Black Church Divided On Obama, Wright

Pastors And Their Congregations Feel Both Men Have Been Treated Unfairly, Made Mistakes

(AP)  Sen. Barack Obama's break with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is putting black pastors and their congregations in a difficult position, their loyalties divided between a politician who could be the first black president and a celebrated preacher who many believe has been vilified.

The situation is complicated, ministers say, because there's a sense that both men have been treated unfairly - and that both have made mistakes.

Many black ministers defended Wright when his more incendiary remarks became an Internet sensation in March, saying context was needed to understand the black church's tradition of challenging injustice.

But Wright lost some of that support after his Monday appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, during which he claimed the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and suggested that Obama was acting like a politician by putting his pastor at arm's length while privately agreeing with him.

The performance was enough for Obama to denounce Wright's comments as “divisive and destructive.” That was just six weeks after he portrayed Wright, in a well-received speech on race, as a family member he couldn't disown.

“What I am disappointed in is Rev. Wright's continuing to be in the public eye,” said Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, senior pastor of 6,500-member Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. “If he has a point to get across, make your point. We as ministers have to be very careful about our timing.”

Another pastor in Detroit - where Wright received a standing ovation Sunday at a dinner for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - directed his anger at the Democratic senator.

The Rev. William Revely, pastor of 300-member Holy Hope Heritage Church, questioned Obama's truthfulness in claiming he had not heard some of Wright's contentious remarks from the pulpit.

“Anybody who has heard Jeremiah preach has heard that,” said Revely, who has known Wright since the 1970s. “Jeremiah, he's a pastor, and as a pastor you have to see things as they are. Politicians see things as they want them to be.”

The punches and counter-punches thrown by Obama and Wright are leaving black churchgoers angry at both, said the Rev. Bennie Whiten, a retired United Church of Christ minister.

People want to embrace Obama's candidacy but worry about recent stumbles and wonder whether he fully understands racial divides still exist, Whiten said. They admire Wright but question his timing and tone.

“I think we've got two very good men, two very strong men, who find themselves in an almost impossible situation from which neither can extricate himself,” said Whiten, who lives in Chicago and has worshipped as a visitor at Trinity United Church of Christ.

The Rev. Herbert H. Lusk II, a conservative black pastor at Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, expressed sympathy for Wright but said he relates more to Obama. He compared Obama's situation to his own, as a Republican pastor of an overwhelmingly Democratic congregation. His members get angry over his support for President Bush but remain because of family, friends and other ties, Lusk said.

Obama “doesn't appear to me to be hypocritical or disingenuous,” Lusk said. “He's just another parishioner who struggles with what happens in his church, what the pastor says and all the other intangibles.”

Wright's Press Club performance forced Obama's hand, said the Rev. Byron Williams, a pastor and columnist in Oakland, Calif. Here was a candidate who built a movement on the notion of America's better self, yet he was being defined by his pastor's rhetoric.

Wright is savvy enough to know that anything positive said about Farrakhan - known for past anti-Semitic remarks - will be portrayed negatively in a 24-hour news cycle, Williams said.

Yet Obama's public rejection of his pastor carries risk. In February 2007, Obama abruptly disinvited Wright from delivering the invocation at the kickoff of his presidential campaign. That move suggests Obama has long known Wright could be a liability and only disowned him when forced, Williams said.

“He is going to have to account for what is perceived as this air of disingenuousness,” Williams said.

The Rev. Dwayne A. Walker also confessed to mixed emotions over the rift between Obama and Wright.

Walker, pastor of 1,000-member Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte, N.C., said he admires both men. Yet he understands why Obama broke ties with the minister who helped lead Obama to Christianity, married him and baptized his children.

Walker said what angers him most is how Obama, unlike other presidential candidates, has been defined by what someone else has said rather than by his own words and record.

“Overall, I don't think Obama should be defined by his pastor, nor should Dr. Wright be defined by that moment,” he said of the Press Club exchange. “It was a bad moment, and it came at a bad time.”

As a pastor, Walker said he has another wish: that politician and pastor eventually reconcile.

