Humor me. This came to mind while watching Hannity & Colmes tonight. I’m sure some of you saw it, too…so you’ll know from what I drew my inspiration:
Obama’s church was being discussed by a panel of Ari Fleischer, Tony Blankley, and Bob Beckel. Hannity or Colmes chimed in, too, of course. Should Obama have stayed at a church whose pastor says “God D--- America”? Should he stay at a church which considers America a racist, a terrorist, a killer? Something NOBODY brought up was “Can there be a correlation with Obama not holding his hand over his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem and attending a church whose pastor hates this country?” I’d have thought that might have been a worthy addition and inference from the discussion, wouldn’t you? If a pastor talks with such hatred for America and we’ve got a congregant/close friend of his (and presidential candidate) dissing our country by not honoring our pledge or anthem…could there be a direct correlation? I think so.
Mr. Z and I started going to a nearby Lutheran church five years ago. The pastor there doesn’t talk politics in church; I admire that. But, one night, he and I’d just finished a meeting or study or something and everyone else had left and he and I lingered, talking in the darkness outside the church. As we parted for the evening, I was dying to ask him something, but I wasn't sure I really wanted to know, so I walked into the night…….but I couldn’t go. I had to know. I had to make sure of something. I called “Pastor! Could I ask you a question?” as he’d almost got into his car to leave. Honestly, my heart was thumping out of my chest and a little voice was asking “Do you really want to know? You like him so much…how’ll you take it if he answers ‘wrong’?” but, I had to know…..I can’t admire and be pastored by a man whose values I feel are, well, unadmirable.... So, I took a deep breath and asked “How do you feel about us going into Iraq?”
“Well, I don't like to talk politics with parishioners, but...if you really want to know.....I feel going into Iraq is important, it sends a message, and I’m glad Bush is doing it,” he answered.
“Are you more conservative or liberal?”
“I’m a conservative, always have been…” (He was 33 at the time).
I hugged him and fairly skipped to my car with relief. I had to know what my pastor thought about America, politics, values. I had to make sure I knew what motivated and informed his theology, his sermons, his attitudes. Why didn't Obama? Or, did he?
Tonight on television, Bob Beckel said the real proof that Obama must have known about Wright’s politics could only be revealed if we could get a recording of Obama’s wedding or the baptisms of his daughters. WHAT? As if a pastor would talk about hating America during a wedding or baptism? Seemed to me like Beckel was really grasping because he knew he’d been outdone, that something telling about Obama had been revealed.
Ari Fleischer reminded us that the media crucified George Bush for speaking at Bob Jones University! Anybody in the media upset at Obama for hateful speech by his own pastor?
Beckel then reached a new low, even for him: “You think every child who attends that church isn’t qualified to be president?” “Shame on you,” he answered at the implication. Yes, Bob, Z feels that no child who’s been raised in an Africa-first, hate-America church whose parents attend that church is qualified. Maybe ‘qualified’ isn’t quite the word; after all, his inference is “they’re mostly Black, does that make them less qualified? Shame on you” Yes, that would be a shame on us because there are thousands of Black children qualified to be President. But, of those who attend Jeremiah Wright’s church, qualification isn’t the point. Heart is. Teaching/mentoring is. What you accept from your pastor is. Shame on you, Bob, for playing a despicable and dishonest race card.
All of us should have the heart to try to bridge the gap between Black and White with the love of Jesus. Would anybody suggest Wright’s doing this with his outrageous rhetoric?
Of course not. Obama, tell the truth. Or, are you so indoctrinated and hiding something so deep even you don’t know it's there?
Obama’s church was being discussed by a panel of Ari Fleischer, Tony Blankley, and Bob Beckel. Hannity or Colmes chimed in, too, of course. Should Obama have stayed at a church whose pastor says “God D--- America”? Should he stay at a church which considers America a racist, a terrorist, a killer? Something NOBODY brought up was “Can there be a correlation with Obama not holding his hand over his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem and attending a church whose pastor hates this country?” I’d have thought that might have been a worthy addition and inference from the discussion, wouldn’t you? If a pastor talks with such hatred for America and we’ve got a congregant/close friend of his (and presidential candidate) dissing our country by not honoring our pledge or anthem…could there be a direct correlation? I think so.
