Let’s Show Some Grace in the Obama Pastor Case
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Barack, ReligionAs we’ve already covered, Barack Obama has condemned the controversial words of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But what now – particularly what now for those of us who aren’t Obama supporters?
My feeling is those who want to use this as a political bludgeon will continue to do so, regardless of what Obama or anyone else says. There is a profound difference between matters of the spirit and matters of the state, but we’ve so often and so purposefully intertwined the two that few can even grasp the difference between a pastor and a political advisor (and that goes for some pastors themselves).
Theology is not my forte, but I know this much: there is no easy reconciliation between the eternal spirit and the transient body. And there is nothing more temporary or less divine than politics. Pastors often wrestle with how our faith should influence our choices as citizens. There is nothing wrong with that. But when they start adulterating theology to achieve political ends, they move themselves and their congregations away from the divine and into the corrupting world of the physical. For some pastors, the move away from the divine is momentary, a sermon here, an off-hand remark there. For others, it defines their entire religious career.
Christians often talk of grace. The concept is both simple and theologically complex. But I think an apt definition for grace is the complete absence of politics, not just of governmental politics but of all the worldly power struggles that so define our lives. Grace is seeing another human not for how they may benefit us or harm us but for their eternal selves, for their equal and equally divine presence in the Body of Christ. From grace comes love as well as compassion, mercy and forgiveness. But there is often very little grace when we twist ourselves up in the political.
Rev. Wright exhibited gracelessness when he said we should sing “god damn America” and when he blamed 9/11 on America’s perceived imperialistic sins. But we should not further that act of gracelessness by continuing to tar Obama with the pastor’s words. The Senator has unequivocally condemned them and has gone so far as to say, spiritually, he believes in universal compassion and he believes that’s what his church teaches.
Religion is attacked often in this country, and people are even attacked for suggesting religion is attacked. But those who attack religion often get it wrong. It’s not religion that’s to blame for intolerance and sins of pride. It’s the politicization of religion that’s to blame. Politics corrupts. But I would like, for once, not to play politics with a man’s faith. Let’s judge Obama for his policies, for his plans for this nation, for his leadership experience or lack thereof. Let’s take his condemnation of his former pastor’s words at face value and move on. If we who lean to the right can’t do that for a religious liberal how do we ever expect those on the left to do it for us and our religion?
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March 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Well put.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Rushy Limbaugh is having a field day with this subject - read the transcript @ the url below. How can anyone think Obama is responsible for his Pastors words - it’s simply absurd. Having said that though I think he needs to hit back hard on this one before it makes a dent and takes on a life of it’s own.
I have searched high and low for the Rev Wright’s sermon “The Audacity of Hope” - but I can’t find it anywhere - if someone has a lead please pass it along. If enemies are going to use inflammatory rhetoric that Obama has no control over as a subject of attack, I would like to read that sermon since it inspired Obama enough to write a book. That’s the sermon we should all be talking about because then the words, passion, and thought process are irrefutable.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985853/posts
March 14th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Showing grace won’t stop the left or anyone from playing political games. I have no doubt that Obama, and the majority of American Blacks, think like the good Pastor. That’s not surprising. Movie, novels, news reports, college text books blame every conceivable ill on the White race. Liberals repeat the propaganda as if they won’t be happy until mobs of minorities rise up in violence against their arch nemisis, the White man.
March 14th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
BRAVO! A beautifully written piece and spot on.
March 14th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I whole-heartedly agree. I think it’s sad you have to come out and say this, Alan, but it really does feel necessary to get this concept across. Every religion I’ve encountered talks about how imperfect we as Humans are and that it is not our place to judge until we perfect ourselves (ie - never).
How can anybody be expected not to even associate themselves with anyone who might have a less-than reputable opinion? Especially politicians who must, by their very nature, be associated with many more people than the average individual…
March 14th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
From both a social and a spiritual perspective, we are shaped by those who teach and guide us. Rabbis, Imams, Pastors, and the like. I think the most relevant concern is that BHO has sat at the feet of Jeremiah Wright for twenty years, being taught and shaped by two decades of spiritual instruction. To say that this has no bearing on who BHO has grown into in his adult life is absurd. You can’t blame BHO for Wrights words. That’s absolutely unfair. However, it is reasonable to ponder what beliefs and values Wright has imparted onto BHO in the past 20 years. These beliefs will most assuredly influence policy decisions, and to think otherwise (of any candidate) is naive.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
ExiledIndependent is absolutely correct. While Obama cannot be held responsible for what his pastor says, we have every right to question Obama’s judgement and wonder what his true beliefs are when he’s sat at the feet of the pastor for 23 years. If he didn’t believe at least a good portion of what Wright taught, then why continue attending the church for that long? Why would anyone continue to attend a church that taught values that are against your core beliefs? How can anyone take Obama’s condemnation seriously when it took this long to come? Does anyone really believe that there is anything besides politics motivating the condemnation? Why now? Why not years ago? Did a light bulb just turn on and he just now saw the light? No, I have to believe that it was more a reaction to dropping poll numbers.
March 15th, 2008 at 2:57 am
@ExiledIndendent & Reed,
If my father were a murderer, would I be suspect for practicing my spiritual beliefs and forgiving him of his sins? How about if I just continued to visit him in prison? Would that mean that I like murderers, or that I think it’s ok to murder people?
