Obama's Pastor

[TexasTiger 13,028]

I also give kudos to Obama. But don't act like people being bothered by it and expecting an explanation from Obama was being unreasonable. It offended my not only as an American and a white person, it especially offended me that such hateful rhetoric would come from someone that calls themselves a Christian.

It raised valid questions that he needed to address. That said, there is a ton of irrational crap out there about this issue.

[RunInRed 16,489]

Bottom line: If you have a beef it should be with Wright not Obama. Exploiting the situation to try to score points is nothing more than "politics as usual" ... the same politics we are all trying to put behind us.

[TitanTiger 20,511]

Bottom line: If you have a beef it should be with Wright not Obama. Exploiting the situation to try to score points is nothing more than "politics as usual" ... the same politics we are all trying to put behind us.

No, if someone wants to be the leader of our country and willingly sits under the teaching of someone that espouses the beliefs Wright put forth, they should have to explain to what degree they align with his thoughts on the matter at hand and if they disagree, why they continued to sit under him. There's nothing unreasonable about wanting those questions answered by the candidate.

Putting behind "politics as usual" doesn't mean letting people skate on potentially troubling issues.

That said, I accept Obama's explanation.

[RunInRed 16,489]

Bottom line: If you have a beef it should be with Wright not Obama. Exploiting the situation to try to score points is nothing more than "politics as usual" ... the same politics we are all trying to put behind us.

No, if someone wants to be the leader of our country and willingly sits under the teaching of someone that espouses the beliefs Wright put forth, they should have to explain to what degree they align with his thoughts on the matter at hand and if they disagree, why they continued to sit under him. There's nothing unreasonable about wanting those questions answered by the candidate.

Putting behind "politics as usual" doesn't mean letting people skate on potentially troubling issues.

That said, I accept Obama's explanation.

Agree. But you evidently missed this part of his response:

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation."

Obama states he did not sit in the presence of these radical beliefs. Obama goes further...

"Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn."

To recap:

- Obama strongly condems the controversial comments

- Obama was not in Wright's or the church's precense when these comments were made

Bottom line: Obama has responded in a way that allows us to judge him as a candidate. Again, the people who are propelling this story have an agenda and you know it.

[TitanTiger 20,511]

No, I didn't miss it. I know he said that in his response. But before this response came out, it was perfectly reasonable for people to be upset and to ask why someone running for president would sit under the teaching of a "pastor" like Rev. Wright.

Now that he's explained the situation it's better, but the explanation was something that had to be done and it wasn't wrong to expect him to account for himself over this.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

Bottom line: If you have a beef it should be with Wright not Obama. Exploiting the situation to try to score points is nothing more than "politics as usual" ... the same politics we are all trying to put behind us.

No, if someone wants to be the leader of our country and willingly sits under the teaching of someone that espouses the beliefs Wright put forth, they should have to explain to what degree they align with his thoughts on the matter at hand and if they disagree, why they continued to sit under him. There's nothing unreasonable about wanting those questions answered by the candidate.

Putting behind "politics as usual" doesn't mean letting people skate on potentially troubling issues.

That said, I accept Obama's explanation.

Agree. But you evidently missed this part of his response:

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation."

Obama states he did not sit in the presence of these radical beliefs. Obama goes further...

"Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn."

To recap:

- Obama strongly condems the controversial comments

- Obama was not in Wright's or the church's precense when these comments were made

Bottom line: Obama has responded in a way that allows us to judge him as a candidate. Again, the people who are propelling this story have an agenda and you know it.

Hey Red, Titan said he accepted Obama's explanation. Did you miss that part?

[arnaldoabru 11]

Rev Wright was a former Marine.didn't know that.

[RunInRed 16,489]

I could careless what Titan personally agrees or disagrees with. This isn't about him. There's a larger issue at play and he attempted to make a point that Obama owed us an explanation b/c he sat in the presence of these teachings and did not leave the church. Obama' explanation pretty much obliterated that notion.

Titan - missed your post above. Obama owed and provided an explanation - agreed. Case closed.

