Obama's Church Says Pastor's Comments Taken Out of Context

By: John Bentley
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' John Bentley

CHICAGO -- Barack Obama's Chicago church fired back at media reports they believe have taken comments by their senior pastor, Jeremiah Wright, out of context. "Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," read a release from the Trinity United Church of Christ, "the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.'s character is being assassinated in the public sphere."

Wright has received criticism for comments he's made from the pulpit, such as saying that blacks should condemn America for "treating our citizens as less than human," and that the U.S. brought 9/11 on itself because of its foreign policy.

"If you don't know the context, it can be very shocking, very disturbing," said University of Chicago professor Dr. Dwight Hopkins, who is a friend of both Rev. Wright and Obama. "If we see the entire sermons, we would see the context of those 10 snippets that we've seen…all of his sermons fall within the social gospel." Hopkins added that Wright is emblematic of black ministers across the country, not an anomaly. "You could go to thousands of black churches, but you're going to hear the same thing," he said.

That apparently doesn't mean Obama has heard the controversial comments, though. He repudiated Rev. Wright and removed him from the campaign's spiritual advisory council, saying he was unaware of Wright's rhetoric. "If you have a professional career that keeps you on the road so many weekends during the year, it's possible, and very probable, that one won't hear all of those sermons," Hopkins said, after being asked several times how Obama could claim he was unaware of Wright's sermons after being a member of the church for nearly 20 years.

Hopkins did not believe Wright's comments would hurt Obama's chances to secure the Democratic nomination, however. "It's hard to say Rev. Wright has damaged Senator Obama in any significant way," Hopkins said. "I don't think that any preacher that speaks about the spiritual needs of his congregation puts anybody's profession at risk."

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by Harpersage March 18, 2008 8:39 PM EDT: How sad to hear this so called preacher (man of the cloth) so to speak say the alful things about our country and ''DAM'' it like he did. If he lived in some of the other countrys I venture to say he would have been drug through the streets and flogged. Our blessed freedoms let us say things like this with out punnishment--however that certainly dont make it right. I''m so sick of hearing about what the generations did back in the earlie 1900 slaves-etc---this generation had nothing to do with that but we are getting hit over the head every day for the mistakes made years ago. I don''t like what the white man did to the Indains either-they were treated brutal, their land taken from them, hearded like cattle and put on a piece of land and forgotton. Are we to contionue this disgraceful attitude toward the white people of TODAY??? Lets get over this hatred for what happened years ago and be damned glad we ''ALL'' have our freedom today. As for this ''Jeremiah Wright'' seems to me he''s enjoying the good life and his freedom to do and say anything he likes--THATS FREEDOM OF SPEACH so he should get on his knees and thank the good Lord that we live in the NOW and not back in our dark ages. Get a grip REV. I personally think we should all pray for you!!!; Reply to this comment


by hill4change March 18, 2008 5:11 PM EDT: Her are some thoughts I have shared with Chris Mattews. These are points noone has discussed.

Chris,
Here are some thoughts I have that also include your position on Obama. You are as guilty of this as other Obama supporters. I have heard you say the most horrible things about Senator Clinton that are divisive and sexist & cruel.
I have heard you speak on Obamas ability to change people and yet it hasn''t worked on you!
What I don''t get is BO supporters talk about how they believe in BO as an agent of change, for the new politics of hope and promise. To rise above the old politics, and yet they espouse division and exclusion totally contrary to what he says he is about, and why you support him. If he is such an agent of change, why can''t he get you and his other supporters to stop with the sexist agist statements that go against his platform of unity???
I think that alot of BO supporters are supporting him because he is saying things that on their face are great. Yet he hasn''t been able to get people to treat each other in this manner. I have not heard him speak out against the media and the things they say about Hillary (while in support of him) that are filled with hate, division & malice! If he is a true agent of change why hasn''t he grabbed this bull by the horns? I can tell you why. It is an attack machine that leaves his hands clean! Yet, I see it as his hands being dirty because he isn''t living up to his own WORDS of change. Help me to understand that please!; Reply to this comment


by emsupset March 18, 2008 2:26 PM EDT: One more thing..
Dear UCC Officers:

How can your church maintain its non profit exempetion from the IRS when Pastor Wright blatentley supports Obama from the pulpit.

THis is a severe violation for any non profit to support any candiate, much less in the manner of Pastor Wright.; Reply to this comment


by emsupset March 18, 2008 2:24 PM EDT: Dear UCC Church Officers:
It is difficult to see how a Harvard Grad "didn''''t know"? !
But let''''s forget Obama''''s comments on whether or not he knew for a second. He is toast. Had my vote. Lost my vote.