It’s not the most accurate analogy, since Obama was not that close to Wright. But your point is that he was close enough to have had some of Wright “rub-off” on him. I say if you must judge, judge him by his own words. Has Obama ever said or acted in a way to make you believe he should be suspect of thinking the same way?
As far as Wright’s words being “against one’s core beliefs”, if one believes in forgiveness and compassion, then wouldn’t turning your back on an entire church for the words of one angry pastor be turning your back on those very same beliefs? If every responsible member of a church stopped attending whenever one member (of even the highest standing) committed a hypocritical sin, no organized religion would have survived until today.
March 15th, 2008 at 3:25 am
Dr. Saturn, you don’t get to choose your parents, but you do choose your church. You make that choice based on shared beliefs and values. If you do not share the ideals of one church, you start attending a different one. There are a lot of choices available; you can’t drive five miles without passing two churches. If Senator Obama had been at the church for a year then left because he didn’t agree with the Pastor that would have said something about his beliefs and character. He picked this church to attend and stayed over 20 years. That is an indication of where his values lie.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Hermon, your comments seem to be very similar to the good Reverend himself, except you are opposite sides of the same coin. I would think you can relate to him.
He thinks the world is out to get him and so do you. Actually he probably has more to base that opinion on than you do.
March 15th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I see the flip side of that though. Is it always wrong that the right gets leaned on for excusing too much of radical right wing fundamentalist Christian leaders? I don’t think so. And I don’t think it’s right to give left wingers a pass either. Both forms of politicized religion need to be marginalized, and that will only happen if moderates/centrists hold politicians equally accountable for keeping a LARGE distance between themselves and those who use religion to justify a radical political agenda (of one form or another.)
March 15th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Dr. Saturn, the whole point of attending a church is to worship God and to be fed the Word of God by a pastor. The pastor’s job is to preach the Word and Truth and exhort the body to live out that truth. If the pastor is not preaching the word and instead urges the body into non-biblical action (racism), then a member has the responsibility to confront the pastor. If he is unwilling to change his ways, then there is no reason for the member to continue going there. A leader who is leading people into sin should not be followed.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:37 am
[...] Obama has condemned the controversial words of his pastor Jeremiah Wright and I think we should move on from that specific story. However, since Obama has made his character and judgment as much a [...]
March 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Amazingly enough, Rev. Wright was on Obama’s advisory board until yesterday. Makes one wonder what kind of ’spiritual’ advising he has been giving.
Albeit, this matter has been construed as a ‘right vs. left’ issue or even a ‘religious’ one, by asking conservatives to be ‘gracious’ and move on, it has deflected from its primary point.
The contention was and is **the influence** exerted by a pastor who uses religion to cover his political agenda on candidate Barack.
Both democrats and conservatives alike are wondering what kind of lessons - 20 years under the wings of such a ’spiritual’ leader - have been imparted to Obama.
Because he is running for the highest position in the country it’s a fair and must-know question.
Obama ‘came out’ yesterday, claimed he “didn’t know” before this week and ”denounced” the inflammatory remarks. Wasn’t that wonderful? Some said. Why are we still talking about it? Others chimed in. Let’s forgive and forget. Hmm…
Red flag. Yesterday’s ‘denouncing’ session created more questions and suggested a huge credibility issue.
Very little disagreement that Obama is a very smart, highly educated, articulate individual, though, lacking political experience.
Therefore, how are we supposed to believe that he NEVER heard those incendiary speeches when he was in church? That Rev.Wright’s hateful sermons were in perfect sync with Barack absences from the services? For the sake of discussion, let’s say the cop-outs are plausible.
Notwithstanding, there is NO way that for two decades Obama was absolutely ignorant of Rev. Wright’s beliefs! In light of the mentorship and close relationship, he couldn’t be telling the truth. Could he?
It takes an average person, going to church once a week, for a month, to get a feel for what that church or the pastor believe. Twenty years without a clue? Perhaps, Barack is not as smart as previously thought.
Barack, had nothing but praise for Rev. Wright influence on his life. He married him, baptized his daughters, he was a friend and a mentor… Then, yesterday he attempted to distance himself from a burning building. The news of the real Rev. Wright should have gotten him angry for being duped. However, he wasn’t angry, he didn’t even come across shocked; he was simply doing “damage control.”
I understand that his supporters choose to believe that Rev. Wright only taught Obama ’spiritual’ things and that his other real beliefs never entered into the picture; or that others, for whatever reason, want to put this behind, without taking a deeper look. However, this man’s spiritual and political beliefs are so closely intertwined that it is impossible to separate them.
Go ahead, keep your head in the sand, but don’t ask the rest of us to follow suit and most of all don’t infer that by engaging our brains, questioning and drawing very logical conclusions we lack grace and forgiveness.
March 16th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Here is the transcript and audio of Rev. Wright’s Audacity of Hope sermon:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/2008/03/14/rev_jeremiah_wright%E2%80%99s_hope_speech
Here is a profile on Obama and his church published in the Christian Science Monitor last July
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0716/p01s01-uspo.html
March 17th, 2008 at 3:59 am
[...] Grace, politics and the Obama/Wright matter. [...]