Monday, April 1, 2013

Pastor Leon.....was he KIDDING?

HERE is what was said by the Episcopal Pastor at St John's on Easter Sunday, with the Obama family in attendance:

The parts I wanted to share with you were:  "I hear all the time the expression 'the good old days'," Leon said. "Well, the good old days, we forget they have been good for some, but they weren't good for everybody.
"You can't go back, you can't live in the past," he added. "It drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling people back...for Blacks to be back in the back of the bus, for women to be back in the kitchen, for gays to be in the closet and for immigrants to be on their side of the border."

"What you and I understand," Leon said, "is that when Jesus says, 'You can't hang onto me,' he says, 'You know it's not about the past, it's not about the before, it's not about the way things were, but about the way things can be in the now.'"
Luis asked his audience, "Will you accept the invitation from our Gospel today to see things with Easter vision, recognizing reality in a different and new and wonderful way?"

Can anybody tell me when Jesus said "You can't hang onto me"?
Also, have you ever met a Republican who thinks Blacks are to be at the back of the bus, or women back in the kitchen or gays to stay in the closet?   Or that legal immigrants should stay where they came from?


Also...Jay Carney's words when the press room asked what the White House comment was on this really divisive, nasty swipe at half of America, were "...... he is not a politician. This is not a senator, a member of congress, or the president. This is a sermon at a church here that has been visited by presidents of both parties for many years. I don't have anything more on it for you."    He also said THIS, more of the same silliness.   They're so sensitive at the White House that all they can do is remind us how Obama enjoys going to that church (I think he's probably been there six times in five years, by the way) and how that church is one which presidents have gone to for years and how long that pastor's been there?  Is any of that relevant to the sermon remarks?  They just have to keep up with the "It wasn't Obama's fault, it wasn't HIS fault!"   We KNOW it's not his fault, Jay...but could the White House maybe make some appropriate comment to the INappropriateness of the sermon?

And, as Megyn Kelly said on FOX Monday, when Dr Benjamin Carson gave his opinion and suggestions about the health care law and taxes at the Prayer Breakfast Obama attended, the leftwing media was outraged at his using a prayer breakfast as a platform for his agenda!   Think the media will do the same for this Pastor Leon who REALLY  was inappropriate?   (ya, right)


What do you think Obama and the good Pastor are saying to each other on the way out the door in the above picture?

Z

60 comments:

Sam Huntington said...

Who knew such a dishonest person could become a pastor? As I recall, Republicans took us to a civil war in order to free blacks. As I recall, Democrats did everything they could to keep blacks in the back of the bus. He does, however, mouth the progressive/communist agenda for America—which remarkably is the Obama agenda.

Imagine politicizing the holy day of Easter.

What was the conversation as they exited the Church? I think Obama is asking, “Who is this Jesus you keep talking about?”

Meanwhile, back in his multi-million dollar home in Chicago, the Rev. Wright is slapping his knee and yelling, “Dat’s what I be talk’in bout.”

JonBerg said...

"What do you think Obama and the good Pastor are saying to each other on the way out the door in the above picture?"

B.O.: "Good Show Leon, my minions will just eat-it-up!" Leon: "Yeah Barry, just like you, I can tell outrageous lies and those suckers of yours will gobble them up, hook-line-and-sinker!" B.O. and Leon: "HA, HA, HA, HA....HA, HA, HA!"

JonBerg said...

"Blacks to be back in the back of the bus"

I remember, as a small child, witnessing Blacks being required to ride in the "back of the bus" while visiting New Orleans (circa 1954). Now, if memory serves me correctly, Louisiana was an integral part of what was known as the "Solid South" back then; yeah, solid DemocRAT!

Ducky's here said...

"Will you accept the invitation from our Gospel today to see things with Easter vision, recognizing reality in a different and new and wonderful way?"

---
Yes. I wish Obama would show some vision. I doubt the Easter experience made him less of a corporate/militarist hack.

Linda said...

Don't you just hate all the 'racism' in America? We wouldn't have it if the hyphen would never be used, and we could all just be called American.
It seems the ones who cry the cry are the ones who keep it up.

This pastor was just plain wrong.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

It's more than a bit revisionist to defend the notion that the two parties maintain the same ideological demographics as they did in the 1950's...or the civil war. A civil war that was pursued to save the Union, not to free the slaves.

"Also, have you ever met a Republican who thinks Blacks are to be at the back of the bus, or women back in the kitchen or gays to stay in the closet? Or that legal immigrants should stay where they came from?"

