Obama and Wright
I haven't said much about the whole Barack Hussein Obama/Rev. Wright thing here; others out there in the blogosphere are doing a vastly more thorough job than I could ever hope to do (just peruse The Corner, The Campaign Spot, Hugh Hewitt, or a whole host of other blogs for a small sampling). But here's the big kicker for me: as previously noted many times over, Obama has had 20 years with this pastor, and plenty of time to reject his radical preaching, and yet he has not. Currently, there are calls for him to publicly "disown" Rev. Wright in what could be the Mother of All Sister Souljah Moments. Some are saying this could be effective in repairing his downward-spiraling campaign.
But I must disagree. One of the things I have mentioned here in passing is that I have, in the past, had slight misgivings about my own pastor, who by all accounts is a fantastic and inspiring preacher (frankly, the most inspiring pastor I've ever had the privilege to listen to -- one day I'll have to post about my esteem for him). Part of this has to do with his occasional citing of questionable theologians and sources; another part is his subject matter, which is more oriented toward societal betterment through acting out Christ's teachings, rather than focusing on sin and its consequences. Now typically, many of these quotes are used not to score some theological point, but merely to illustrate a principle with anecdotal evidence. Likewise, I think it's my own background as a Southern Baptist congregant that has me missing the hellfire and dalmatians to which I was formerly so accustomed.
But my point is this: I am constantly on guard that a) my pastor, and by extension, my church, is teaching orthodox Christianity, and that b) the pastor is not using the pulpit as his own personal soapbox for advancing a political agenda that is contrary to my own views (after making sure that my own views are reconciled to Scriptural authority, of course). I filter everything I hear him say through these lenses. The minute I theoretically find that a line has been crossed, it would be my duty as the spiritual head of my household to move us to more appropriate place. I have a responsibility to ensure that the spiritual nourishment of my own family is not tainted milk, after all (Aside: I don't want to give the impression that I go to some hippie liberal church or anything. To date, my pastor has passed my scrutiny resoundingly).
Mr. Hussein-Obama has just such a responsibility with his own family, and doubly so as an aspiring, wannabe-shrewd politician. And in 20 years, either a) nothing impacted his ears that sounded so bombastic or radical as to require him to disassociate himself with such rhetoric, or b) he lacked the spiritual courage to stand up for his own personal and familial well-being upon hearing such fiery speechifyin'. And either way, that says a terrible lot about him that no "Sister Souljah Moment" can rectify.
Addendum: This is my 200th post! Not bad for 2.5 years of blogging... that's a post every 4.5 days or so, on average, just for you, my dear readers! And that doesn't even factor in my recent productivity elsewhere in the blogosphere...
But I must disagree. One of the things I have mentioned here in passing is that I have, in the past, had slight misgivings about my own pastor, who by all accounts is a fantastic and inspiring preacher (frankly, the most inspiring pastor I've ever had the privilege to listen to -- one day I'll have to post about my esteem for him). Part of this has to do with his occasional citing of questionable theologians and sources; another part is his subject matter, which is more oriented toward societal betterment through acting out Christ's teachings, rather than focusing on sin and its consequences. Now typically, many of these quotes are used not to score some theological point, but merely to illustrate a principle with anecdotal evidence. Likewise, I think it's my own background as a Southern Baptist congregant that has me missing the hellfire and dalmatians to which I was formerly so accustomed.
But my point is this: I am constantly on guard that a) my pastor, and by extension, my church, is teaching orthodox Christianity, and that b) the pastor is not using the pulpit as his own personal soapbox for advancing a political agenda that is contrary to my own views (after making sure that my own views are reconciled to Scriptural authority, of course). I filter everything I hear him say through these lenses. The minute I theoretically find that a line has been crossed, it would be my duty as the spiritual head of my household to move us to more appropriate place. I have a responsibility to ensure that the spiritual nourishment of my own family is not tainted milk, after all (Aside: I don't want to give the impression that I go to some hippie liberal church or anything. To date, my pastor has passed my scrutiny resoundingly).
