Election Draws Attention to Race, Religion in U.S.

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Now to a discussion of some of those broader issues of race, religion and politics that have been in the air since last week. Jeffrey Brown has that conversation.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  And we take a look at some of the issues raised now with Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Maryland. He's founder and chairman of the conservative High Impact Leadership Coalition and co-author of the book "Personal Faith, Public Policy."

  The Very Rev. Tracey Lind of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio.

  Melissa Harris-Lacewell, professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton University, and author of the book, "Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Thought and Black Political Thought."

  And Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank.

  Well, Dean Lind, I want to start with you and start with what we just heard about public attitudes a week after all the talk about Reverend Wright and Barack Obama's response. Does it jibe — what you just heard, does it jibe with what you've experienced in your church in the last week?

  REV. TRACEY LIND, dean, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral: I think it absolutely jibes. My congregation, which is a downtown, diverse congregation, with Republicans, Democrats and independents, were very impressed with what Barack Obama had to say in his speech.

  They really appreciated his honesty and his forthrightness, his speaking truth and love, and his coming true about his own story and talking about one of the most important issues in this country.

  As far as their feeling…

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Go ahead.

• REV. TRACEY LIND:

  As far as their feelings about Rev. Wright, I think my congregation, while we wouldn't necessarily agree with everything he says and how he says it, has a deep and abiding appreciation for the black church preaching tradition.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Bishop Jackson, what about in your church? What is the sense of it? Do you sense more understanding, more confusion, more anger about these things? What?

• BISHOP HARRY JACKSON, JR., High Impact Leadership Coalition:

  No, I think many people believe this is a problem that finally needs to be talked about, but we feel like the appropriate place to talk about it is within the church.

  Ironically, the statements from a pulpit have affected a nation. And although we appreciate Barack Obama's speech, it can't be solved by politics. I believe it's a heart issue, a sin issue, a moral issue.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  And Rev. Wright's speech or sermons?

• BISHOP HARRY JACKSON, JR.:

  Well, I think his sermons are incendiary, and they represent an old-school approach to a common problem. I think we need a new civil rights movement.

  There's a growing dimension of integration that's happening in the church today, churches like mine, a pastor church with 22 different nationalities in it, blacks, whites, Hispanics, predominantly African-American.

  And I believe that there needs to be an aggressive decision by Bible-believing churches to end racism and end desegregation or, I should say, desegregate the churches in America, if I can say it right.