[arnaldoabru 11]

I also give kudos to Obama. But don't act like people being bothered by it and expecting an explanation from Obama was being unreasonable. It offended my not only as an American and a white person, it especially offended me that such hateful rhetoric would come from someone that calls themselves a Christian.

You mean like when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell say it.

[TitanTiger 20,511]

I also give kudos to Obama. But don't act like people being bothered by it and expecting an explanation from Obama was being unreasonable. It offended my not only as an American and a white person, it especially offended me that such hateful rhetoric would come from someone that calls themselves a Christian.

You mean like when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell say it.

Yeah, exactly like that. They embarrass me when they say things the misrepresent my faith. Any other questions?

[pensacola tiger 0]

Forget all the religious rhetoric. I DO NOT want a president who would have anything to do with a preacher or anyone else who would say "damn Ameriaa" for any reason ever. Yes, question policy and/or actions. But never, ever ask God to damn the country. And if your best friend, pastor, parents, anyone else you have the least bit of relationship to preaches this in public or private you denounce them publicly, loudly and often. And you do it BEFORE you have to in order to save your campaign. And you don't equivocate, disseminate, or waffle. You yell it loud and long that this is wrong, that it is not your opinion and that you will no longer have anything to do with this person on any level. Because if you want to be the president you are suppo=sed to love America and want God to bless AMerica, not damn America. Had Obama even said his little piece directly after the minister said this the first time it would be believable. But having waited untio now and then done such a mealy mouth job of denouncing what was said I really don't believe him.

[jw 4 au 526]

Agree. But you evidently missed this part of his response:

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation."

Obama states he did not sit in the presence of these radical beliefs. Obama goes further...

"Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn."

To recap:

- Obama strongly condems the controversial comments

- Obama was not in Wright's or the church's precense when these comments were made

Bottom line: Obama has responded in a way that allows us to judge him as a candidate. Again, the people who are propelling this story have an agenda and you know it.

*cough**bull$hit**cough*cough*

That is a very convenient load of crap. I think I can judge where the agenda lies for myself, thank you very much. You choose to believe what you want, and I will the same. You cannot demand that certain things are off limits every sngle time. Holy cow, Obama supporters are becoming so arrogant and condesending. The only thing that I believed in the entire statement is that maybe he didn't go to church every Sunday, sort of like how he votes in Congress. The part I don't believe is that those were the only days rhetoric like this was used. I might have been born at night, but not last night!

Couple of facts that anyone who simply doesn't agree with Obama must ignore according to you:

- Obama attended that church for 20 years.

- Obama didn't condemn it before he wrote the book.

- Obama didn't severe all ties with the guy once he "first heard about it when my presidential campaign started". Matter of fact, he brought him in to his presidential campaing as his spiritul leader.

- He knew him VERY well (the racist married him and his wife as well as baptised his kids).

- Obama (or his campain) is always ready with an excuse and expects everyone to buy into it and shut up about it from that point forward.

- It is always someone elses fault.

[autiger4life 3]

I agree that Obama DID owe an explanation. It is stupid to think that he could be so close to such a controversial person.

I also agree that it would have been nice if he had come out with this immediately, but I understand why he didn't. It was stupid, because they should have known they would have found this and talked about it(which is fair). Its almost as if he felt since he was retired it wouldn't really matter anymore.

I don't believe that his is the same way that Obama feels, I feel that now he is doing what he should, I just wish he had done it earlier.

[CCTAU 3,348]

The good rev has been called out before for not being so....loving. Obama, excuse me, achmed, had no problem with him until this shitstorm hit. It was all well and good before. So I do not accept his explanation. I see it as a means to perform damage control. I just hope it's too little too late.

[RunInRed 16,489]

The good rev has been called out before for not being so....loving. Obama, excuse me, achmed, had no problem with him until this shitstorm hit. It was all well and good before. So I do not accept his explanation. I see it as a means to perform damage control. I just hope it's too little too late.

Not so fast...the facts do not support the story you want to advance (big surprise there)

Obama has denounced Wright before...most recently in December of this past year.

