Psst…Obama’s A Black Separatist…
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Media, News, Race
You’re about to see a truly embarrassing Hannity and Colmes clip.
Not necessarily for Hannity. Convenient racial relativism is his bread and butter. But for World Net Daily columnist Erik Rush…my guess is that he’s gonna look back on this clip someday and be deeply ashamed.
See, Obama belongs to a church that stresses “black” values, and Erik sees these values as being dangerous and even…psst…separatist. Hannity even poses that if this were a white church and they were talking about white values, it would be all over the national media, etc. A clear case of liberal media bias.
Yes, it would be disturbing if there were churches stressing “white” values, but I think I remember that we had churches like that in our recent history, and I don’t think blacks were welcome there. I wonder if whites are allowed in Obama’s church…hmm…
What this speaks to is the simple fact that the black and white experiences in this country are different, and there’s nothing wrong with that. A lot of conservative commentators would like to convince you they’re not different, that we’re given all the same opportunities and it’s wrong to treat the experiences differently, but let’s lay it on the line here…one group came over mainly as pioneers and one group came over mainly as property. This fairly important piece of historical perspective seems to be lost on guys like Hannity and Erik Rush.
But honestly, I don’t think the perspective is lost. I think it’s quite simply ignored for political opportunity. They need something to talk about, and so we have clips like this…
And to Alan Colmes, you rightly dressed Erik Rush down, but seriously…just leave the show already. Without you, Hannity is Limbaugh. But with you…well, it actually appears to some people that your show is balanced. I know it’ll be hard to break up, and I know you’ve been together for so long…but don’t wait until the ratings end your relationship. Your wallet may not thank me later, but your soul might.
PS - I wonder if Hannity and Erik Rush had a problem with Republican politicians speaking at Bob Jones University pre-2000? I’m just saying…
This entry was posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2007 and is filed under 2008 Election, Media, News, Race. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I don’t agree with Obama’s policies (or lack thereof) but the stories on Obama have been grotesque. A story was released today that said his ancestors owned slaves. Someone apparently wants to hurt his image with black voters and its really ugly politics IMHO.
And really, the story is dumb considering we’ve had Presidents that actually had slaves, i.e. Washington.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Nonsense, they got ya! This is racist- this is baloney- stop spinning you dopes- it is grotesque and vile. How about American values! Not good enough for you? Stop with the slavery crap- yawn- borrriiinngggg- you are acting like spoiled childish dopes- crybaby suckers. Monica- going back 230 years to President Washington and that he owned slaves is reaching beyond reality- you are a DOPE. How about the trashing of Mitt Romney and the fact that his Great Grandfather may have had multiple wives, but not a word on Hussien Obama’s lies in his book about his daddy-o? His dad had kids with four other women while he was married to three of them and was about to marry the fourth, but got into a second drunken car accident which killed him, (the first he just lost his legs). He was a wife beater, abusive boasting wack job who should have stayed a goat herder. Go read Britian’s Daily Mail who had Obama’s cousin tell all, but not a word in the US papers. Double standard partisan politics. Lets also talk about the $100000.00 man William Jefferson, with $90 K in his freezer in marked bills! He gets re-elected (by wack jobs in New Orleans- glad they got destroyed in the storm- I gave nothing to chocolate city) and now nutcase “Culture of Corruption” Nancy Pelosi puts him on the Homeland Security Committee, Holy Cow Batman- this is INSANE. Demorats speak with forked tounge!!!!
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Well said Legion. You really showed us all.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:51 pm
At first glance, after about the first 2 minutes, Hannity looks like hte good guy in this interview. Colmes comes off as the jerk he appears to be.
By the end of the interview, though, it became obvious that he was steering Erik Rush into the awkward position of stating what Hannity wanted said. To put it another way, Hannity would have said (or let Colmes say) what Erik Rush said if Rush had refused the interview. I am sure Rush already wishes he had declined.
This guy is one slick propagandist. And as Monica said, the smear campaign against Obama is ridiculous. I get the feeling the Repubs are afraid of this guy if they have to face him in 08.
March 3rd, 2007 at 1:52 am
The thing is, it’s pure black v. white stuff, and I hope we can rise above this in the next election. They’re trying to find ways to make Obama into a black extremist, and that’s sad. That’s why the clip is so ridiculous. Black v. white is so played out, but we still have it being pushed by the far right wing commenators.
Expect this tactic often in the general election if Obama can beat HIllary. It seems sad, but this clip shows they’re already trying.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Justin -
I’m with you. I’d like to see us rise up against the black vs white thing as well, but unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. My husband works with a woman who has decided she is going to vote for Obama simply because he is black. That’s crazy to me. I would never choose to vote for someone based on their color. Its a sad state of affairs, really.
Legion - I find the story on Romney’s great grandfather being a polygamist to also be grotesque and not fit for publication. I don’t choose which stories to condemn based on which political party they’re attacking. I do it based on the relevance and quality of the story.
