Obama was for Wright before he was against him

April 30th, 2008 by Angela | Filed under Ramblings.

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32 Responses to “Obama was for Wright before he was against him”

1. Becki says:

   April 30, 2008 at 9:52 am

   Dig dig dig, Barack! Better find your way out of that hole fast, Hillary is gaining on you!

   I’m starting to loath politics…
2. The Hunter's Wife says:

   April 30, 2008 at 10:46 am

   As I had said when the story had first broke months ago, I will never believe a person of his magnitude did not have any idea the beliefs of his spiritual leader he had for over 20 years.
3. Randa Clay says:

   April 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm

   He might not have any idea of his “spiritual leader’s” beliefs if he was just playing at Christianity to hide his true religion of Islam. ;) Most of these politicians, in my opinion, just join a church and attend now and then because they know it’s good for their career.
4. angela says:

   April 30, 2008 at 1:29 pm

   Hi Becki! I know how frustrating politics can be. Don’t give up. Just make sure you turn out the vote, ok?

   (I can hear my kids upstairs jumping up and down on this rickety old day bed that Lauren used to sleep in. Ugh!)

   The Hunter’s Wife – And it makes me wonder about something.. If it took him more than 20 years to all-of-sudden be disgusted with one of his mentors.. what is our beloved country in store for under his rule?

   Hi Randa! I about fell out of my chair when I saw you had left me a comment. :P You made an excellent point because isn’t he Muslim? Or is he trying to convince everybody that he is somehow more open-minded than most? I suppose he would be open to having tea with the KKK.
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   April 30, 2008 at 2:11 pm

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6. jafabrit says:

   April 30, 2008 at 2:41 pm

   So he is to be dismissed as a christian because he attended a church in which his pastor made terrible comments. So does that rule apply to christians who attend or are congregants of dobson, robertson, and several others whose comments have been as bad as wrights. Are people supposed to turn their back on their faith or their church because they don’t like one minister?

   How many of you actually know the beliefs of their religious leaders? It seems a lot of catholic parents didn’t.
7. jafabrit says:

   April 30, 2008 at 3:07 pm

   Frankly I think it is a contradiction to say one shouldn’t put down christianity or all christians because of the behaviour of their religious leader or priest, then turn around and dismiss a person as christian because they attended a church whose leader turned out to be a not what some thought.

   He has been a christian long before he became involved with politics. He had such little contact with his father who was a non practicing muslim that to claim any Muslim tendencies is reaching.
8. Randa Clay says:

   April 30, 2008 at 9:03 pm

   ;) Well… I like to knock people out of chairs once in a while. I like reading all the lively comments on your site, but rarely leave one because I’m not all that “political” myself.
9. beamish says:

   May 1, 2008 at 9:31 pm

   Barack Hussein Obama would like for you all to please mail him your copy of “The Audacity of Hope”, which he will gladly replace with a copy that does not contain a dedication to Jeremiah Wright.

   C’mon, America. Obama misses you throwing your panties at him. Y’all were so cute together.
10. Patrick says:

    May 2, 2008 at 7:20 am

    Anyone who says Obama is a Muslim, or a Muslim just saying he is a Christian to be elected has no idea what they are talking about. I agree with what Jafabrit said. Considering his parents divorced in his early life and that his father only saw him a few times past that I think you cam make the assumption that he was raised a Christian.

    Also, why does it matter what Wright said? Does anyone agree with EVERYTHING their pastor says? If so, they have a huge problem with thinking for themselves. People are fallible, and can say controversial things. The only reason this is a “big” deal is that he is running for President and his opponents try anything to smear his image. It’s politics as usual. It’s misdirection. It distracts people from the real issues of the economy, the wars (occupations) in Iraq and Afghanistan, energy issues, and other domestic problems.

    Obama now denounces Wright because he finally realized it’s what he needed to do to become President. He tried to defend a man he used to (and hopefully still should) hold with integrity. Does it look like a flip-flop? Possibly. Any of the other candidates would have done the same. It only matters now because Wright made MORE comments that people had a problem with. The ones he made before were taken out of context, and that is why Obama tried to defend them and be supportive of Wright.

    People need to forget it. There are bigger issues that need to be addressed, not someone that the candidate Obama used to listen to in Church.
11. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 8:42 am

    Jafabrit – What makes you believe that Obama is a Christian? If I had been in Church and my pastor made horrible, hateful, racist comments about the United States of America, etc, etc… I would have stood up, gathered up my family and left. Christianity isn’t rolled up into one church or one denomination. As far as I’m concerned, I would have to question anybody that agrees with what Wright preaches. I would not want anything to do with people that continue to subscribe to his way of thinking.

