Doctrines of Obama's Church

The following are excerpts from an article written by Margaret Talev for McClatchy Newspapers:

Jesus is black. Merging Marxism with Christian Gospel may show the way to a better tomorrow. The white church in America is the Antichrist because it supported slavery and segregation.

Those are some of the more provocative doctrines that animate the theology at the core of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Barack Obama's church....

But in repudiating and putting in context Wright's inflammatory lines about whites and U.S. foreign policy, the Democratic presidential front-runner didn't address other potentially controversial facts about his church and its ties.

Wright has said that a basis for Trinity's philosophies is the work of James Cone, who founded the modern black liberation theology movement out of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. Particularly influential was Cone's seminal 1969 book, "Black Theology & Black Power."

Cone wrote that the United States was a white racist nation and the white church was the Antichrist for having supported slavery and segregation....

In an interview, Cone said that when he was asked which church most embodied his message, "I would point to that church (Trinity) first." Cone also said he thought that Wright's successor, the Rev. Otis Moss III, would continue the tradition.

Obama, 46, who's biracial, joined Trinity in his late twenties when he worked as a community organizer. He says he'll continue to worship there...

It isn't clear where Obama's beliefs and the church's diverge. Through aides, Obama declined requests for an interview or to respond to written questions about his thoughts on Jesus, Cone or liberation theology... 

(For the full article, click here. )

Did Obama attend the church knowing some of these radical doctrines that the church is founded on?  Thats a question that needs to be answered.  

Obama And The Preacher

As is well known, Sen. Barack Obama's pastor for 20 plus years has caused some controversy recently, and, in my mind, rightfully so. Many people, from the Obama campaign, as well as Clinton's, have downplayed Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments.  But they still bother me.  As much as I do want to move past them, I just can't.  The words "God damn America" and "She ain't never been called a n****r" just keep replaying in my head.  Phrases such as those are utterly disturbing and there is no excuse for them.  It is horrific to watch the tapes of these comments and see the congregation stand on their feet to applaud Wright's inexcusable language.  As much as I don't want to blame Obama, I kind of have to.  Here's why:

First of all, Obama says he never heard Rev. Wright make such statements.  Okay, I accept Obama at his word that he wasn't in the congregation when those specific remarks were made.  But, in Obama's 20 year long history with Rev. Wright, did he ever hear Wright make such statements?  Did he ever hear of Wright making the statements even if he wasn't there at the moment? 

Surely Obama knew Wright was a controversial man.  If Obama didn't think so, then why did he ask Wright not to speak at his announcement to run for President.  He clearly didn't want Wright brought up in front of the press.  He obviously knew this man was controversial.  If all Obama knew was, as he now claims, that Wright preached about Jesus and was a great man, why did he have to ask Wright not to show up.  Obama obviously knew of Wright's history and past remarks.  Maybe not the exact ones now being played in the media, but some of the many, many anti-American, racial, bigoted remarks Wright has apparently made, even if we don't yet know them all. And if Obama knew of Wright's history, why did he continue to attend Trinity United Church?  I'm not a very religious person, so I don't go to church, but if I did and I heard anything close to the type of remarks that Wright made, I would get up that instant, walk out that church, and never, ever have anything to do with it again.  Obama clearly knew that Wright had made these type of statements in the past, why else would he ask Wright not to be there for his announcement, and if he did know of some of these statements, why did he continue to befriend Wright and attend the church?

Secondly, Obama is going around using the excuse that Wright was like an uncle who says stuff you completely reject, but you stay friendly with.  Let's make it clear, you don't choose who you're uncles are.  There part of the family.  You can't stop being a part of the family you were born into.  Obama, on the other hand, chose Wright as his pastor.  And at any time that Obama though Wright was being inappropriate, Obama could have chosen to leave Trinity United.  He didn't and I have a problem with that.

I'm sick of people coming out, that includes Clinton supporters, and saying that Obama shouldn't be held accountable for what his pastor said.  Obama admits that he has been a pretty regular church goer and a good friend of Rev. Wright for the past 20 years.  We just have two clips of different sermons that Wright made, but I'm sure there are many more inexcusable comments out there.  And it's not just Wright.  I don't like to demonize people, but how could the congregation stand up and applaud Wright's comments? How could they cheer for "God damning America"?  Why would Barack Obama want to associate himself with people like that?  

It's not enough for Barack Obama to come out now that it is politically necessary and reject Wright's statements.  Obama had 20 years to do that.  No one forced him to attend that Church.  No one force him to befriend Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  No one forced him to put Wright on his campaign.  Obama himself chose to associate himself with Wright and the Church.

The comments by Wright don't need to be put into context, as some have suggested.  Wright's comments speak for themselves. His comments are no more acceptable than the evangelical preachers who say that 9/11 was punishment for abortions or for gay acceptance in America.  And there are those who of course will say that Obama didn't know about Wright's statements. Who are we kidding?  Of course Obama knew; maybe he wasn't present in the congregation, but surely he knew about them.  

The whole thing is really a sad story.  It tears me apart, because I do want to like Barack Obama.  I do want to wholeheartedly support him if he is our nominee.  But when you build your campaign on judgment and your judgment leads you to believe that Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a good man, something is very wrong about your judgment.  It's not enough now for Obama to distance himself from the comments, he should have done that a long time ago, and it really damages my impression of him.