Yep. Not from the leading lights [or dim bulbs in some cases]; they have too much political power to lose if they felt that way publicly. But we certainly see it from supporters and enablers of the GOP. This is in no defense of the Democrats mind you....but the GOP is not blamelss throughout history.

The Pastor in question was clearly out of his lane. This is why politics and relgion should not mix, irrespective of a political viewpoint.



elmers brother said...

If only William Wilberforce had not mixed politics and his religious convictions

Z said...

Constit. Insurg...you've met some really LOUSY people. I have never met anyone who harbors those feelings.

Elbro, I think it was his religious convictions which influenced his political stance against slavery.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"you've met some really LOUSY people."

Possibly so. But I inlcude those who inhabit soapboxes as well. Some fo the fringe religious right have been most egregious in their excalmations about a womans place, and about gays. Democrats they are not.

elmers brother said...

I was being sarcastic

elmers brother said...

The Democrats of nothing to be ashamed of.... Bull Connor, George Wallace Jimmy Carter The KKK eta al... All figments of our collective imaginations.

Sam Huntington said...

Most historians will agree slavery was the central source of escalating political tension, beginning in the 1850s. Still, this is a free country and CI can remain uninformed if he so chooses.

I am certain there are “conservatives” who harbor some prejudice against others, but in the modern sense, nothing quite as significant as the vile behavior of Democrats after 1865—and for the next 100 years.

But to be completely truthful, I harbor prejudices myself; I hate anyone who thinks rap is music—no matter what their skin color.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"Most historians will agree slavery was the central source of escalating political tension, beginning in the 1850s. Still, this is a free country and CI can remain uninformed if he so chooses."

Speaking of uninformed.....

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause."
-Abraham Lincoln

You might do well to learn to delineate political tensions...and stated reasons for entering war.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Though I share your prejudice against rap.

elmers brother said...

The first Republican party platform included. An abolitionist approach to slavery. Every state that seceded from the Union included slavery as its primary reason for seceding. Of course it was about slavery

Sam Huntington said...

Speaking of uninformed …

Mr. Lincoln addressed these remarks to newspaperman Horace Greeley on 11 August 1862, which as best as I can figure without the use of a calculator, was a subsequent decade. Context matters. And of course, Mr. Lincoln clarified what he meant by adding, “I have here stated my purpose according to my views of official duty and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free."

Constitutional Insurgent said...

A "subsequent decade" from what?

Sam Huntington said...

Moreover …

The essential theme of the Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858) was slavery, particularly the issue of slavery's expansion into the territories. It was Senator Douglas's Kansas-Nebraska Act that repealed the Missouri Compromise's ban on slavery in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and replaced it with the doctrine of popular sovereignty. Lincoln opposed popular sovereignty because it would nationalize and perpetuate slavery.

Sam Huntington said...

1850s - one decade

1860s - another decade

Constitutional Insurgent said...

How exactly are you tying Lincoln's letter to the 1850's?

Liberalmann said...

He's criticized because he told the truth about the far right-wing religious GOP. Funny, their pastors can say whatever they want about this President during worship, but are offended when a man of God tells them the truth about themselves.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

The problem with his statement is, that it had no place in an Easter service. Many Priests and Pastors on the left and the right, can't to simply minister their flock....they feel the need to campaign for a political party.

Sam Huntington said...

I’m not tying Lincoln’s statement to the 1850s; you did that. My original statement was this: “Most historians will agree slavery was the central source of escalating political tension, beginning in the 1850s..

You then countered with “nuh-uh,” and quoted Lincoln from 1862.

Context matters. There is a difference between the political climate of the 1850s, and the mid-term president in 1862, whose quote appears in print just before the mid-term elections. And by then, Lincoln had to begin thinking about what a post-war United States should look like.

Unknown said...

The pastor made an indictment against so-called captains of the religious right. He made no mention of the GOP. This tends to show how "Liberal man" suffers from his own biases and explains why he has no credibility among thoughtful people.

Plus, he listens to rap.

Bob said...

I would think that Obama would have told his preacher buddy about how he enjoyed the sermon, and that the beers would be on him at the Whitehouse. Then, the preacher buddy says, "Dude! Why don't you change the name of that house?"

By the way, when I was a kid growing up in Memphis, Tennessee blacks had to go to the back of the bus; the schools were segregated; there were separate water fountains for blacks and whites; all garbage men were black; etc.

Plus, the Mayors and City Council were all Democrats. The State Legislature was run by Democrats. We had Democrats in the Governor's office. Our Congressional Representative was a Democrat, and we had two Democrat Senators, one of whom was Albert Gore, Sr.

