I think he should just stay home until Obama becomes the President.... http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/24/rev_wright_in_pbs_interview_de.html?hpid=topnews Rev. Wright, in PBS Interview, Defends Sermons and Calls Coverage 'Unfair' By Shailagh Murray Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, told PBS host Bill Moyers that inflammatory statements from his sermons were taken out of context, but he said he didn't begrudge the Democratic candidate for denouncing them. "He's a politician, I'm a pastor. We speak to two different audiences. And he says what he has to say as a politician. I say what I have to say as a pastor. But they're two different worlds," said Wright, who recently retired from Trinity United Church of Christ on the south side of Chicago, where Obama has attended services for 20 years. Wright's interview with Moyers, excerpted today, is scheduled for broadcast Friday night on PBS and represents his first high-profile appearance after the firestorm broke. He will speak at the National Press Club on Monday, seeking to put his remarks in context of African American religious traditions. Referring to Obama's race speech in Philadelphia last month, delivered after Wright videos became an Internet and cable TV sensation, the former pastor told Moyers, "What happened in Philadelphia where he had to respond to the sound bytes, he responded as a politician." Wright is a well-known preacher and theologian, but often combative at the pulpit. He has been a lightening rod for Obama since the start of the Illinois senator's campaign, but he has kept a low profile, even as the current controversy unfolded. Wright delivered his most notorious sermon the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001, when he suggested that the U.S. had brought on the attacks by committing its own acts of terrorism. "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," he said in the Sept. 16 service. A 2003 sermon became another flashpoint. "The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," Wright told the Trinity congregation. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme." Obama strongly denounced these statements and others, and has repeatedly asserted that he only became aware of them recently. He characterizes Wright as an elderly African American man who is reflective of an earlier, more difficult era. But supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton now point to Wright as serious baggage for Obama as a general election candidate. Wright defended his sermons, telling Moyers, "the persons who have heard the entire sermon understand the communication perfectly ... those who are doing that are communicating exactly what they want to do, which is to paint me as some sort of fanatic." He said his critics' motives are clear: to undermine Obama. "I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ. And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint?" But he added, "They know nothing about the church. They know nothing about our prison ministry. They know nothing about our food ministry. They know nothing about our senior citizens home. They know nothing about all we try to do as a church and have tried to do." Focusing only on the snippets, he said, "was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt for those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons." Wright told Moyers that he didn't talk politics with Obama. "He goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician. I continue to be a pastor who speaks to the people of God about the things of God."
What could he have possibly said after dry humping the podium and saying that Bill Clinton was 'ridin dirty' that could have NOT made that sermon out to be fanatical? Same goes for US of KKKA and God Da** America. The guy is nuts.
There is nothing wrong with a Pastor denouncing our country. He is crazy, but I haven't really seen that he's a racist.
Not to defend the good Rev. but you do realize the US government has a history of this kind of behaviour right?
Slurring whites, Europeans, and Jews, and invoking the name KKK at every opportunity is the height of racism.
how is that racist, its crazy, but who is it racist against? the govt. the govt is an organization, not a race
No, it isn't racist. It's insane, but not racist. The U.S. govt. is not a race. The U.S. govt. knowingly performed medical experiments on Black Americans who were in the military before. That was racist. Making a crazy statement about them doing something similar with and attaching a more sinister motive is not racist. It is a belief that the govt. is racist. But it isn't racist in itself to believe that. The only way it would be racist would be if you believed the govt. was only for whites and comprised of whites.
Check this out. A catholic priest talks about the Rev. Wright issue.... http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?videoId=1fd1c0cf-5c80-4d75-996f-bd53b2461ae0&sMPlaylistID
I think there's a racist element to it, but I see where you're coming from. Still, we seem to be in agreement that it's insane. I'm not insinuating that Obama agrees with this nonsense, but it still concerns me that he would consider Wright his "spiritual advisor".
but it does create a us vs. them mentality which creates racism. Preaching that black people are the target of .gov conspiracies is manipulation to create hate, which is the basis of racism.
they are now considered white so this is just funny. even though not to long ago the irish and italians where the victims of severe racism.
His comments were crazy, and certainly not constructive, and portariat of victimization. Again the us vs. them mentality against the govt. has a real and proven history. It is understandable and wise for any group which has been targeted by the govt. to be aware, and vigilant. The garlic nose comment actually was racist(I believe), but most of the other stuff was just offensive or crazy.
The Idiot Wright has every right to say whatever he wants from the pulpit or anywhere else for that matter. However, his church should lose its tax exempt status. The same goes for any church, synagogue, mosque etc. that decides to mix religion and politics. The choice is theirs. BTW, that should extend to religious cults that break the law.
It is wise and understandable if you want power through fear mongering. And don;t care about the hate you are putting into your flocks hearts.
I think this gives a Obama a good chance to disown him. Even Jesse Jackson said Wright should have gone for vacation as oppose to giving out interviews like this.