Mr. Z and I started going to a nearby Lutheran church five years ago. The pastor there doesn’t talk politics in church; I admire that. But, one night, he and I’d just finished a meeting or study or something and everyone else had left and he and I lingered, talking in the darkness outside the church. As we parted for the evening, I was dying to ask him something, but I wasn't sure I really wanted to know, so I walked into the night…….but I couldn’t go. I had to know. I had to make sure of something. I called “Pastor! Could I ask you a question?” as he’d almost got into his car to leave. Honestly, my heart was thumping out of my chest and a little voice was asking “Do you really want to know? You like him so much…how’ll you take it if he answers ‘wrong’?” but, I had to know…..I can’t admire and be pastored by a man whose values I feel are, well, unadmirable.... So, I took a deep breath and asked “How do you feel about us going into Iraq?”
“Well, I don't like to talk politics with parishioners, but...if you really want to know.....I feel going into Iraq is important, it sends a message, and I’m glad Bush is doing it,” he answered.
“Are you more conservative or liberal?”
“I’m a conservative, always have been…” (He was 33 at the time).
I hugged him and fairly skipped to my car with relief. I had to know what my pastor thought about America, politics, values. I had to make sure I knew what motivated and informed his theology, his sermons, his attitudes. Why didn't Obama? Or, did he?
Tonight on television, Bob Beckel said the real proof that Obama must have known about Wright’s politics could only be revealed if we could get a recording of Obama’s wedding or the baptisms of his daughters. WHAT? As if a pastor would talk about hating America during a wedding or baptism? Seemed to me like Beckel was really grasping because he knew he’d been outdone, that something telling about Obama had been revealed.
Ari Fleischer reminded us that the media crucified George Bush for speaking at Bob Jones University! Anybody in the media upset at Obama for hateful speech by his own pastor?
Beckel then reached a new low, even for him: “You think every child who attends that church isn’t qualified to be president?” “Shame on you,” he answered at the implication. Yes, Bob, Z feels that no child who’s been raised in an Africa-first, hate-America church whose parents attend that church is qualified. Maybe ‘qualified’ isn’t quite the word; after all, his inference is “they’re mostly Black, does that make them less qualified? Shame on you” Yes, that would be a shame on us because there are thousands of Black children qualified to be President. But, of those who attend Jeremiah Wright’s church, qualification isn’t the point. Heart is. Teaching/mentoring is. What you accept from your pastor is. Shame on you, Bob, for playing a despicable and dishonest race card.
All of us should have the heart to try to bridge the gap between Black and White with the love of Jesus. Would anybody suggest Wright’s doing this with his outrageous rhetoric?
Of course not. Obama, tell the truth. Or, are you so indoctrinated and hiding something so deep even you don’t know it's there?
17 comments:
I won't pretend to know Obama's heart....or whether his views line up with his pastor's but
the left wouldn't let Bush separate the two....so it's fair to be asking the same questions of Obama
I don't pretent to know his heart, either. Were my pastor a man who COULD say things like this man does, I'd be getting up and leaving. That's all. I would have to, HAVE TO, separate myself from it. I certainly couldn't tithe to a church run by him. I couldn't tithe to a church which uses my tithing money to buy the plaque or whatever was given to Farrakhan, either. No way.
Could you sit in a church whose pastor's said anything remotely like what Wright's so well known to have said? These new videos are at the church website.
And yup, they wouldn't let Bush separate and nobody on Bush's side talked about hating America.
no I wouldn't attend a church like that
vdHi All,
I saw Obama interviewed on Fox tonight, and he said he hadn't heard Wright say all these things in church.
Obama struggled for words at times, and I must say, it strains credibility to think he could be close to this pastor for twenty years and not know his beliefs inside out.
If this pastor is the best he could find to be his mentor, his judgment is in question. I believe he must be comfortable in that environment, and if that's the case he is not qualified to be President. Hate is not a good qualification.
If he is dependent on someone like this pastor, he is not mature enough to be President, and is vulnerable to being manipulated.