    Patrick – I don’t think you saw, heard OR even payed attention to Wright’s teachings. We don’t know enough about Obama OR what his plans are for the country. So what we do know about him so far is that he would like us to believe that he doesn’t subscribe to Wright’s teachings yet he has had a relationship with this man for many years. It doesn’t sit well with me at all. Apparently it doesn’t sit well with the rest of the country either.
12. jafabrit says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:07 am

    I don’t think christians always agree with their pastors angela. You seem to be assuming the obama attended every sermon, or that wright always made such comments? I don’t see many christians walking away from dobson, or some of the other evangelicals despite making very similar comments. How do you know obama didn’t attend other churches? Sometimes faith and your relationship with a church and its members are bigger than their pastors. I figure that is how many catholics felt when they found about the child abuse (and the church’s indifference to it), or congregations of the 700 club whose figurehead Robertson makes outrageous comments. Do you think they should walk away from the ministry and teachings of the 700 club? Should they denounce the comments and stay with the ministry?

    So my queston to you is how long does one have go to church to be recognized as a christian?

    You say you would distance yourself from such a minister.Obama did, he denounced him.
13. jafabrit says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:26 am

    If you visit this christians site: John.H Armstrong (johnarmstrong.typepad.com) april 3rd entry, he gives a fair assessment (not yay or nay). He also gives insight what wright preaches and it was very biblical based. He was just one of many pastors of this huge congregation.

    Dismissing someone’s faith is just pure politics, and using power of association to discredit a person is a straw man/red herring argument.
14. Patrick says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:33 am

    I’ve heard what Wright has said. While I don’t agree with a lot of it, I think some of his ideas have merit. Wright does believe too many conspiracy theories. However, the US Government DID deliberately infect a group of black men with syphilis and then did not tell them about it. Some of what Wright says is the truth.

    Jafabrit’s statements say it all about believing your pastor.
15. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:34 am

    Obama didn’t denounce Wright until he realized that his association with his mentor of 20 years was going to affect his run for the White House.

    I know for a fact that not everybody agrees with some of the things that their pastors say at the pulpit. That’s why it’s up to each person to read their Bible to see if what they are teaching is in alignment with God’s word.

    It doesn’t matter that Obama didn’t attend every service. What matters is that Wright has been his mentor all these years. What’s to say that Obama doesn’t believe exactly as his former pastor and mentor? What do you personally know about Obama? Doesn’t it concern you what type of company Obama keeps? Obama has had a relationship with a racist individual all these years and you want me to believe that he didn’t know all this time that Wright truly hates America?

    It’s not the ministry and teachings of a man-made church. You have to read your bible and discern whether that person or church is in line with Christ and His teachings. If they are not in alignment then it’s better not to have anything to do with the building, the pastor OR the people.

    You asked: “So my queston to you is how long does one have go to church to be recognized as a christian?”

    It’s not about how long you go to church OR that you even go to church. It’s not even about you calling yourself a “Christian” OR “Catholic” OR “Believer” – It’s all about Christ and whether you align yourself with what the Bible says.

    There are a lot of people that say they are “Christian” and they are not. There are people that go to church every Sunday but that doesn’t make them a Christian. There are people that do a lot of good things in this world but that doesn’t mean they are saved. Good works won’t save you a spot in heaven.

    This isn’t the first time Obama has heard his former pastor make racist, hateful anti American comments. If you believe THAT then you are extremely naive.
16. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:37 am

    You said: “Dismissing someone’s faith is just pure politics, and using power of association to discredit a person is a straw man/red herring argument.”

    WHAT!? So if I went and had tea with members of the Klu Klux Klan and started hanging out with them whenever they felt like burning a cross or two, that wouldn’t trouble you?

    Birds of a feather do flock together and that is why I would have scooped up my family and left the church upon hearing the racist, hateful, anti American comments that Wright made.
17. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:44 am

    Wright has made so many racist, anti american, hateful and untrue comments that I wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say.

    Nothing that Wright has said in the context that he was saying it was or is true either. The government isn’t in the business of deliberately infecting anybody with anything.
18. Patrick says:

    May 2, 2008 at 9:44 am

    What is wrong with anti-American comments? We are not a perfect nation, and there is nothing wrong with a presidential candidate listening to them either. Just because you hear someone make supposedly “racist, hateful” comments doesn’t mean their message as a whole is always bad. I bet he’s made the comments several times. However, I doubt that they are his only message. If you believe that you are extremely naive.

