Let’s begin with what I believe to be unfair criticism of Rev. Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ:
First, it is not racist for any church to “target” a specific social group. White congregations do this all the time.
Second, we must remember that black racism is a response to over 400 years of slavery and racism. This does not make it right and it does not make it Christian – but it does make it understandable.
Third, Trinity UCC and Rev. Wright have undoubtedly done a great deal for their community – most of which Americans of all political and religious positions can applaud.
That said, I find much to criticize concerning Rev. Wright, Barrack Obama and their church:
First, I see no way in which these three entities can be legitimately disassociated. Rev. Wright founded Trinity UCC well over 30 years ago. Until his recent retirement, he had been the only senior pastor. He shaped the church into what it is today. The recently released video footage was released by the church as part of a DVD set of Rev. Wright’s best sermons. They could have chosen to omit the controversial statements – but they did not. Sen. Obama’s relationship with Rev. Wright has been extremely close. In a church of this size, most parishioners would not have a close personal relationship with their pastor. Yet, Sen. Obama had a very personal relationship with him. In fact, his book (“The Audacity of Hope”) is rooted in one of his sermons. In addition to his relationship with the pastor, Obama has attended the church for 20 years.
Second, Rev. Wright and UCC are both racist and socialist. Consider the following.
Rev. Wright blames the entirety of the white church of all the evils that have been committed against black people – WITHOUT ONE WORD ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF WHITE CHRISTIANS WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY AGAINST THESE VERY EVILS. No mention of the Catholic Church’s opposition to slavery (which began in 431AD!). No mention of John and Charles Wesley, William Wilberforce, Charles Finney, Lyman Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Lloyd Garrison, and the founder of my own denomination BT Roberts. My denomination was founded in 1860 – thousands of largely white Christians founded a new denomination dedicated to ending slavery. In modern times, Billy Graham refused to segregate his crusades – even in the south. He went so far as to meet with Dr. King and ask the very open ended question, “What can I do to help?” Dr. King’s famous response was, “You bring them into the church and I’ll tell them what to do when they get there.” Personally, racism makes me want to vomit. I hate it passionately. Yet, Rev. Wright blames the entirety of the white church – including myself - for slavery and racism.
Rev. Wright’s other documented statements are shocking: The US is run by rich white men, the government developed AIDS to kill people of color, and distributes drugs to the black community (specifically so they can be sent to prison for life under the three strikes law). The US is responsible for the 9/11 attacks – because they were provoked by our previous aggression. For this and the rest of it’s evils the US should be “damned” or judged by God.
In December 2007, Trinity UCC gave a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, who views white people as “devils” and “potential humans” who have not fully evolved. Imagine the outrage if a white presidential candidates church were to give a lifetime achievement award to someone who held that black people were not human beings!
Rev. Wright acknowledges that he preaches an “Afrocentric” version of “Liberation Theology” – which is inherently socialist. For more information, see this post. It is interesting that the press has not focused upon this aspect of Obama’s church.
The mainline civil rights movement is very different from Rev. Wright and Trinity UCC. Dr. King’s goal was to bring people together, not drive wedges between them. I cannot imagine Dr. King, or even Rev. Jessie Jackson making these kind of statements. Consider these statements from Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech: “The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.” And, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” I simply cannot reconcile these statements with the recorded statements of Rev. Wright.
Sen. Obama’s statement that he was unaware of Rev. Wright’s (and the church’s) views is simply not credible. In 20 years he never picked up on the fact that the pastor and church held racist and socialist views? If this is true, then he is just too dumb to be a Senator – let alone president. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.
In addition, it’s hard to believe that he never spoke to his friend, Oprah Winfrey, concerning her reasons for leaving Trinity UCC. She left because she could not condone the very views at issue. She was strongly criticized by Rev. Wright for doing so. I find it impossible to believe that Sen. Obama knew nothing of this.
Sadly, I have to conclude that Barrack Obama is simply not being honest about all this. It appears that the man who is running as a middle of the road, unifying candidate, is in fact a socialist who is comfortable around black racism.
Comments on Sen. Obama's speach of 3/18/2008:
As I said above - racism in any form makes me want to vomit. I simply cannot stand to be around it without speaking out against it. I would never be associated with a church that promoted it in any way. shape or form. Today Sen. Obama could have demonstrated that he is sensitive to the feelings of all Americans - he could have taken a principled stand against racism by terminating his membership in Trinity UCC. Nothing less would have been acceptable if he were a white candidate whose pastor and church had made such statements. His failure to do so will cause many people to question his qualifications to be president of all the people.
