Thoughts on the Pastor from an Obama Supporter

[RazBerryBeret]

I've thought about this for the past 24 hours, and discussed it with my friends as family (some whom are not supporters of Obama). One good thing that has come from this is that I don't think I will be getting that darn email that warns me about Obama being a radical muslim anymore! We've laid those fears to rest!

Second idea...I have up to this point thought that judgement WAS the best thing for Obama to run on. He has had impeccable judgement on nearly all issues (imo). Why did he continue to go to this church, knowing this would eventually come out? Granted that Wright has been preaching for 30 years and the bits we have been seeing are from 2 sermons, and I would like to hear one of his positive, uplifting messages. I'm now thinking that maybe this makes him more of a real person (another of his strengths), because he didn't try to make himself over to become a better presidential candidate. I have to admit this has been one of the things that makes me sick about the election process--when a person considers running, even years down the road, they have to consider how each vote will affect them in the polls. They vote against banning cluster bombs in civilian areas, because they need to appear "tough" on terrorism etc... they were elected to use their judgement, but it somehow becomes all about how their votes will affect them.

So maybe Obama is a real person, maybe he'll remain a real person? I happened to pick up his "The Audacity of Hope" book in my room today and re-read the back cover. It seems appropriate to me today:

"A government that truly represents these Americans—that truly serves these Americans—will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won't be prepackaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we'll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hope, common dream, a bond that will not break."

disclaimer: I do not support hate speak for any human, and I'm glad Obama has rejected the inflammatory statements of Wright.

[Hope And Change]

1. From every obstacle...

something good comes out of it I guess...;-)

:toast:

[Cant trust em]

2. it may hurt him in the GE, but I'm glad he didn't swap churches

I'm with you, I appreciate the fact that knowing he would be entering public life, he didn't sell out.

[hisownpetard]

3. I just wanna know - how did Rev. Wright get hold of all my mother's old blouses?

:shrug:

[RazBerryBeret]

4. Ok...that made me laugh!!!

n/t

[hisownpetard]

9. Really, I think he raided her closet!

[TwilightGardener]

5. I believe that his belonging to that congregation probably felt like

home and family to him, because he was essentially a rootless person for much of his young life. He developed a close relationship with his pastor, and was able to see the good and inspiring aspects of the man, while rejecting the anger and negativity. He didn't abandon that church, and that community, even when it would have been politically expedient to do so. I have no idea why this pastor shit is even an issue, but since it is, I give him props for not politically calculating his every decision in life. Unlike someone else we know, Obama is not a 100% manufactured political animal. He's a real human being, with real attachments that are not easily severed.

[RazBerryBeret]

6. agreed....

we all need a place to feel like we belong.

[Texas Hill Country]

7. Doesnt the fact that he rejected his pastor mean he did make himself over to be a better candidate?

just trying to find an explanation for the seemingly mutual exclusivity in logic that i see...

[RazBerryBeret]

10. not in my opinion...

he rejected the "inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents"...he didn't reject his church. and as another poster stated, most people don't agree with every statement from their pastor.

I know I made my mom laugh last night (she's a clinton supporter) and both my parents are Southern Baptists. they've switched churches several times. She was pretty concerned about this issue last night, but I had to remind her that if someone would go back in her past and look at video of some past sermons from preachers in churches that she's attended, she would have to admit that some Americans would say "man, that guy is a kook!".....she had to agree...

[Not the Only One]

8. He didn't leave for good reasons

He wanted to go to a megachurch for whatever reason. Maybe he liked the security that came with being in a larger church. Maybe he thought that was a place that could accommodate a celebrity, since Oprah goes there, too.

Stability is important to people and people will tolerate quite a lot for the sake of stability. Husbands and wives put up with many things that annoy them about their spouses for the sake of stability.

Especially once he had kids, that desire for stability is higher.

You assume he stayed there because he agreed with everything Wright said. I don't think that's at all true.

[RazBerryBeret]

12. No, I don't assume

that he agreed with everything Wright said. most people don't agree with their pastor 100% of the time--or even their spouse for that matter (he he he)

I had 2 concerns, one being the foresight to acknowledge how this was going to look to some Americans (addressed above)
and the second concern was alleviated when he said he wasn't in attendance for those particular sermons. I was trying to wrap my mind around the fact that having two small children and sitting in a sermon where the "N" word is used and someone says "God Damn America"....I have two young sons (8 & 11) It would take a lot of explaining to them if they had heard this in their church, from the pastor.

[Not the Only One]

13. Pastors say inappropriate things in the pulpit all the time

I have heard preachers talk about all sorts of things that are not appropriate for young ears, like rape and such. They just get going and forget that there are young children in the audience, too.

[goclark]

11. I am uplifted by the quality of the discussion on this thread

I believe that Obama handled the issue with class and dignity.

Will it continue to be a media issue, yes it will until America grows up and realizes that Poverty, Injustice, Iraq etc. are the real issues.

[RazBerryBeret]

14. it IS nice to

discuss things without name calling. (I have an 8 and 11 year old and I hear WAY too much of that!)

I do like the way Obama handled this issue. It will continue to be an issue throughout the GE. (unfortunately)
It's too bad with the state of this country, this is NOT the most important issue — by a long shot!