Obama Rejects Anti-U.S. Sermons From Pastor Who Was ‘Like an Uncle’
Barack Obama denounced controversial sermons Friday by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., shown here at a funeral service at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago in December 2000. (AP Photo)
Barack Obama describes longtime pastor Jeremiah Wright Jr. as “like an uncle” and a spiritual mentor, but the presidential candidate rejected Wright’s fiery anti-U.S. and politically divisive sermons after days of mounting pressure to do so.
Obama told FOX News Friday that he could no longer lay low as Wright’s past sermons, where he condemned the United States as institutionally racist and blamed the government for HIV and the Sept. 11 attacks, were played in heavy rotation on national television.
“Once I saw them I had to be very clear about the fact that these are not statements that I am comfortable with,” Obama said. “I reject them completely — they are not ones that reflect my values or my ideals or Michelle’s.”
Obama called his remarks “inflammatory and appalling” in a written statement Friday.
Though Obama has known Wright for 20 years, he said the pastor has never been active in his campaign and that he is no longer on his African American Religious Leadership Committee. The campaign said Wright left his unpaid post on the committee Friday, but did not elaborate.
Obama, in the interview Friday with FOX News’ Major Garrett, said he has been a member of the church since the early 1990s after working with the congregation as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago.
Obama married his wife Michelle at Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ, had his children baptized by Wright and donated money to the church, but he said he first learned of many of the pastor’s controversial statements, which FOX News reported on a year ago, only when they were aired in the media in recent days.
“None of these statements were ones I had heard myself personally in the pews,” Obama told FOX News.
He said the sermons now sparking controversy didn’t resemble the sermons he remembers from Wright, which, Obama said, stuck to messages of faith, values and helping people in the community.
Obama’s response came as critics called on the Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate to do more to distance himself from Wright, who, in a fiery sermon recorded and available on DVD, can be seen and heard saying three times: “God damn America.”
In his recorded sermons, he also questions America’s role in the spread of the AIDS virus and suggests that the United States bore some responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Obama issued his more forceful statement against the sermons Friday afternoon.
“Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy,” he said in the statement. “I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it’s on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.”
A year ago, Wright defended his beliefs in an often contentious interview on FOX News’ Hannity & Colmes.
“If you’re not going to talk about theology in context, if you’re not going to talk about liberation theology … then you can’t talk about the black value system,” Wright said on the show’s March 1, 2007, broadcast.
Wright said his teachings are based on black liberation theology, which he summed up as “Africans speaking for themselves.”
Wake Forest University professor Terry Matthews, says in a lecture reprinted on the university’s Web site that black liberation theology “seeks to find a way to make the gospel relevant to black people who must struggle daily under the burden of white oppression.”
Wright’s supporters say his sermons accurately portray black America, and they contend his sermons are widely studied by theologians.
“I’ve been at some of those sermons,” the Rev. Dwight Hopkins, a member of the church, told FOX News. “The majority of Wrights’ sermons speak to healing, he challenges the black community … to be more responsible.”
Wright delivered his final sermon last month and retired as leader of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Obama told FOX News he wouldn’t have quit Wright’s congregation if the pastor’s more controversial statements were isolated, but if that became “the tenor or tone on an ongoing basis of his sermons” Obama said he would have quit.
“Obviously they are ones that are from my perspective completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” Obama said.
With the pastor retiring from the pulpit Obama said he doesn’t see an issue in his family remaining part of the congregation.
“If I thought that was the repeated tenor of the church then I wouldn’t feel comfortable, but frankly that has not been my experience at Trinity United Church of Christ.
After the interview was broadcast Friday night on “Hannity & Colmes,” Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President Bush, suggested on the show that the controversy and the timing of Obama’s disavowal show him to be little more than a shrewd politician.
“I think there’s a reason Republicans I talk to are increasingly looking forward to running against Barack Obama,” Fleischer said.
Click here to read Obama’s full statement on Wright.
FOX News’ Jeff Goldblatt contributed to this report.
Is it any wonder that Barack Obama’s wife Michelle said - that for the first time, she was proud to be an American, apparantly after hearing her pastor for the twenty years that she and her husband were members of his church, bashing America, in deplorable language, saying that God did not bless America, but instead he said repeatedly that, God damn America.
