Obama's Speech in Response to the Wright Controversy

Whatever... I guess you can't see past your man crush to see that your candidate has no backbone.

 

But by not manning up and taking responsibility, he kinda did piss on perspective voters. He's pissing on the white voters and Independents. Why did he become a member of this church again? Why did he get married by this pastor? Why did he have his kids baptised by him? Why did he continue being a member of this church if he KNEW his pastor was saying such hateful things? Why didn't he TALK to Wright himself? Why didn't he do all he can do to change Wright's views as well as the Trinity Church's position?

The polls are telling indeed. He needs the Independents and he's starting to lose them.

 

Yeah, I agree. Never mind that everything he has every done in his public life suggests the opposite. But since he's close to the guy, he must believe all the same things!

Why doesn't anyone suggest that maybe Rev. Wright, being close to Obama, secretly believes the same things as Obama instead of what he professes, since we're now ignoring what people actually state and do in real life?

 

Because Wright didn't sit and listen to Obama ranting and raving like a loudmouth moron for 20 years.

 

Maybe because he sees a lot more of Rev. Wright than we do? Maybe because he doesn't judge the guy's entire history by watching a few Youtube clips? And He said as much in his speech:

But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

 

Rich, he didn't talk to Reverand Wright to change his views because Obama isn't really interested in uniting this country. Obama is interested in getting elected and straddling the fence is his best option, that and claiming to all that are fed up with the Bush administration that all this change is coming under his leadership.

 

So this is the first thing you mention? Well, that certainly shows where your allegiances are. Anyway, I assume this is the passage you're referencing...

Where is that class-based or anti-corporate? He's demanding a better way for all classes and corporations. Can you really argue with his points? He clearly wants a corporate culture that doesn't exclude people from opportunities. He clearly wants transparency in accounting... and especially with recent developments, only the class-based supporters of crooked corporatism find themselves against such a stance. And short-term greed? Notice he doesn't say just "greed," but qualifies it with "short-term." He clearly wants a corporate culture that looks at the long term interest of the corporation, which in many ways is tied to the human capital of both the corporation and the country. There's nothing anti-corporate in here. It is very much a call for a better, stronger corporate culture. And where's the racism you mention? I don't see it.

He didn't imply it, he boldly stated it. And that's been the playbook of the GOP ever since.

For gosh's sake, Reagan chose Philadelphia, MS to announce his candidacy. You don't have to be in a college Lit class to see the symbolism there.

Sure he did. You just weren't paying attention.

I take my kids to church. The pastor's cool, but some of the congregation are way out there politically and religiously. If it was up to me, I'd just take a walk in the woods every so often and think about things. But I want my kids to know the church, warts and all. I want them to learn the core values and teachings of Christianity. I want them to be exposed to as much of society as possible. I want them to understand that people are not all good and usually not all bad. I want to talk with them about what they learn and see and I want to develop their abilities to think and make up their own minds. Even if they eventually turn away from the church, they'll know and understand the culture. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that the Obama's think in a similar fashion about their church experience.

I didn't think it was cheap at all. Here's the passage...

Have you never had a teacher or a preacher that influenced you? How about a coach? I had one in HS who taught me a lot about life, whose influence continues to be seen in my daily life and decisions. But at the time, I hated the guy. Even though I couldn't stand him at the time and would vehemently disagree with a lot of what he would say if he were still alive, I recognize that the person I am, including some of the very few good parts, is in part because of him. People are not the one-dimensional caricatures they get reduced to in today's political discourse. Things are much more complicated and while some people yearn for simplicity, most of us know it's not possible... and that's one of the refreshing things about today's speech... Obama talked to the country as adult-to-adult instead of leader-to-follower or dad-to-child.

I agree.

 

I've listened to you ranting and raving like a loudmouth moron for about 10 weeks and it hasn't changed my views one bit. Do you automatically believe everything that anyone who rants and raves says to you?

 

I don't go out of my way to go sit and listen to them, give them money and have them baptize my children.

 

Everything but buddy up to a preacher that said God damn America to his congregation. And marry a woman who recently said she was finally proud to be an American...