In any case one thing is certain. The American people really know nothing about Barack Obama. When one hears him speak, the words may be nice, but it seems there is no there, there.
Pris
I would hope that Obama would have the sense to walk away from that idiocy.
FreeThinker offers a "canned" opinion (below). He also likes Z's post, but feels compelled to add that he can and does admire and can learn from people whose opinions are not congruent with his own. However, an obvious RAVING MANIAC like Jeremiah Wright could only incur his disgust and complete rejection. There is obviously something WRONG with Obama, if he has attended and supported a "church" of that sort.
The Wall Street Journal Weighs In
From the article:
••• "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." •••
Yes–––for TWENTY YEARS.
••• "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." •••
HAH!
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.
Trinity United Church of Christ/Religion News Service
Sen. Barack Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright
"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.
NOTE: 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).
FT: Do you think you can 'learn' from this guy anything but how to hate? I don't have to agree with someone I can learn from, but I"d like to respect him.
Beak: He didn't walk away...shows bad judgment to me.
Pris: Obama sure did hesitate and beat around the bush in his response. I saw another interview with Anderson Cooper after the FOX one and he seemed a little more relaxed....he's on a media blast.
Both times, he reminded us all about Wright's theological credentials and that HE WAS A MARINE. Can anybody tell me if that helps you swallow that this man now says "God DAM* America"? Make it easier for YOU to take?
There are questions about the Motmon Church that wasn't asked of Mitt Romney, before he bowed out. In addition what did Mike Huckabee say in his sermons. We didn't see a single vodeo.
McCain has connections with Rod Parsley, who called for war on Islam. That is Islam, not Islamism. He called for prosecuting adulterers.
It looks like you to be a religious nut to be president.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Z,
Pastor Wright's theological credentials? What could those be? Because he stands behind a pulpit to do his ranting?
I could stand in a garage, but it doesn't make me a Buick! (sorry, couldn't help myself).
What an insult this so-called pastor is to Christianity. Christians everywhere should loudly decry this fraud for what he is. How dare he use Jesus or God to justify his hatred.
And, how dare Senator Obama make excuses for him. It's clear he can't bring himself to walk away from his friend and mentor. Unfortunately, they are tied at the hip and it seems to me no matter what Obama says now, it's too little too late.
Pris
PS. I have no idea how the letters vd, appear before the Hi on my previous post. Guess I'll have to chalk it up to carelessness on my part.
renegade eye; You left words out of one sentence, the one about what I want in a president but I think I get it.
Huckabee's video was shown, trust me "we need to bring America back to Jesus". I might feel he's right, but I didn't feel it was right to say that in a campaign and I knew he couldn't get elected having said that (the fact that he didn't realize that gave me almost as much pause about his decision making capabilities as I have abuot Obama now and the church he attends AND how he's lied through this situation...you don't go to a church for 20 years and have a very close friend in a guy and not know his feelings!!)...But, you're right...we don't cross religion into politics, more's the pity, and Huckabee was doing that. Romney was NOT, by the way. On the other hand, maybe we might have the same great country we did have when more of us honored God, huh?
There is such a divide between what WRight has said and his closeness to Obama and Parsley who hardly knows McCain, I can't comment on it. But I respect your right to think what you want and you're not 100% wrong.
I thank you for coming here...it's a new blog and I want to tell you all of us who post here welcome a person who disagrees because, from reading your blog, I saw that you stay civil and you're no dummy. Even if you are woefully wrong on almost everything !(SMILE)
Renegade Eye...come back, I'd like to have you around. Thanks.
PRIS! I had to laugh about the letters you mention 'vd'...I don't know which comment of yours they attached themselves to, but you couldn't have been commenting on my piece about STD's and young girls, could you? (SMILE!) I couldn't resist. VD..!!
Your line about a Buick in a Garage is perfect. And yes, he is using Jesus to cover his hate. Awful. you always nail it.
I'm glad your pastor turned out to be sane, Z!
Obama must either agree with this hateful jerk, or have such an unbelievable cloud of willful ignorance around his head!
I was glad, too, Brooke. Believe me. Obama's ignorance is self serving, that's all, in my humble opinion.
