I thought it was a remarkable speech, for all the reasons many others have given: courage to face a difficult topic without fluff, wisdom to see sources of anger and frustration both black and white, return to his basic theme of unity needed to deal with our collective responsibilities, all the rest.
Two comments, one personal and one historical: When I was a young man our pastor was a tough Irishman who preached regularly about the Communist danger and personally taught our confirmation class with that as the center of Catholic missionary responsibility. I was deeply interested, as the "Reds" had made life miserable for the beloved former parishioners of my uncle Joe, a Maryknoller who had served in North Korea before imprisonment by the Japanese. His friends, old China hands, would visit our house with tales of Communist atrocities in China. The pastor gave us a clear sense that the Communist conspiracy and its sympathizers could be found in their local newspaper, the YMCA, and especially at nearby William College. I can assure you that his language on the subject was extremely violent and deeply divisive, casting suspicion on many neighbors, on the government of Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, on the State Department. But we all loved the guy.
Another story: When I was a graduate student I heard a distinguished historian deliver a paper on the pastor who served a wealthy Protestant and Republican congregation in Evanston, Illinois from the 1930s to the 1950s. The pastor was a pacifist and Christian socialist much beloved by his people, who most likely regarded his views of war and politics as dangerously radical. Why did they tolerate the man and his often prophetic sermons? After asking surviving members of the congregation and consulting the records the answer was clear: because he was a great pastor, present to his people in times of joy and suffering, preaching always on the Gospel and shared experiences of life, inviting consideration of the Gospel challenges, never demanding their compliance with a blueprint for public or private life. One suspects that Rev. Wright was such a pastor.
I am reminded of a group of Catholic parishioners who visited a young priest from their parish jailed for a protest at the Pentagon. "He may be a crazy priest," one of them said, "but he's our crazy priest."
--David O'Brien is a historian of American Catholicism and professor of Roman Catholic studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
My efforts to understand the Trinity Reformed Baptist Church theology,leads me to belive that it is a religion of pacifist. Is there a web site where I can read the theology of this church in Chicargo. Thank you for your articials on "Obama's Speech on Race and Religion". Pete
Thanks, for adding to the understanding of preachers and why we love them in spite of their flaws. As a Catholic I have disagreed, sometimes even walking out of mass, with priests and especially the Vatican on many issues. I am still a Catholic because of all the good things, especially the Church's "preferential option for the poor". I know that Rev. Wright had that commitment first and foremost in his teaching. As a southern white woman I have seen racism up close and it is shameful. Wright's anger, though extreme, is so understandable. I think southerners, if honest with themselves, understand it better than some and know what part we have played just by being silent. Decades of oppression have taken a toll. Obama calls us together to heal this painful divide. Let's not turn away.He is not angry. Now that's the beauty of it!
FLUFF? There will be no dialogue, no meeting of the minds, no meaningful progress until we all recognize that black racism is rampant in American society. It is demonstrated every day, in ways both subtle and blatant. Rev. Wright's respect for Louis Farakhan bespeaks the reverend's racism. (Farakhan and his followers believe white people are not human--that they are the result of an experiment perfomed by an African scientist thousands of years ago.)
All of the commentary on this topic thus far is FLUFF--it refuses to acknowledge the reality of black racism. And it is not until that racism is recognized will we be able to speak with honesty and integrity. Mr. Obama is eloquent but not honest.
What is in a person who doesn't even try to understand what Senator Obama is saying? Is it ignorance, hate, fear, stubborness, racism? Obama wants to move this country into the future and these people may be left behind if thay can't be reached.
If people pen up there minds and see this guy for what he is, the country would be better off. There is no way a Senator or any other man or woman tha thas one years expericence in the Senate, House, or a Govenor should ever be considered fo rthe Commander in Chief Job. Last commet was about being left behind, they wont be left nehind, they will be defruaded. It matters how you keep company with, who you surround yourself with, Already he has said twice that a person he called a friend, a mentor a spiritual advisor that has been shown to be an a person a grave charatcer is not the man ne knew. He keep these people close until he decided to run for President. And if you want to argue experience, he ponly did one year in the Senate, spent the rest running for office. His ideals that he would fix the middle east are a joke. I was over there. wounded there and know exactly what these people are like. He cannot talk to them. He says that it is Busd's fault, well people look it up, Clinton was the one that went into the millde east and caused the FATWA issued againt the US, that means the war against the infidel and complete destruction of the US. Fact dont seem to matter for Democrats, they can only say McCain is BUSH. Obama makes it look like he was this big church going guy, yet he gave less than 1 percent of income and in another year 4 percent, even tho his church asked for 10. The rich just dont give up their money. This man is not worthy to be a President, just because he can BS people like Clinton, get away with everthing he has ever done, and talk about bending over for terrorist. If you dont know what a Whabbi is, a Tackferia, look into it, that it the enemy we are fighting, they are the people that beleive it is their duty to kill us. Obama should know more than anyone what the Koran says, he read it and studied it for over 4 years. Im not saying he is muslim, just that he knows what the koran says and should know they cannot be talked to. We want a win in Iraq with honor, we are getting it unless he gets in office.