By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer
Wed Apr 30, 1:57 AM ET
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Barack Obama angrily denounced his former pastor for "divisive and destructive" remarks on race, seeking to divorce himself from the incendiary speaker and a fury that threatens to engulf his front-running Democratic presidential campaign.
"If Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected," Wright said. "Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls."
"What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for," Obama said. "And what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I'm about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people."
"I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992, and have known Reverend Wright for 20 years," Obama said. "The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago."
full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_el_pr/obama_pastor
a response by greybeard:
Barack's attempt to conceal, and deny, that he knew any of the Wright displays of antithical philosophy and racist rants are hogwash.
Apologists keep asking, "Should we be blaming Obama for what Wright says and does?
The other side of the coin asks continously, "How could Obama sit in the pews for 20 years and not have heard this?"
Over and Over and Over.
Obama's character and judgment are rarely questioned for these association/s of our Obama.
Just a little bit of homework proves that Obama knew dam well the racist agenda of the Church, knew of Reverend Wrights volatile victimization practice and of his Church's philosophical entrapment methods. The Church's Black Liberation Theology, based on James Cone's "unapologetic" marxist radical platform, was an extra value to Obama as a community organizer.
Obama demands that anything now that Wright has to say can not be associated with him.
"What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for," Obama said
If only this were so. Was it not clear to Obama that Wright was presenting his World View of the USof KKKA in contradiction of what America is, and what it stands for, for decades? Was Obama asleep in the pew as the congregation cheered and applauded these anti-American racist rants?
Wright is precisely the man Obama has known for 20 years. It is Obama who is the contradiction.
James Cone wrote that there was “a need for a theology whose sole purpose is to emancipate the gospel from its ‘whiteness’ so that blacks may be capable of making an honest self-affirmation through Jesus Christ.” And he argued that, since African-American suffering was such a powerful metaphor for the suffering of Christ, color-blind Christianity was a contradiction in terms. “To be Christian is to be one of those whom God has chosen,” he wrote. “God has chosen black people!”
Obama's Book, "Dreams from my Father",
is a collage insistent upon rejecting the white race, self-pity, anger, resentment and (quote:)_"wrestle(ing) with distinction between good and bad whites and it's negligible meaning."
From Obama's first, pre-national, for Chicago politic ears, Book, "I gathered books from the library--Baldwin, Ellison, Hughes, Wright, DuBois...Only Malcom X's autobiography seemed to offer something different.....I knew as well that traveling down the road to self-respect my own white blood would never recede into mere abstraction"
Obama was completely familiar and well versed. He even seemed to be interested in The Nation of Islam as something "different" in his search for where to best belong in discarding his loathsome white blood...
Obama knew. Obama Choose.
Obama, has told us in his first book, "To avoid being mistaken for a white sellout, I chose my friends carefully."
In writings from Obama’s 1995 Book, Dreams from My Father, he implicitly embraces the James Cone/Wright/ Black Value System of 20 years ago.
[One must bear in mind that more recent printings of Baracks book have been cleansed and some quotes won't be found in newer editions.]
Obama, after meeting with Wright at Trinity 1985:
"Afterward, in the parking lot, I sat in my car and thumbed through a silver brochure that I’d picked up in the reception area. It contained a set of guiding principles-a “Black Value System”-that the congregation had adopted in 1979. At the top of the list was a commitment to God, “who will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian activists, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.”
Then a commitment to the black community and black family, education, the work ethic, discipline, and self-respect. A sensible, heartfelt list…
Nah, Barack never knew what was going on in this Church. He's never heard any of this Wright rhetoric before and he doesn't know the man he is hearing now...soldiers for Black freedom...A God, “who will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian activists, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.”
Black Liberation Theology is not Christian. Mark my words.
Obama goes on: There was one particular passage in Trinity’s brochure that stood out, though, a commandment more self-conscious in its tone, requiring greater elaboration. “A Disavowal of the Pursuit of middleclassness,” the heading read. “While it is permissible to chase ‘middleincomeness’ with all our might,” the text stated, those blessed with the talent or good fortune to achieve success in the American mainstream must avoid the “psychological entrapment of Black ‘middleclassness’ that hypnotizes the successful brother or sister into believing they are better than the rest and teaches them to think in terms of ‘we’ and ‘they’ instead of ‘US’!”
Although worshiping a Cone racist marxist manifesto and a black separtist manual Obama tells us: "Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I'm about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people."
All I can say is, not "us" but,... B.S.
Obama would write, "My thoughts would often return to that declaration in the weeks that followed as I met with various members of Trinity.
