Something that strikes me about all the hullabaloo over Barack Obama's (and Mitt Romney's, for that matter) having had to answer for words of his pastor:
How many Catholics, for example, are devoted to their church, and tithe to it, in spite of its substantial flaws and all manner of generally backward stances of its leadership?
Do we suppose that, say, Billy Graham, "spiritual adviser" to U.S. Presidents from Eisenhower to Bush, and an evangelical Christian who accepts the Bible as the infallible word of God, never said anything stupid or bizarre or just plain wrong?
Are we all cool with everything we hear, if we hear it from a pulpit?
Of course not. And Barack Obama, too, can think for himself.
The Jeremiah Wright "issue" is a red herring. Could it still bring Obama down? What a tremendous loss that would be for our country.
The pastor's a total non-issue IMO. And so is Gov. Paterson's and wife's extramarital history. Who cares? Common sense, people!
ReplyDeleteI think the thing that bothers a lot of people is the Rev. Wright has been more than a spiritual advisor to Obama, he's been a father figure and a big influence on his life for 20 years.
ReplyDeleteIf a white candidate attended a church where the pastor, who was very close to the candidate, made derogatory comments about blacks, Hispanics, and Asians and that the U.S. deserved what happened on 9/11, there would be a HUGE outcry. This isn't so different.
That said, I don't personally believe that Rev. Wright's statements should be held against Obama.
I posted something along these lines, too. And I agree with you, 100%.
ReplyDeleteIf you turn on word verification, you can eliminate the spam like your first comment. Oy.