March 3rd, 2007 at 7:54 pm
I think that Erik rush looks very uncomfortable in the interchange with colmes. He appears to be saying uh-oh under nhis breath. The only winner here was Hannity because he made the closing statement tha he wanted to make. He has no respect for real discourse. DNA tests would probably show a limb from Legion’s family tree.
Too many responses to Legion’s crap will make you a Colmes to his Hannity.
Justin, if we haven’t risen above this (and I believe we have) by this time …. if we actually fall into discourse with these idiots as we did in 00′ and 04′, then we deserve what we get.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Barack Obama, along Oprah Winfrey and many other Chicacagoans, belongs to Trinity United Church of Chirst. The church follows black liberation theology. “Liberation theology is a school of theology that focuses on Jesus Christ as not only the Redeemer but also the Liberator of the Oppressed. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism.”Wikipedia
Why is there a need for a black liberation theology?
One of the major focuses of liberation theology is, as mentioned above, to bring justice to the poor and oppressed. According to the Pastor Jeremiah Wright, “It [black liberation theology] originates in the days of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.” Throughout American history, African Americans have been the poor and oppressed, for the most part only due to their skin color. Thus, it is practical for blacks to unite together under a specific liberation theology that is relevant to their struggle.
Kevin Considine, graduate student at Catholic Theological Union, comments on Obama’s church for religionandspirituality.com :
“Recently the Illinois Democrat has been criticized for something that should be a positive: his church affiliation. No, not because he attends church. And not because he’s being honest about rooting his politics in his faith.
No, he’s taking flak because his church, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, has linked traditional Christian faith to black empowerment and combating “middle-classness.” What this means is that the church’s theology preaches a foundation of loving God and loving one’s neighbor by attempting to apply these tenets to real life in the community. So, the church champions ideals such as the black family, racial justice and a materially humble lifestyle as ways to live out discipleship to Christ.
To be honest, I’m not sure how this is a problem. But the revelation that an African-American family is attending a vigorous and socially conscious black church is apparently a touchy subject. One could, ahem, speculate about the motives behind such touchiness. But let it suffice to say that Sen. Obama’s church affiliation has raised some hackles.
For example, Fox News pundit Sean Hannity has suggested that the church is divisive and borders on being a separatist cult. And MSNBC talking head Tucker Carlson has claimed that Obama’s church proclaims a “racially exclusive theology” that seems to “contradict the basic tenets of Christianity.” This is because, in Mr. Carlson’s opinion, Christianity is explicitly “anti-racial.”
Right. As if Christianity is far off in another dimension and completely divorced from the messiness of everyday life. As if holiness and righteousness are possible without confronting the evils that exist in our midst.
Exactly what tenets of Christianity can a church that describes itself as “unapologetically Christian” be contradicting? They seem to be doing just fine with Jesus’ command to love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. And they seem to truly embrace the demand for social justice that has deep roots in Scripture. Their dedication to the gospel may be challenging to many of us, and that’s a good thing, but it’s disingenuous to call them divisive and separatist when they clearly focus on God as revealed through Jesus.
And if by “anti-racial” Mr. Carlson means that there isn’t a clearly mandated Christian response to racism because it isn’t a current problem, then he’s deluding himself. The problem persists, and thus racial reconciliation and justice are indeed Christian mandates. They go part and parcel with following Christ.
Having said that, I think that the critiques of Trinity Church of Christ reveal more about us as a country than about Sen. Obama or his critics. It shows that there are some versions of Christianity that make us comfortable and some that don’t.
If a church’s theology preaches Jesus through self-reliance, personal morality, building wealth and colorblindness, then we don’t have much problem with it. But if a church’s theology talks about community building, personal and social responsibility, the sin of materialism and black empowerment or racial reconciliation, then we become uncomfortable.
This difference is similar to what theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the distinction between cheap grace and costly grace. Cheap grace is what makes us comfortable, because it doesn’t ask much of us. Costly grace, however, challenges us to be Christ-like by sacrificing and taking up our cross. It asks us to risk our comfort and get our hands dirty in the real world. If there’s any confusion between the two, it’s safe to say that Jesus’ call and gift is that of costly grace.
This is the grace that Sen. Obama’s church seems to proclaim. For they’re not out there preaching the gospel of health and wealth. That is, they don’t theologize that the God of Jesus Christ is some great ATM machine in the sky that will provide goods to consume. Instead, they’re dedicated to loving God, serving others, nurturing the souls of its congregants and bridging the divide between the poor, middle and upper classes within their church community. In short, they’re interested in authentic witness to the Gospel within a specific context.
If this makes some uncomfortable, so be it. At least they’re following Jesus in a way that aims for righteous transformation of the real world rather than a pie-in-the-sky kind of way.
Now I’m not saying that Sen. Obama is a victim here. Nor am I trying to get votes for him, although I must admit that I’ve sent a few bucks to his campaign. And I’m not saying he’s a saint, either. Heck, I don’t even know the man.