Mr. Hussein-Obama has just such a responsibility with his own family, and doubly so as an aspiring, wannabe-shrewd politician. And in 20 years, either a) nothing impacted his ears that sounded so bombastic or radical as to require him to disassociate himself with such rhetoric, or b) he lacked the spiritual courage to stand up for his own personal and familial well-being upon hearing such fiery speechifyin'. And either way, that says a terrible lot about him that no "Sister Souljah Moment" can rectify.
Addendum: This is my 200th post! Not bad for 2.5 years of blogging... that's a post every 4.5 days or so, on average, just for you, my dear readers! And that doesn't even factor in my recent productivity elsewhere in the blogosphere...
Labels: Christianity, meta, politics
posted by Benjamin at 1:29 PM
6 Comments:
Re: the last paragraph - I think that average of 4.5 days/post has been attained by your heavy posting in the last couple of months.
Great post. Every so often I get in a conversation with arch-coal-country Democrat MWR down the hall. I'm not sure he reads much on the blogs, but he could write talking points memos in his sleep. He seems to have a button somewhere under all that waistline of his that engages the filter/rose colored glasses. His thing with Wright a few weeks ago when this thing broke was the "crazy uncle" theory. We all have people in our past with whom we've associated that we'd don't disagree with, but whom we can't disown, etc.
The spuriousness of this argument, which liberals all the way up to the sometimes sensible Martin Peretz still employ, is astounding. Wright is not a relative of Obama, and not his parish priest (who, technically you can't disown, but I sure as heck would under the same circumstances). But Obama behaves as if Wright is his Daddy whom he must please. (The latest psychological theory that the Right and the Left are putting out is that Wright is the father Obama never had. The Right's theory is just partisan pop-psychologizing, satisfying though it may be. The Left's theory is scary because it's the same theory, but they use it to justify why Obama hasn't or can't disown Wright!)
Wright is so obviously a self-aggrandizing race-baiter, and seems to want to assert his control, probably over the pained objections and pleas of Obama's staff. He either has no common sense, or wants to bring Obama down.
I knew this would happen. Not exactly this way, but something like it. I knew Obama was not a "post-racial" Black candidate. Only the Republicans could manage that. Unfortunately, any Black that the Dems put forwarded will be tainted by the "Black identity" problem, which was manufactured for them by the Dems, is racialist, socialist, and plagued by the paranoia and the psychology of victimhood.
The Great Commenter in his full glory! I'm honored...
As for your first paragraph, I actually already did that analysis: at the 2-year mark (mid-Nov. '07), I had exactly 140 posts, putting me at around a post every 5.2 days. So yes, I've brought that average down considerably. Unfortunately, it would take an additional (roughly) 900 more posts by next November (the three-year mark) to put me at 1 post per day on average -- or 4.5 posts per day, in an interesting inversion of my current day-per-posts statistic.
As for the rest of your comment: once I deciphered "MWR" I LOL'ed profusely. Perhaps even a ROFLMAO. Perhaps not. I've successfully managed to keep my political engagements with him to a minimum, although I can detect a very reflexive nature to his leftishness indeed.
Also, thanks for the point about parish priests. Catholics do indeed have a bit of a conundrum in that regard, given the structure of the Church. All I can say to that is "Hooray for congregational autonomy!" I'd invite you to come check us out but your head might explode at the rock-n'-roll Devil's Music we sometimes sing during worship (although the old-timers' 8:00 am service is definitely and intentionally more high-church liturgical).
It boils down to either Obama being a liar and/or a political opportunist. Probably some of both. And neither looks good, whatever he says now.
I'll be interested to see if Michelle comments on this fiasco...
"I'll be interested to see if Michelle comments on this fiasco..."
Probably something along the lines of "I had never been proud of America until my husband ran for President... and thanks alot, jerk, now I'm not proud again!"
Someone referred to yesterday's speech as Obama's "I DID NOT HAVE SPIRITUAL RELATION WITH THAT PASTOR" speech.
HAHAHAHA... ok, that is the most awesomely funny thing I have read in a long time.
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