It occurred to me that Trinity, with its African themes, its emphasis on black history, continued the role that Reverend Philips had described earlier as a redistributor of values and circulator of ideas. Only now the redistribution didn’t run in just a single direction from the schoolteacher or the physician who saw it as a Christian duty to help the sharecropper or the young man fresh from the South adapt to big-city life. The flow of culture now ran in reverse as well; the former gang-banger, the teenage mother, had their own forms of validation-claims of greater deprivation, and hence authenticity, their presence in the church providing the lawyer or doctor with an education from the streets. By widening its doors to allow all who would enter, a church like Trinity assured its members that their fates remained inseparably bound,that an intelligible “us” still remained.
It was a powerful program, this cultural community, one more pliant than simple nationalism, more sustaining than my own brand of organizing.
And, if men like Reverend Wright failed to take a stand, if churches like Trinity refused to engage with real power and risk genuine conflict, then what chance would there be of holding the larger community intact?
Sometimes I would put such questions to the people I met with. They would respond with the same bemused look Reverend Phillips and Reverend Wright had given me. For them, the principles in Trinity’s brochure were articles of faith no less than belief in the Resurrection."
Again we see Obama read and knew of the Church's Black Liberation marxist values and thought the List was "heartfelt and sensible."
He also questioned the chances of holding large communities together through the racist principles of Trinity to be "articles of faith no less than belief in the Resurrection." The bemused looks answered, "Yes we can!"
As an article of faith preaching as Wright has done, would be the norm.
As a community organizer Obama also saw the tremendous value that disavowal of success could have. Successful blacks moving out of communities and becoming a part of an alledged better "white society" of "They" rather than a separate brotherhood of "Us" hindered a social and economic black agenda. This freedom to blacks of being 'hypnotized' into believing in becoming THEY, and that their successful lives were actually better, had to be trumped. After all happy people don't stand around complaining about their lives. The one core set of chains that could be used on the successful or the poor to bind them together was a history of slavery, and the pulpit the gathering place for the segregated hour of generating anger.
A collective device an 'agitator' would know how to put to use for his own goals.
Obama not only saw the value in principle, but states in the Book that he asked, if they could organize 50 such churches.
Entrapment in victimization could transcend 'class' with the proper chains applied, validated by claims of great deprivation, these bonds could follow the successful person anywhere while never shrinking the socialist and economic base of black power.
Lest we not forget our Obama is an Alinsky student.
Using the Church and Church's - A powerful tool for organizing.
Obama not only knew of the Church's activist message but worked to spread it's principles of bondage and keep it intact.
Th number of church's I have found on the net that preach political change through social justice ministry rather than Jesus Faith and Christian values is mind boggeling!
One example only.
keywords: social justice, IAF affiliate, Change, Gamaliel Foundation, +Church, etc
I had as many as 66,660 church returns in one instance. Multiply that by collective congregations and you have a movement beyond Wright's pulpit radicalism to contend with.
One has to wonder why the IRS has allowed these "religious" organizations to exist tax free while endorsing particular Candidates in communities for the Church's particular political reform agendas in societal change. They seem to be practicing an integration of Church and State to influence politics.
Of course, this is precisely what they are doing.
This is precisely what Mr. Obama's principle platform was when he began organizing church's 23 years ago.
While we are at it lets address another Obama fallacy. Oh, hell, lets call it what it is. Another Obama lie.
A quote from Obama regarding Pastor Jeremiah Wright in yesterdays Obama/Wright UndertheBus News: "He was never my ‘spiritual advisor... He was never my spiritual mentor; he was my pastor."
Obama told the Chicago Tribune in January 2007."What I value most about Pastor Wright is not his day-to-day political advice. He’s much more of a sounding board for me to make sure that I am speaking as truthfully about what I believe as possible and that I’m not losing myself in some of the hype and hoopla and stress that’s involved in national politics."
Obama certainly did consult Wright on political advice, using him as a sounding board, before making a political move that might stray from, or be contrary to, his "unashamedly Christian" beliefs. Wright was certainly Obama's political and spiritual adviser. Next Obama will tell us he never regarded Reverend Wright as his "moral compass" either.
Obama tells us: "I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency."
No sir, what you did was Vet your pastor 20 years ago.
Obama knew that Wright was a former Muslim, a black nationalist, and recieved his Masters degree in ISLAM.
In Obama's first book he makes it clear he talked to many ministers and many Church's and in fact he was warned about Reverend Wright. In fact he was warned by Wright himself, 20 years ago.
[Wright to Obama] “I’ll try to help you if I can,” he said. “But you should know that having us involved in your effort isn’t necessarily a feather in your cap.” “Why’s that?” [Obama asked] Reverend Wright shrugged. “Some of my fellow clergy don’t appreciate what we’re about. They feel like we’re too radical. "
And last year Obama was so very aware of "his pastor's" uncontrolled, controversial, vehement speeches that he let the dear pastor know that he would not be giving any opening dialouge for Obama's Presidential announcement 15 minutes before the invocation.