[bojack34 2]

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/p...amfelsen/gGBzFP

Barack Obama: On My Faith and My Church

The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.

Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.

As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.

Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.

Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

With Rev. Wright's retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright's statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.

blah,blah,blah...same old tune. Next thing you know he will be coming out and saying the same thing about his recent homosexuality and Beattitudes remarks. I Barack Obama in no way hold the same beliefs as Barack Obama that has caused a firestorm among the Christians on the Beattitudes as relating to the homosexual lifestyle.

[Tigermike 3,054]

Well said by Obama above. The radical right will continue to try to tear this man down b/c that is what they do.

Wake up Obama Boy this has nothing to do with the radical right, the centrist right the Clintons or anyone else. It has to do with Obama's senior pastor who Obama has sat under for 20+ years. This was not the first incident of this "preacher" saying and teaching the hate and racism he spews. Did Obama leave the church? Nope he stayed and for the first time in her life Michelle Obama is proud of her country.

Bottom line: If you have a beef it should be with Wright not Obama. Exploiting the situation to try to score points is nothing more than "politics as usual" ... the same politics we are all trying to put behind us.

No, if someone wants to be the leader of our country and willingly sits under the teaching of someone that espouses the beliefs Wright put forth, they should have to explain to what degree they align with his thoughts on the matter at hand and if they disagree, why they continued to sit under him. There's nothing unreasonable about wanting those questions answered by the candidate.

Putting behind "politics as usual" doesn't mean letting people skate on potentially troubling issues.

That said, I accept Obama's explanation.

Agree. But you evidently missed this part of his response:

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation."

Obama states he did not sit in the presence of these radical beliefs. Obama goes further...

"Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn."

To recap:

- Obama strongly condems the controversial comments

- Obama was not in Wright's or the church's precense when these comments were made

Bottom line: Obama has responded in a way that allows us to judge him as a candidate. Again, the people who are propelling this story have an agenda and you know it.

Case closed.

The point the obviously went over your head at the speed of non-thought is that Obama didn't have a problem with anything his pastor said UNTIL it became a controversy.

No the case isn't closed.

The good rev has been called out before for not being so....loving. Obama, excuse me, achmed, had no problem with him until this shitstorm hit. It was all well and good before. So I do not accept his explanation. I see it as a means to perform damage control. I just hope it's too little too late.

Not so fast...the facts do not support the story you want to advance (big surprise there)

Obama has denounced Wright before...most recently in December of this past year.

Is that so? Pray tell where, when, how and about what. If you are now trying to put up the Farrakhan endorsement of Obama or the Farrakhan man of the year well that boat don't float.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

Another sermon by Jeremiah Wright.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...h&plindex=2

[TexasTiger 13,028]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

[TitanTiger 20,511]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

Talk about an upgrade.

[bojack34 2]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

Talk about an upgrade.

I thought it was a good message but I do have one question. When did saying Amen become an African American Tradition?

[Tigermike 3,054]

From the left.

'Please Let an Old Black Man Have His Anger in the Privacy of His Church'

At least he isn't a Branch Dividian!

You might have guessed this was coming.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

Talk about an upgrade.

I thought it was a good message but I do have one question. When did saying Amen become an African American Tradition?

Late 1600s/Early 1700s.

[bojack34 2]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

Talk about an upgrade.

I thought it was a good message but I do have one question. When did saying Amen become an African American Tradition?

Late 1600s/Early 1700s.

Saying Amen became a tradition of the early church therefore it is a Christian tradition not a African American tradition. The word Amen is used many times throughout the Bible. In Hebrew and Greek it means so be it, or in modern terms I agree.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

His current minister. Even more shocking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RLX_dmYKQk

Talk about an upgrade.

I thought it was a good message but I do have one question. When did saying Amen become an African American Tradition?

Late 1600s/Early 1700s.

Saying Amen became a tradition of the early church therefore it is a Christian tradition not a African American tradition. The word Amen is used many times throughout the Bible. In Hebrew and Greek it means so be it, or in modern terms I agree.

He didn't say it was exclusively an African-American tradition. You're really looking hard for something to pick at.