 

awesome,

seriously, rhester is a poster I have gained alot of respect for as man of the cloth in this forum and rhester and I are probably exact opposites politically. From rhester's few posts on religion I would actually attend one of his services but I would never agree with him politically.

bottom line, its two different subjects. wright is obama's spiritual mentor, not political and if people can't separate the two its on them because they're just looking for something bo b**** at.

 

yeah, this is a reasonable response. thanks for keeping this reasonable.

 

Wright was preaching hate... that's a whole different ballgame than spinning a passage from the bible a little differently than you comprehended it.

 

Thanks for continuning to ignore your man has a problem.

 

how was he preaching hate? what did he say hateful about white people? and I'll say this again, alot of people more than willing to say had the same feelings about america after 9-11. wright's only problem imo was the tone and timing

 

I'm starting to wonder if, outside of the news articles posted, if there is even any point to having discussion regarding Obama.

 

He hates America. That's what he meant when he said... God damn America.

This is what the church your man goes to believes in..... I don't see a damn thing that screams unity!

________________________________________________________________
Trinity United Church of Christ

About Us

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian… Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:

1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

Some excerpts from the "Black Value System" via the Trinity Church’s website (pdf):


BLACK VALUE SYSTEM

Statement of Purpose

We honor Dr. Manford Byrd, our brother in Christ, because of the exemplary manner in which he has thrice withstood the ravage of being denied his earned ascension to the number one position in the Chicago School System…

The Black Value System

These Black Ethics must be taught and exampled in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect the following concepts:

Commitment of God

“The God of our weary years” will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian Activist, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind…

Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect

To accomplish anything worthwhile requires self-discipline. We must be a community of self-disciplined persons, if we are to actualize and utilize our own human resources instead of perpetually submitting to exploitation by others. Self discipline coupled with a respect for self, will enable each of us to be an instrument of Black Progress, and a model for Black Youth.

Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness”

Classic methodology on control of captives teaches that captors must keep the captive ignorant educationally, but trained sufficiently well to serve the system. Also, the captors must be able to identify the “talented tenth” of those subjugated, especially those who show promise of providing the kind of leadership that might threaten the captor’s control.

Those so identified as separated from the rest of the people by:

Killing them off directly, and/or fostering a social system that encourages them to kill off one another.

Placing them in concentration camps, and/or structuring an economic environment that induces captive youth to fill the jails and prisons.

Seducing them into a socioeconomic class system which while training them to earn more dollars, hypnotizes them into believing they are better than others and teaches them to think in terms of “we” and “they” instead of “us”…

 

Great speech!

I just love it when anti-Obama folks nitpick little insignificant details because they are desperately searching of things to critique on his speech.

 

I've been avoiding this thread because I don't care much either way about it. My issues with Obama go far beyond what his preacher says. But I want to say something that I think will shed some light on what Obama is saying.

Many times, a preacher's political views and offensive speech can be overlooked because he or she does a great job with ministry. I had an elderly pastor (retired, but I still talk to him occasionally) who said some very offensive things at times, some of them from the pulpit. He would make comments about black members giving "soul" to the choir or worship. He occasionally would tell jokes and would mimic the voice of and elderly black man during the joke. These things were known to offend black members.

Why did they keep going, and I keep going? He was a great man of God. He is the most humble, loving, giving man I have ever met. He had begun investing in real estate before he began pastoring and was relatively wealthy independently. I would guess that 1/3 or more of the church had been significantly helped by him financially, and almost all of us had been given something by him. If I knocked on his door today and said I needed to stay for a while, he'd provide me with a bed. He radiated the love of Christ and joy of the Holy Spirit. He had the gentle spirit that even people who didn't understand him recognized. He could soothe a child by talking to him. He traveled with missionary friends in Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, and Brazil, and everywhere, people who couldn't understand him or speak to him would recognize his spirit and be drawn to him.

Sometimes his ignorance or bias would put people off. A good friend of mine, a white guy, was in love with a black woman (both of them were Marines). When he went to my pastor at the time, the pastor refused to marry them, using the ignorant and outdated "it's for the children" argument. They got married, and are still happily married. They never got over that, and no longer have anything to do with the church.

Despite his flaws, my pastor was a great man of God, a great man for his church, and a great man for his community. I'm sure Dr. Wright is the same.

 

how is this anti white, the church is black.

if a korean church had in its mission, we teach korean values, would that be racist?