Although Wright was on Obama's ---wait for it--- "Spiritual Advisory Committee" Wright needed to be kept in the closet during the campaign. We surely have to wonder what other 'Advisory' type people Obama will appoint and uncloak in the White House.
Was Reverend Wright's Church, based on James Cone's racist philosophy, unknown to Obama even though he read the literature?
"Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy."
Are we really supposed to believe that in just the last few months Wright became a shocking man(iac) whom Obama didn't know?
Obama's Pastor for years and years and years has kept on theme: "Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run!"
Wright: We (America) believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God!
There's those "articles of faith" showing again. When we see Wright's UNSHOCKED congregation applauding and cheering "Wright's Greatest Hits" are we supposed to believe they too have never heard these incendiary (racist) remarks?
I guess Obama never watched any of those CD's sold by his Church either. You know the very ones containing the clips that we are seeing these 'outtah-context sound bytes' of.
...GOD Dam America!
If we are supposed to believe that Obama never knew of this Church's complex(ities), then do we really want this deaf n blind messiah having any sit downs with those terrorists who believe in a God who loves Death more than the Great American Satan loves life?
Let's also not forget for a man who so loves America that Obama didn't get MAD about any of the past Wright racist or anti-American statements, until it seemed Wright was personally attacking him...
For 20 years Obama hasn't been outraged at all by anything Wright has had to say, nor how it affected the community negatively so long as it's negativity was a 'positive' advancement for the Obama local agenda.
I keep wanting to write that Obama seems to know which 'side of the brain' to Use, and when...
especially after finding Obama's quote on how he dealt with white people one way, and blacks another.
Now that Reverend Wright has taken a stand, and engaged with real power, risking genuine conflict, what chance will there be of holding the WRIGHT larger community intact with Obama disowning the messages and the messenger?
Yes, things have 'changed'. But not much.
Today 12 black ministers in Chicago step up and state they Still support Obama.
Still being a keyword I presume.
The winds of Judas have not created a storm at all.
No outcries. No protests. No anger. No loss of support...not a peep of betrayal.
Three days and not a single dance or verse out of ousted Reverend Wright who knows 20 years of Obama's thought and deed?
If Wright doesn't show up to respond soon, as his egotistical pattern shows, one has to be highly suspicious that Obama and Wright served us up the ole okee Doke.
Which brings us full circle: "If Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected."
In a March 9, 2007 Wright interview regarding Obama.
Q: I read that when he first came to your church that you actually warned him that it might not be a good idea for him to associate with your church. Can you talk about that?
Wright:"I am not your typical garden-variety African-American clergy person, and because I'm not -- he was talking about organizing the churches in those early days. I said, man, you don't know who you're talking to. They don't like me. I'm not well liked in the city of Chicago, so you tell them you're a member of Trinity, you're going to turn off preachers before they ever get to know you, 'cause they're going to associate you with me, and just that association could be a negative in terms of how you are perceived in their eyes before you open your mouth"
"Oh, you go to Jeremiah's church." That kind of negative imaging I said might be harmful to him in terms of what he was trying to do in building coalitions and getting other churches to do things, again, for the benefit of the people. That would never happen just because they're going to associate your name with mine. That could be detrimental, I told him back then. It holds just as true, even more so, now. In fact, I just shared with, I was trying to remember who it is, somebody in public life was asking me about Barack, and I said listen, Barack might be forced by the media and/or by supporters to be very absent from this church and to put distance between our church and himself. As a politician, he might be forced into that. --you think it's ugly now, it's going to get worse, it's going to get much worse. For survival's sake, as a politician he just might have to not -- not that I love you less, I love me more. I'll never get elected as long as they keep harping on this.
There are actually several statements that have been made by Wright regarding Obama needing to distance himself like: "When [Obama’s] enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli" (to visit Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan) "a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell."
Still Obama's entrenched racist values kept Reverend Wright close thinking he could
slip back and forth between his black and white world 'trick' of fooling the caucasion with his suave vernacular.
With polls showing 92% of blacks are voting for post racial? Barack, dispite Reverend Wright,it's clear Obama's condemnation is for the white voting ear. It is also quite clear that the two of them knew this day of "I love my ego more" and conning the caucasion vote had to come.
Obama was fully aware of the Church's negative detrimental teachings. Obama Knew. Obama choose.
Anyway, thank god, fate, or destiny, that Obama likes to make speeches and write Books that we can reference for some truths about our Obama.
Can i get an Amen?
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