[eddynewhope]

Dave_1958 - You''re a reactionary jack-azz who, like the Clintons, have nothing better to add than pointing a self richeous, sanctimonious finger screaming "gotcha, gotcha!" The Clintons and their supporters have become the Karl Rove GOP of the Dem party and they have already lost this race. But thank god for the "gas tax holiday" that will save us all that she stole from McCain.

[eddynewhope]

Rev. Wright was Senator Obama''s pastor, not a policy maker. Let he who has no former friends who have ever embarrassed them cast the first stone. I think we will all pay a huge price for Rev. Wright''s betrayal of Senator Obama. For him to come out and derail Senator Obama''s presidential bid is baffling. Of all the "evils" against which Wright spoke out, he sure seems to be doing whatever he can to help the very perpetrators against which he railed. Unbelievable.

[dave_1958]

Middle class white voters were just compared by the Obama camp to Archie Bunkers.....

Perhaps a better comparison would be Obama to George Jefferson??

It''s at least it''s more accurate.

[dave_1958]

Obama knew about rev Wrongs position on god, race, and America the entire 20 years of his involvement in that church.. He believes all that anit-American bigotry and thats why he felt close enough to him to be married by him and have him baptize his children..

Obama is again lying about his relationship with his "uncle" for political gain.

It won''t work Obama were on to you.

[dave_1958]

Let''s review;

- Self-proclaimed racial uniter / healer

- Attended racially divisive church 20 years.
Embraces Wright as mentor

- Kept changing story, when attempt to
work both sides of table blew up on him

Questions?

[dave_1958]

Hillary is our only hope for change.
Hillary is our only hope to reduce the deficit.
Hillary is our only hope for an economic future for America.
Hillary is our only hope to get out of Iraq with Honor.
Hillary is our only hope to get jobs back to America.

Hillary 08

God Bless Hillary Clinton

[dinodavid220]

Just goes to show ya that...NOBODY HATES A NI**ER WORSE THAN A NI**ER.......SAD

[dave_1958]

The link in my last post is broken and cant be posted but you can go to:
http://www.youtube.com

In the YouTube.com search bar cut and paste the line below this one
Barack Obama Pastor Jeremiah Wright NEW TAPES!!!!

Have fun
Dave

[dave_1958]

OBAMA LIES IN HIS SPEECH TO NORTH CAROLINA AND INDIANA:

I Just caught Obama in a lie AGAIN !!!

In his speech to to the North Carolina people, Obama told them that 99% of his church is White, and that Rev Wrong was only spouting anti American bigotry for 30 seconds !!!!! ROTFL!!!!

Lies ! ALL Lies !!

Obama the racist is starting to put token white people behind him in his speeches too.

The truth follows on the Obama lie ticker............................................

This is a video of Rev. Wrong and his racist church of the holy anti-American bigot.... Let play the "find a white guy challenge".

Notice,... FAR more then 30 seconds of Rev. Wrong spewing anti-American Bigotry and seeding his ministry with hateful anti- American propaganda and lies.

And don''t forget that your looking for the white guy in his "99% white" church.....

Copy and paste this video link into your browser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc2FCJ7zWEQ

Have fun playing Wheres Waldo...

[nerakami]

We are not blinded by the media''s obsession with conflict and drama in the name of ratings. We are also not blinded by the fact that mainstream media wants to continue pushing a perceived rift or division in the black community because it plays well, again in the name of ratings. You insult our intelligence and our commitment to continued progress in this country and it is with that in mind that the black community keeps its eyes focused on the BIG PICTURE.

[lloydbest1]

If Obama continues to spar with Wright then that takes energy from his campaign.
I believe the senator needs to stop and consider a complete break from Wright. Not because Wright is wrong in his beliefs. He isn''t (other than that HIV nonsense), not by a long shot; but because of his combustibility. It may be no more than a public declaration; something like: "You have been a positive influence in shaping my life (blah, blah, blah to that effect) and I have learned much from my association with you (more of the same). But the time has now come for me to make up my own mind on the issues that affect the well being of the peope (and so on). If this is unacceptable to you then we have to end our association." It may be hard but Obama is going to have to move on.

[hillary4us]

AN OPEN LETTER TO REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT: http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/