My point is simple. I’m sure there are many ways that the media can criticize Sen. Obama’s candidacy. But his church is not a liability. And they should be ashamed for trying to make it seem like one. ”
Link
David Brody, a Christain Broadcast News correspondent, visited Obama’s church:
“When I was out in Illinois covering Obama’s big presidential announcement in Springfield, our CBN crew went to Chicago and asked to shoot video inside the Church. A week before, I had put in multiple requests but I received no response. So on Sunday we walked into the Church and asked if we could film.After waiting about 15 minutes or so, they agreed and we started to videotape. After 20 minutes or so of videotaping, the Church said they meant still photography not video. There seemed to be a little miscommunication here. We immediately stopped filming. We ended up using still shots from the video that we had in our possession. I desperately tried to convince them to let us use the video but they said no.
During my time inside their service, it seemed pretty normal to me. The worship was very charismatic, the music was up-tempo and the people seemed like they were really into it. I didn’t hear the preacher speak, so clearly that is extremely important. I can’t speak to that. But the people we dealt with were extremely nice. ” Link
From State Of The Qusan, referring to Hannity’s coverage on FNC of Obama’s church:
“I don’t know where they got this kneegro to go on TV and spew this BS but, being from Chicago, I’ve been to Trinity United Church of Christ. Many of my friends are members. Oprah Winfrey was once a member. It’s a typical black church, albeit it has many affluent members, and I cannot believe that anyone would stoop this low. It’s just disgusting!”
Mission Statement of Church:
Trinity United Church of Christ has been called by God to be a congregation that is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that does not apologize for its African roots! As a congregation of baptized believers, we are called to be agents of liberation not only for the oppressed, but for all of God’s family. We, as a church family, acknowledge, that we will, building on this affirmation of “who we are” and “whose we are,” call men, women, boys and girls to the liberating love of Jesus Christ, inviting them to become a part of the church universal, responding to Jesus’ command that we go into all the world and make disciples!
We are called out to be “a chosen people” that pays no attention to socio-economic or educational backgrounds. We are made up of the highly educated and the uneducated. Our congregation is a combination of the haves and the have-nots; the economicallydisadvantaged, the under-class, the unemployed and the employable.
The fortunate who are among us combine forces with the less fortunate to become agents of change for God who is not pleased with America’s economic mal-distribution! W.E.B. DuBois indicated that the problem in the 20th century was going to be the problem of the color line. He was absolutely correct. Our job as servants of God is to address that problem and eradicate it in the name of Him who came for the whole world by calling all men, women, boys and girls to Christ.”Link
Pastor Jeremiah Wright:
“Black theology is one of the many theologies in the Americas that became popular during the liberation theology movement. They include Hispanic theology, Native American theology, Asian theology and Womanist theology.
“We were always seen as objects. When we started defining ourselves, it scared those who try to control others by naming them and defining them for them; Oppressors do not like “othersâ€Â? defining themselves.”
“African-centered thought, unlike Eurocentrism, does not assume superiority and look at everyone else as being inferior.
“There is more than one center from which to view the world. In the words of Dr. Janice Hale, “Difference does not mean deficience. It is from this vantage point that Black liberation theology speaks. ”
Link
Barack Obama:
“If I say to anybody in Iowa — white, black, Hispanic or Asian — that my church believes in the African-American community strengthening families or adhering to the black work ethic or being committed to self-discipline and self-respect and not forgetting where you came from, I don’t think that’s something anybody would object to. … I think I’d get a few amens.”
Link
As for the claim the church is more loyal to Africa than America, “while the Trinity website contains a “10-point Vision” that calls for its congregation to make “a non-negotiable commitment to Africa,” there is no statement on the website that such a commitment supersedes a parishioner’s commitment to the United States. Moreover, a fact sheet on the White House website is titled “The U.S. Commitment To Africa’s Growth And Prosperity,” and the Bush White House has reaffirmed its “commitment to Africa” as recently as 2005.” (Media Matters)
http://www.obamapedia.org/page/Obama+Myths
March 19th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I do not know of any churches in America other than the black seperarists church that encourages its members to be angry and express and blame others outside their group for their problems. Everyone comes into this world with some kind of heridity or issue in their family such as descendant of a white indentured slaves; a descendant of a witch who was burned at the stake; a descendant of an immigrant who starved ot death during the potatoe famine; a descendant whose ancestor was killed by a gang member; a descendant of a holocaust victim. I do not see any of the mentioned forming a church and using religion so they can rant and rave that they were treated unfairly because they were a descendant of such and such. Our thoughts and feelings create actions therefore our words should be uplifting, encouraging and positive. Having to live our wounds of our ancestors over and over again is self destructive…it is time to move on and create something new…….. I do not hear anyhting new in Rev Wright’s or Obama’s speeches…I hear them promising new but still dragging the pass around……..as if for some reason any of us this generation are the manifestation of our ancestors???? I think each generation is an improvement …….and things are different than two hundred years ago..Why dies Obama and Rev Wright keep living in the past?????? What is this NEW Obama is talking about???