For UCC to defend Pastor Wright''''s comments is outrageous as the racist comments the Pastor has made. Not once. Not twice%u2026who knows how many times%u2026so many examples on You Tube alone. The Pastor''''s comments are very offensive, divisive and sickening and undermine any of the good works he or his congregation have done.

Please explain to me how your church can support this Pastor and his congregation for giving a lifetime achievement award to Farrakhan and the Pastor''''s highly inflamatory racist remarks?; Reply to this comment


by infidel_us March 18, 2008 12:59 PM EDT: I''m sure David Koresh''s congregation would have defended him. I''m sure Jim Jones'' congregation would have defended him.

They are in the belly of the beast and can''t see that they ae being deceived.

If this is the kind of c r a p black''s preach and believe, it''s no wonder there is so much racial strife in this country.; Reply to this comment


by pitifulpearl March 18, 2008 11:00 AM EDT: Question - has anyone been reminded of Michelle Obama''s comment about being proud for the first time? And then there is the part where news stories have been written that Obama anticipated good results from states with high black population ratio. I am in no way saying expecting good results makes him racist. But I am saying he is aware of the black/white issue and sometimes it has been to his benefit but the media - and his camp - jumped on Ferraro for making such a statement - which he knows is true or why did he anticipate those results in certain states?; Reply to this comment


by prob5 March 18, 2008 2:16 AM EDT: I''m a black female Captain in the Army. I have served for over 20 years and I love my country...I wouldn''t want to live anywhere else in the world.
Obama and his links to Rev. Wright/Rezco is a disgrace to blacks....and blacks need to own up to it and STOP making excuses for Obama & Wright.

bottom line....Obama needs to withdraw from this race and the people of Illinois can deal with him and his Senate seat.
Every candidate/man of God....including Obama and Wright, need to be held to the same standard...regardless of the color of their skin.
If Obama was a white candidate....lets say Hillary Clinton and Wright was a white preacher....they would be fried by the media & black politicians....and rightfully so.
I have been saying to family & friends for a year that Obama wasn''t ready YET to be President...maybe in 8 years or a Governorship FIRST. Remember that you never want to set a person up for failure. As a Captain in the Army, my superiors would never put me in a position that I wasn''t trained/ready for. The same should go for the Presidency.
The experience for Obama is just NOT there yet. However, Obama''s chances of holding a political office in the future is gone...probably forever.; Reply to this comment


by mab2008 March 18, 2008 12:11 AM EDT: This whole story does make me nervous b/c this guys was his spiritual adviser for 20 years. There is just no way that Barack didn;t know anythign about this man''s beliefs. I have to queston whether Obama has been straight about this - and I don;t believe it. Plus why did he choose a church that is not highly inclusive? Plus then I factor in Michelle Obama''s recent comments. First there was the lack of pride statement, then I see this...

"As NewsBusters previously reported, the wife of Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama isn''t very proud of her country. Two weeks after making her disdain for the nation clear during a campaign speech for her husband in Wisconsin, Michelle further debased America by saying that we''re a country that is "just downright mean." "

By Terry Trippany | March 7, 2008 - 11:02 ET
As reported by NewsBusters earlier, Michelle Obama debased America by characterizing it as a mean nation of "cynics, sloths, and complacents".

A couple of other interesting articles that articulate why I am not voting for Barack

http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/15e69dcb-71ac-4f4c-b0b3-490e720eb86f
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_campaignplus/20080317/ap_ca/on_deadline_arrogance_2; Reply to this comment


by kansas1946 March 17, 2008 10:23 PM EDT: Wright has received criticism for comments he%u2019s made from the pulpit, such as saying that blacks should condemn America for %u201Ctreating our citizens as less than human,%u201D and that the U.S. brought 9/11 on itself because of its foreign policy.
***********************************

Would someone like to explain to me why these two statements are not true. They may not be pretty, but they are certainly not false.
America did treat its black citizens as less than human, and why do you think the Muslim extemists hate us. Because of foreign policy, of course. That may not neccessarily be a bad thing, but it is certainly true.; Reply to this comment


by whtpresident March 17, 2008 9:25 PM EDT: **** OBAMA FLIP FLOPS ON RACIST REMARKS ****

MARCH 14, 2008: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday denounced inflammatory remarks from his pastor

MARCH 17, 2008: Speaking with reporters, Obama said the media is portraying Wright inaccurately.

"I think the caricature that is being painted of him is not accurate, and so part of what I will do tomorrow is to talk about how these issues are perceived from within the black church community for example which I think skews this very differently."; Reply to this comment