Incidentally, the Gore family farmed tobacco, and didn't sell the family farm until Al Gore, Jr's sister died of lung cancer. Al Gore, Sr was personal friend and business partner of Armand Hammer, Chairman of Occidental Petroleum. So, you see that the Gore fortunes were fueled by big tobacco and big oil. How's that for carbon footprints?

Albert Gore, Sr also voted AGAINST the Civil Rights of 1964.

Z said...

Const. Insurg.."Dems they are not"
You're kidding, right? How lucky for you only to have known Democrats who embrace gay marriage and are so much more open minded than Republicans on soap boxes.
i.e.; don't be ridiculous.

Elbro; sarcasm doesn't translate well in writing :-)
oh, wait...and you're being sarcastic again, right? NOW I get it :-)

Bob...I was at OXY one day (a friend was a higher up in Hammer's executive chain) and was waiting to see her; suddenly, secret service was swarming around. I asked the receptionist who was coming and she said she couldn't tell. Would you believe I said "Oh, but I'm leaving soon, surely you can tell me.." AND SHE DID! (talk about not too bright)
It was AL GORE.


EVERYBODY: you will all remember how the Democrats made a huge stink about Bush being touted in churches ... threatening that churches would be admonished if they did it again.
I swear, the very next day, I see Hillary and, I think it was John Kerry, on CNN standing on church altars, touting THEMSELVES. THAT was no problem, of course..the left gets their way again.
Nothing was said, nothing was threatened. But DO NOT let a Bush fan mention HIM in any church :-)

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Sam - "I’m not tying Lincoln’s statement to the 1850s; you did that."

No. I did not. I tied Lincoln's statement to your comment of "As I recall, Republicans took us to a civil war in order to free blacks."

Context most certainly matters.

Z- "How lucky for you only to have known Democrats who embrace gay marriage and are so much more open minded than Republicans on soap boxes."

I didn't say that now did I? You specifically asked "Also, have you ever met a Republican who thinks Blacks are to be at the back of the bus, or women back in the kitchen or gays to stay in the closet?"

Scotty said...

He is an Episcopal priest. Why should anybody be shocked by what he said?

Especially when one considers who was sitting in the pews.

Z said...

Const. Insurg.: "Some fo the fringe religious right have been most egregious in their excalmations about a womans place, and about gays. Democrats they are not."

What DID you mean, then?

Scotty, you're so right. My Episcopal friends here have left the church and go to Anglican churches here now, which are far less liberal (and WAY more conservative than the Anglican church in Great Britain)
It's in Africa that the Episcopal pastors are the most conservative to the Scripture, interesting enough.


Z said...

Everyone PLEASE READ Liberalmann's comment. I've posted it again here so you don't have to scroll up:

"Liberalmann said...

He's criticized because he told the truth about the far right-wing religious GOP. Funny, their pastors can say whatever they want about this President during worship, but are offended when a man of God tells them the truth about themselves"

It's important because I would love to know if you've ever had a pastor EVER bad talk a Democrat president during the sermon. Has one EVER said anything nearly as egregious and stupid as Pastor Leon did?
of course not.
This is "the truth" about you all...there are idiot liberals who really DO believe the media and their teachers enough to think we want what that jerk says...it's astonishing.
And it has to stop.

Liberals do NOT UNDERSTAND truth or fairness...NEVER.

Liberalmann; please answer my question: The liberals were CRAZED that Benjamin Carson talked about the flat tax and subtly touched on the Affordable Care Act in his speech...they were outraged that he'd be political (he really was not) at the Nat'l Prayer Breakfast.
Where are they now that this horrid little man spewed his ugliness about Republicans on Easter at St John's?

SILENCE. From them and you, you dope. I'll be you don't even see my point.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"What DID you mean, then?"

I mean what I wrote. Some of the fundamentalists on the right, and some politicians and party platforms debunk their own claims of supporting liberty and limited government, when it comes to those born biologically oriented towards the same sex, and to a lesser extent.....to the roles of women.

They're no better than those on the left who work tirelessly to enable a culture of disarmament, dependance and entitlement.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"It's important because I would love to know if you've ever had a pastor EVER bad talk a Democrat president during the sermon. Has one EVER said anything nearly as egregious and stupid as Pastor Leon did?"

I believe Mark Burnett and his wife and the History Channel. I don’t believe they intentionally portrayed the Lucifer character to look like Mr. Obama. I think God guided the hand of the makeup artist and blinded the eyes of everybody on the movie set while it was being recorded, and the spiritual blinders were removed Sunday night when the program was broadcast nationally on the History Channel. How many clues do we need from Heaven to understand that the man in the White House is a devil from Hell?

