormonism were OK, but this is not.

Liberal media revealed as hypocrites...again.

[bboop]

Gee, Obamie, it’s so fair when the liberals whine about the President visiting for ONE DAY at Bob Jones University; you’d a thot he’d joined the KKK. But this guy blows off putrid hate-America stuff for THIRTY YEARS and you say it is ‘not fair.’

I do not want a whining President.

Nor do I want one who HATES America and white people. But that’s just me...

[Last Dakotan]

“Anybody who has been to the church knows this is a terrific, welcoming church,” Obama noted.

Even for whites?

[FoxInSocks]

Charismatic? You've got to be kidding me, Charismatic?
Try radical_race-baiting_extremist_racist for starters.

Yes, that word really popped out when I read it, too. Of all the adjectives in the English language, "charismatic" is at the bottom of a list I'd consider to describe that hateful racist "pastor."

[LiberConservative]

I don't give a rat's rear end what the IRS tax code/law says about churches. How does this sound: "Is YOUR church approved by the IRS?"

Would make a nice bumper-sticker.

[cynwoody]

This whole g_d awful mess indicates that BO is an empty suit.

Google agrees with you.