    Does it make sense for Obama to denounce Wright? Yes, because he’s a politician and he’ll do what he can to get the nomination. Is that being a good Christian? Probably not. For me, none of that matters since his message is clearly better than the other two major candidates.

    “There are people that do a lot of good things in this world but that doesn’t mean they are saved. Good works won’t save you a spot in heaven.” – This statement has always made me laugh. Christianity has only existed for approximately 2000 years. Before then, no one knew of Jesus. According to this logic, every person before him (or people like the Native Americans on another continent) is in hell. It doesn’t make sense. They are damned to eternal pain because they never had a chance EVER to know who Jesus was. Whatever.
19. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 10:06 am

    What is wrong with anti-American comments? Well for starters, I am an American living in the United States of America and I don’t care to hear anti-American comments and certainly not from associates of Obama who happens to be running for President of the United States of America.

    There is nothing wrong with a presidential candidate listening to anti-American comments BUT there is something wrong with a presidential candidate breaking bread with an individual who has mentored that presidential candidate for years, baptized his children, and that same presidential candidate wrote a book after the person who’s made the anti-American comments.. etc.

    Of course Obama denounced Wright. He had to because Wright is a horrible individual that has said some horrible things and a great majority of the country can not envision the next President of the United States being associated with somebody that is hateful, racist, and anti-American.

    Clearly you have no understanding of Christ’s death on the cross. So keep laughing if you want to. What God says via the Bible stands for itself. You either believe it OR you don’t and it’s not my job to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise.
20. jafabrit says:

    May 2, 2008 at 10:25 am

    I am sorry you are taking my comments personally. I will refrain from any further comments on your blog.
21. Patrick - again says:

    May 2, 2008 at 10:28 am

    It seems that you have blocked me from the site comments. I have been unable to make posts. Blocking me will not block the truth. If I have not been blocked I apologize, but this seems to be the case. If you cannot deal with criticisms to your viewpoints, how will you grow as a person? Blocking someone seems childish.

    “The government isn’t in the business of deliberately infecting anybody with anything.”

    Do you know anything about history? While our government may not be infecting people with AIDs deliberately, it certainly has done similar things in the past. Have you ever heard of the Tuskegee Experiment?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_experiment

    Our government is far from perfect. It has done many evil things, past and present. Our democratic system exists the way it is because it has the ability for people to criticize it. We become more intelligent as a nation by not ignoring what we have done, but learning from our mistakes.

    Do you want me to go on criticizing it? I could write forever. We have had a long and bloody history that is far from over. Not listening to it doesn’t make the problem go away.

    That being said, I still love this country. It has given me much, and I thank it. It is one of the better nations in the world. However, even a nation as good as ours has problems.
22. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 10:50 am

    WOW, I’m sorry you feel that way.
23. Patrick says:

    May 2, 2008 at 11:40 am

    Are you sorry that I love my country but hate my government? They are not one in the same.

    We’re going to disagree on a lot of things. If you don’t want me to post any more, just say so. I thought this blog was where great minds think out loud.

    I’m sorry you feel that our government is infallible. If you knew anything about our nation’s history you would see we have done some terrible things IN ADDITION to the many, many great ones.
24. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 11:52 am

    The comment where I said, “WOW, I’m sorry you feel that way” was for Jafabrit Patrick.

    I’m not sorry that you love your country and hate your government. Why should I be sorry for that? You’re entitled to feel whatever you want to.

    I really don’t care what you do. You are welcome to post if you want to OR not. No need to announce it either because it doesn’t matter.

    I can’t guarantee the greatness of the minds participating in the discussion whether we agree or not. So it’s up to you what you want to do with the information.

    I like how you try and put words in my mouth. I think it’s funny because so much of what you’re saying about me personally isn’t even true. I don’t think our government is infallible.

    Do what you want to, I don’t really care one way or the other.
25. Patrick says:

    May 2, 2008 at 11:58 am

    Well, I guess my statement you’re replying to is moot since I thought your comment was meant for me. I apologize. My bad.

    People have hard times convincing others of other ideas. These comments are proof of that.
26. angela says:

    May 2, 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Apology accepted. :)

    I don’t think it’s my job personally to convince other people of ideas.

    I do keep this blog to express my thoughts and opinions on different subjects and events taking place around the world.

    I also enjoy getting to know other people through this process and sometimes I might learn a thing or two along the way.

    I do find it odd that Jafabrit thinks I am taking something personally.

