Pastors and Politicians
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in 2008 Election, ReligionThere has been some condemnation of John McCain for accepting the endorsement of controversial evangelical pastor John Hagee. While McCain has repudiated Hagee’s more outrageous remarks, some believe the senator has been tainted.
If we’re going to hold McCain accountable for the words of those who endorse him, what do we do about Barack Obama’s own pastor, The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who has made plenty of controversial comments himself?
An ABC News review of dozens of Rev. Wright’s sermons, offered for sale by the church, found repeated denunciations of the U.S. based on what he described as his reading of the Gospels and the treatment of black Americans.
“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people,” he said in a 2003 sermon. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda’s attacks because of its own terrorism.
“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost,” he told his congregation.
Obama has said he doesn’t think his church is controversial and thinks of Rev. Wright like an old uncle who sometimes says ridiculous things. He doesn’t think of Rev. Wright in political terms but like a family member.
Well, it’s true that most of us have friends and family members who we love despite their less-than-tolerant statements and beliefs (I know I have them). But can we really give Obama a pass if we’re not willing to give other politicians a pass for their affiliations? What’s worse: being endorsed by a controversial pastor whom you don’t really know or having close ties to a controversial pastor whom you consider family? One may indicate political opportunism, the other may indicate sympathy for a very undesirable world view.
Now, some will find Hagee’s beliefs and statements more offensive than Wright’s. Others will think the opposite. I find the statement’s of both men to be distasteful, albeit for different reasons. I don’t know how these affiliations will play out during the campaign but I hope the electorate is sophisticated enough to understand politicians, like the rest of us, can have respect for and friendship with people with whom they disagree politically, even greatly disagree. I’d prefer to judge candidates on themselves primarily and on their relations only tangentially. But I doubt that’s how these two senator’s political opponents will see things.
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March 14th, 2008 at 6:24 am
ASC,
The difference is obvious. Obama didn’t bring in his controversial pastor to open one of his rallies like McCain did and thus make his message part of the campaign. Isn’t Hagee the one who kept repeating Barrack HUSSEIN Obama over and over? McCain shared the stage with his guy at one of his campaign rallies and that’s a big difference, but this kind of backhanded b.s. is standard for the Republican party, as McCain knows from first hand experience, which is why I could never understand how he could back Bush after what they did to defeat McCain in 2000.
To me it just further shows how the Repubs will do anything to ‘defeat the greater evil’ and we see the results of this destructive politics after so many failures over the past 8 years. This is why the change is gonna be so profound- I mean the guys name is Obama, which rhymes wth Osama- did u notice that?
March 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Hagee was not the talkshow host who repeated Obama’s middle name. He’s the Texas pastor who is a Christian-zionist and who has said some things that sound anti-catholic (he’s also no friend to homosexuality).
But, as to your point, I’m not sure standing on the same stage as a candidate is any worse than being a canadidate’s pastor and spiritual guide. One is an oportunistic endorsement the other is a very long, very close affiliation. If we’re going to condemn one, we probably should condemn the other. I’m fine with condemning neither but, then again, I’m not focused on trying to use every single weakness as an avenue for attack.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I’d like to point out, again, that were the candidate white instead of black, EVERYBODY would be outraged over him partnering with a racist. Not to mention, having a ‘friendship’ with a known, unrepentant terrorist, as well. Epithets would fly and his run for the presidency would be kaput.
Instead it’s Obama. Ergo, excuses file in that he is not to be blamed for others’ comments and beliefs.
True, that people should not be held responsible for every foolish thing their friends and family members say and do.
Except, by exalting people with questionable or contentious stances, and by boasting of their influence on our lives, we open the door for a deeper examination of how those relationships closely and deeply affect our attitudes, convictions and views of the world.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I think it’s fair to ask Obama pointed questions about Wright and force him to either endorse or repudiate the pastor’s comments. But belonging to a church isn’t like membership in the NRA or ACLU … it’s spiritual and that should and does exist outside the political. I think any conservative who has spent years calling the left anti-religious for attacking Christian conservatives should be very wary of confusing Obama’s former pastor with a political advisor.
March 14th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
ASC,
Thank-you, I was in a hurry and didn’t check my facts and appreciate your correction. The point I was trying to make is that religious ideology does matter if the people we entrust with our government are corrupted by their beliefs. Some people, yourself included, can see the forest thru the trees. Spiritual beliefs may frame the way one perceives certain events, but it shouldn’t overshine them and blind us from the truth. Your point is well taken, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Elisa… the expression walk a mile in his shoes comes to mind here. I used to think Malcolm X was way to radical and violent to be tolerated until i read about him in college. After I understood the history. even though i didn’t agree with the message, I could tolerate the man better.