- Rev Fred Luter, TruNews.com

Anonymous said...

@EB

"Bull Connor, George Wallace..."

You must never forget that while David Duck was ridiculed, crucified and run out of office in La....they still kept that sheet on Bobby Byrds head. Right up til the day he croaked...and they still deify him today.
And Al Gore Sr. was no better.

Anonymous said...

@JackW

"Plus, he listens to rap..."

You owe me a new keyboard...LOL

Dave Miller said...

Z, I frequently hear pastors from conservative churches lament President Obama from the pulpit, during bible studies and in casual conversation.

I frequently experience religious conservatives being just as critical of Obama as this pastor was of the religious right.

i agree with CI... both sides do it... sadly

Kid said...

I won't repeat myself this quick. So, - what are obama and the pastor talking about? Money is involved.

elmers brother said...


Liberals do NOT UNDERSTAND truth or fairness...NEVER


Moral relativity makes the truth unnecessary.

Kid said...

This is probably a good time to mentiont hat labels in 2013 America (and for a good while) are useless, no less than useless. Totally misleading and meaningless.

The founders were Had Left Liberals - Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness. Very little judgement and no commandments other than obey the law.
The law in those days was pretty much the golden rule. What's wrong widdat?

Now we have Fascists calling themselves liberals. Errrrrrp.

We have republicans calling themselves Conservatives. Errrrp.

We have people thinking Conservatives - the only people championing individual rights and speech and freedoms- are racists and domestic terrorists.

Look at today's definitions for anything and they're all a 180 from reality.

Good way for the *^%$#$%#$%#$^ers in government to take control of everyone isn't it?

And here we are at war with each other. white/Black/Red/Yellow. Hetro/Homo. Conservative/Libertarian/Libtard.

We're fighting the wrong people.
We have the most incompetent, vile, ignorant POS's in DC, not only robbing us blind through taxes and inflation, but controlling every aspect of our lives ! Smack yourself in the face until you realize who the enemy is. It's not your neighbor (unless they are in your face then hey..)

It's gone parabolic. Individual liberties are being taken from you faster than you can say Jackie Robinson.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

Kid - Spot on! As Silverfiddle stated at his site, what have now is not left v. right, it's liberty v. statism.

Political correctness and moral relativity can be added to the list of meaningless labels. Both sides of the spectrum engage in these rhetorical devices with little meaning behind them, and hypocrisy abounding.

Issues matter, politics don't We need leaders [both elected and religious] who understand that.

Z said...

Meanwhile, the big news is what Michelle Obama thinks of Barbara Walters' retirement.
Does she think anybody cares?

My GOSH

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"Both sides engage? Really?"

Yes. Really. Partisanship can indeed be blinding.

Who said all Christians 'suck'?

Z said...

Const. Insurg.
I explained why it's pretty clear that they might both be 'engaging in this behavior' but WHO CARES when most of the media NEVER shines a good light on Republicans' points and always champions the left? When the Republican tree falls in the forest, trust me, NOBODY hears it.

don't you SEE THAT?

You are often very dismissive to Christians. Whether you feel you do or not. I'm not so sensitive I see a boogie man under every bed. But, you really do...interesting that you don't think so.

Z said...

So now, I'm hearing some Republican senators did an April Fools thing to Obama and people are holding their breaths to see if "he thinks it's funny".

How about Pastor Leon? How about the media wondering if his horrible comments yesterday were April Fools and if Obama thought it was amusing?

ya, like that'll happen.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"You are often very dismissive to Christians. Whether you feel you do or not. I'm not so sensitive I see a boogie man under every bed. But, you really do...interesting that you don't think so."

That's true to an extent. I am very dismissive of Christians who have more fealty to the ballot box than the pulpit...to those who believe it's their place to restrict my liberties based on what they believe.

But I'm equally dismissive of those in secular power who do the same. To be defensive of the above, yet ascribe to Conservative tenets of liberty....is hypocrisy of the highest order.

I'm not even going to tender your diatribe on the media. Liberal outlets and agendas exist, but when you deign to proclaim that FNC is among them....it falls on deaf ears. Chronic victim-hood doesn't interest me.

Z said...

Constl. Insurg...if you're saying I'm a CHRONIC VICTIM, you don't understand at ALL what I'm saying. And you don't read much of my blog.
Frankly, I'm not sure what YOu said.... "among them?" WHAT?

My point is that CNN is championed for not being biased by the libs, but FOX IS supposedly totally biased when FOX has approximately 80% more liberal opinion on than CNN has Conservative.
That's not hard to understand.