Elmer's brother,
Would it help to consider that number one, there is a huge divide between the church a man picks for himself and his family's spiritual leadership and visiting a church on the campaign trail, but MORE importantly, it is important to note that on the mission statement from the church, the Pastor makes reference to WEB DuBois, a devout communist who decided it was no longer a goal of the black community to 'integrate' but that segregation and classism and the promotion of redistribution of wealth was the way to go.
Pastor Wright ALSO mentioned that he is a believer in the 'Black Liberation Theology' of Dr. Cone. Cone's ideals are also socialist/marxist in nature.
So, when a man spends twenty years under the spiritual guidance of a man like Wright, whose own site espouses these anti-capitalist views, is it fair to presume that either Sen. Obama is NOT as intelligent a man as we all have been led to believe, nor as diligent in looking after even his own family, OR that his association IS precisely as pastor Wright's?
If the former, then he does not demonstrate the good judgement he bases his entire campaign on and the CHANGE he's likely to bring will reflect that; if the latter, then he still does not demonstrate good judgement, but the change he speaks about will be DIRE indeed.
Given an understanding of this pastor's perspective, it sheds new light on the comments of his wife, on his association with Ayers, and on his double-speak with regards to NAFTA.
He worked to get an earmark of a million dollars for the hospital his wife works for as a VP. She was then given a 150% payraise, while she's on leave from work to help with her hubby's campaign, no less. Her employer says she had nothing to do with the lobbying for the earmark. The earmark did not get through, however, on that subject, this Senator who touts his work on the 'ethics bill' and his desire to have all business done in the light of day, AND, is a Constitutional scholar, seems to have little respect or concern for the methodology required before spending the people's money. He got several earmarks through that had already been debated and voted DOWN by the Senate. That's right. The process intended by the founders, which often times is avoided altogether, to ensure the people's money was spent wisely, found his earmark desires NOT TO BE in the interest of the country...so, he simply put them through as regular earmarks KNOWING the consensus of his noble and learned associate in the Senate..
This is NO man of good will. This is a socialist/Marxist who is pro-segregationism, but touts himself the great integrator. He is the man who accepted money and private business dealings with a man he knew was under indictment for "attempting to extort a government official' but when asked about the judgement of the association, he concedes it was 'a lapse in judgement' BUT, he qualifies, that he was not aware of any expectation of a quid pro quo by Rezko...and we're supposed to just believe him on that, I suppose.
I don't know his 'heart' but I know that the church he has attended the last twenty years promotes a socio-political agenda related to socialism/marxism and redistribution of wealth and is the antithesis of the founding of this country which sought to depoliticize religion...the man is NOT who he SAYS he is...
rant over
Pati
Hey, Pati..great post. There is almost nothing going for Obama on this church situation; it's just BAD, period.
Did you have time to read my piece? it's all true. I cared enough to find out my pastor's beliefs before joining the church.....and Obama's known this guy TWENTY YEARS, as a friend and mentor, and "Uncle" as he calls him...and he wants us to believe he didn't know he thinks so HORRIBLY of this great country?
And, what the heck kind of pastor would use Jesus to drive wedges between the races? What kind of rhetoric has he used to bring us together? rubbish.
great to have you here,always. z
i loved the way major garrett backed him into a corner - he had to answer, whether truthfully or not.
major asked all the right questions.
nanc, I figured Major Garrett might be a conservative, working on FOX and all, but let's face it, Shep Smith SURE isn't!>>Anyway, I was very impressed by his questioning. I've heard him tell the news, unbiased enough where I couldn't tell his politics (bliss!), but he NAILED Obama, unrelentingly.......Garrett showed he has great skills, guts, and a good mind.
Didn't you love when Obama told him "Wright was a Marine"? I guess you can say "God D AMerica" when you've been a Marine, huh?
what RUBBISH.
I saw Anderson Cooper interview Obama a while later that night and Obama mentioned the Marine thing, too..On CNN, like THEY"D draw some parallel between patriotism and the Marines?! FOX watchers love the Marines and hate racists...CNN's watchers are racists (affirmative action, hate mongering,etc.) and hate the Marines.
Go figure. Obama made a bad call, huh? "Know your audience"
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