    I’m not totally used to people taking it like that when they can’t seem to convince me to agree with their way of thinking.
27. Tracy says:

    May 4, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    “Christianity has only existed for approximately 2000 years. Before then, no one knew of Jesus. According to this logic, every person before him (or people like the Native Americans on another continent) is in hell. It doesn’t make sense. They are damned to eternal pain because they never had a chance EVER to know who Jesus was. Whatever.”

    Not all of the Christian denominations believe that.
28. angela says:

    May 10, 2008 at 9:53 am

    Isn’t it sad when people don’t realize, understand, and grasp the entire meaning of Christ’s death on the cross?
29. lizanne7 says:

    May 12, 2008 at 11:01 am

    soo Obama threw Wright under the bus when it became expediant for him to do so. and as Wright said Obama is a policician…Andd he will dsay ANYTHING to be the Democratic nominee
30. Patrick says:

    May 13, 2008 at 9:23 am

    Don’t assume that. I have read the Bible and have listened to hundreds of my former pastor’s speeches. I know what the sacrifice meant. I know Jesus took on the burden on humanity’s sin and their pain and very lives. I went the first 20 years of my life believing and knowing Christ and his love. I have since felt different. It’s a matter of faith, which I now lack. Is that a bad thing? People are not forced to have faith in a god, and not having faith doesn’t make you evil or ignorant. I know both sides of faith.

    I also know that Mormons believe Jesus came to the Americas to visit with the peoples here. I think that is a great idea. However, many of their other beliefs are just off the wall. The mainstream Christian faith does not believe Jesus appeared in the Americas.
31. angela says:

    May 15, 2008 at 4:01 pm

    Patrick,

    How come you “now lack” that matter of faith?
32. Patrick says:

    May 19, 2008 at 8:59 am

    Oh boy, this is complicated and long. Hopefully I can make this a good summary.

    Well, I have many problems with religious institutions. Not all of them, but many. The Catholic Church, Many Christian Churches, many Muslim sects, and others have done very evil things. It’s undeniable. Atheists have done evil things too. Just about every religious sect or church has done evil things in their past and are still doing tons of harm today. Watch movies like “Jesus Camp” and see the news on how the Taliban treats women. It’s despicable. I can’t stand that. If I had to believe in a god, I would want it to be out of the confines of a church. There have just been too many religious injustices in history and going on today to say that all religious institutions are good.

    The above paragraph had to do with institutions. Now I will discuss faith.

    I have lost my faith. Can I regain it in god? Maybe. But it will be a tough road. Do I want to? Right now, no. I have no problem with peoples’ faiths. None. As long as they don’t impose something on me or bother me, I am cool with them. I don’t like them hurting people. We see that on the media today, with people of all faiths. It happens.

    I grew up Catholic. I liked the church and at one time when I was young, considered being a priest. But I learned more about the church’s history as I grew older, and I didn’t like it. Also, Catholic masses are repetitive. I didn’t enjoy them. That drove me away when I was younger. I have no problem going to them now (I sometimes go with my parents), but I don’t feel anything except maybe some guilt. But the Catholic religion does not do much to nurture faith in my mind.

    Here is my problem of faith. It’s the problem of evil.

    Evil is tough to define. When I grew up, I was always told that god was benevolent. He wanted mankind to experience goodness and would never hurt them. I now know that isn’t the case.

    Of course, many people say evil happens because of free will. People chose to cause the Holocaust, or chose to murder, or chose to abuse children. However, I have seen valid reasons why free will may not exist. Is that a fact that there is no free will? No, it’s not a fact, but it is a possibility. Also, a child that grows up totally abused did not choose that. What kind of god would allow that? Look up Genie, the feral child. Look up Dave Pelzer and his childhood. That is not right. They didn’t choose that life, others did for them. How is that benevolent?

    All of that may be chalked up to free will. Fine, if you believe in it. However, what about natural disasters? What about birth defects? How is god being benevolent when he brings a child into the world mentally handicapped, or a miscarriage happens? That is not good in any way. What about the recent earthquake in China, or the typhoon in Burma (Myanmar junta). What kind of god would do that? It’s not fair in any way, shape, or form. Of course, life isn’t fair. I think it’s cruel to be brought up being told that like many children are.

    I have just lost my faith by seeing all of the evil in the world. Good works happen. They do. I love that. But they don’t do enough to counteract all of the evil mankind and the world has.

    Is there a god? I don’t know. I am not saying there is no god. That is not a certainty. I am just saying I’ve lost my faith. Evil overcrowds my perception of the world. This post was by no means complete, and I missed things. But I just wanted to tell my viewpoint.