Also, O'Reilly and Hannity are up front about the fact that they are editorialists, opinionists, they are not THE NEWS and don't say they are.
CNN is 'all news' but Blitzer, for example, is a total apologist for the PLO, hates Israel, etc...the women in the morning smirk and laugh at anything Conservative.

I'm pretty fair and watch ALL the news, left, right and center, so my readers don't claim "deaf ears" to me. It's why they're here, I believe they know they can trust me.

Z said...

and now Caroline Kennedy is expected to be appointed AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN.

wow

elmers brother said...

We're all fools if we expect politics to solve our problems. Why does any of this surprise you? Without any moral compass or basic framework....no matter what it is, how can anyone be surprised that everything from our politics, our education system, our media, arts and entertainment have all been corrupted. Alfred Edersheim wrote about how this brought about the fall of Rome. You'd think he was talking about us.

It would be unsavoury to describe how far the worship of indecency was carried; how public
morals were corrupted by the mimic representations of everything that was vile, and even by the
pandering of a corrupt art. The personation of gods, oracles, divination, dreams, astrology, magic, necromancy, and theurgy,1278all contributed to the general decay. It has been rightly said, that the idea of conscience, as we understand it, was unknown to heathenism. Absolute right did not exist. Might was right. The social relations exhibited, if possible, even deeper corruption. The sanctity of marriage had ceased. Female dissipation and the general dissoluteness led at last to an almost entire cessation of marriage. Abortion, and the exposure and murder of newly-born children, were common and tolerated; unnatural vices, which even the greatest philosophers practised, if not advocated, attained proportions which defy description. As regarded politics, philosophy, religion, and society, the utmost limits had been reached.

Beyond them lay, as only alternatives, ruin or regeneration.

Religion, philosophy, and society had passed through every stage, to that of despair. Without tracing the various phases of ancient thought, it may be generally said that, in Rome at least, the issue lay between Stoicism and Epicureanism. The one flattered its pride, the other gratified
its sensuality; the one was in accordance with the original national character, the other with its later decay and corruption. Both ultimately led to atheism and despair - the one, by turning all higher aspirations self-ward, the other, by quenching them in the enjoyment of the moment; the one, by making the extinction of all feeling and self-deification, the other, the indulgence of every passion and the worship of matter, its ideal.

Anonymous said...

@Z


" Caroline Kennedy is expected to be appointed AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN."

Guess we've not seen enough of the drooling, fawning over the kennedy ilk for some time and we need to fire up their brand of lunacy again? Look..Camelot was a load of shit...and the Kennedy's are one ugly drunken clan.

Jack Kennedy will never return...and these asshats don't know it.

Dynasties are just not what we need...whether they be Bushie , Klintons or Kennedys.

Kid said...

CI, Thank you.

Z said...

Elbro, that IS prophetic and scary!

Divine Theatre said...

At the very least, his church should lose its tax exempt status.

Andie

JonBerg said...

"So, nothing about the Steubenville"

What? Is that the best that you can do?

FreeThinke said...

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by which ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption.

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, who for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you."

Always On Watch said...

An Easter message should not be a forum for a political agenda. In fact, I see such an agenda in an Easter message as akin to blasphemy -- if not blasphemy itself.

Always On Watch said...

According to the HuffPo:

León's sermon emphasized that the "the message of Easter is about the power of love over loveless power."

That's what Easter is about???

Unknown said...

When is this Freakszoid going to stop playing the "shift the blame" game?

Z said...

AOW, I'm still wondering about the pastor's "Jesus said don't hang onto me"

What scripture is THAT?!!

FreeThinke said...

León's sermon emphasized that the "the message of Easter is about the power of love over loveless power."

That's what Easter is about???


I think it may well be, AOW.

If we stop to think about the implications of what the pastor said, the Love that is God overcame the Pride and Arrogance of the Scribes and Pharisees in conjunction with the brutal power of barbaric Rome, and Love (God) in the Person of Jesus Christ overcame DEATH.

I see EVERYTHING biblical in terms of parables and metaphors. I take NONE of it LITERALLY -- an approach I happen to regard as NAIVE and terribly MISLEADING.

The Life of Christ IS about nothing more -- nor less -- than the Triumph of Love over Temporal Power.

That doesn't stop Pastor Leon from being an åsshole, however. The other things he said were unforgivable and irredeemable.

Z said...

FT, the main story of Easter is resurrection, redemption...salvation.

Your opinions are interesting...and I applaud your interpretation! :-)

elmers brother said...

the Love that is God overcame the Pride and Arrogance of the Scribes and Pharisees

The love of God overcame our sinful nature and death. Giving us the honor of meeting God ourselves in the Holy of Holies.