At last we are finding out who has been the great influence in Barack Obama family, the pastor who married him, and his wife Mitchelle, and baptized their two children.
When confronted about these new revelations on Fox News, Barack Obama denied hearing his pastor saying those things about America in person, yet he has referred to him as an uncle, and was very defensive when being questioned on Fox Network.
We are yet to confirm if his denial can be confirmed, hopefully by the release of other video tapes that might be available.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church in Chicago has accused America as institutionally racist, and blamed the government for HIV and the September 11 attacks.
It is amazing that in February alone, Obama was able to raise over $50 million dollars in comparison to a much smatter amout for Hillary Clinton, which he received in donations from smaller contributors.
It will be interesting to see if this massive outporing of contributions will continue for Obama after this bomb shell has exploded within the Obama camp, that threatens to put a monkey wrench in the formidable momentum of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
Only time will tell what the outcome will bring for Barack Obama, or for Hillary Clinton.
Roy Tenn.
My husband and I don’t believe Obama. I think he knew of this all along and also we think his wife’s reasoning for not wanting Obama to run in the first place because she said she was happy liviing the way they were and didn’t want him to run. It was stated that Obama (in the Winston Salem, N>C>) Newspaper that he has family in Kenya and one being his grandmother. We believe that there is more to this whole story that we will ever know. Remember the sleepers the Government has found since 9/11, My husband and I fear for our life about this and as I say, we are old and can’t get away from anyone or anything. Please have someone look this over and think again about this man running for the Controller and President of the USA, our beautiful Country that we love so much.
Joann and John
I am still not satisfied with Obama’s explanation. How can anyone get any inspiration from someone so filled with hate for any race or his country. It appears Obama is only repudiating this now that these sermons have been exposed. Obama still respects his pastor. That speaks volumes. What else do we not know. Wake up America!
About Obama and his preacher friend… I would like to remind you that the Pharisees condamned Jesus for eating and drinking with sinners! Have we become a Nation of Pharisees? Keep in mind that Jesus called the Pharysees a brood of vipers, and hypochrites. The church-goer is not required to throw a fit, cause a commotion, abandon the church or even leave the Sunday Service only because s/he may strongly disagree with the contents of the homily he happens to witness. The preacher alone is responsible for his/her homily, not the congregation. Yes, I can see why, though condamning the sin, Obama didn’t distance himself from the sinner.
I think the Media is failing to keep eyes on the ball by analyzing to death every little “news-making” gossip about the character of the presidential candidates, rather than the political issues they address, which is what really matters to the public. This attitude is forcing them to constantly fend themselves from darts being launched at them from every direction. They are constantly forced on the defensive and this is wasting precious time and also it’s doing the American people a great disservice, and it just stands to show how superficial we have become as a Nation.
No matter what Obama says at this point, it is too late. Anyone who attends a church or any establishment that slams our country, must believe it or he would have left years ago. This preacher, has apparently had these views and beliefs over a long period of time…I cannnot accept the statement by Obama that he has never heard any of this before. This Pastor is full of hate and anger…..notice the parishioners applauding and cheering him and tell me they never heard this before….It is people like the Pastor that keep our country in such a turmoil when it comes to racial conflicts.
We all know about slavery and most of us are ashamed that this ever happened, but it did and we can only thank God that a brave and caring white man named Lincoln said put an end to it. We also know that many people both black and white have suffered over the years…..over 6 million Jews lost there lives to a “white supremist” and why?…because of hatred. So instead of enforcing love and compassion toward one another, this preacher continues to keep the Hitler tactics and the Al Quada hate toward America and Israel alive and well.
I am so very sorry that we have someone running for the Presidency of our United States, who for one moment would tolerate this anti-american, hate monger. Personally, I think Obama should step down and not consider running as candidate…
I am a democrat that loves my country….always have and will, and I believe most Americans feel the same.
Thank you.
Elaine Powell,
North Port, Fl
Well…I’m seriously hard pressed to believe that any congregant who has attended a particular church for twenty years and asserts that the pastor, such as Jeremiah Wright Jr. is Obama’s spiritual advisor…has somehow, by magic escaped any of the Reverand’s hateful, anti-American comments. This denunciation by Barack after having such a close relationship with his pastor, stretches plausiblity…to say the least.
I don’t believe that Obama hasn’t heard any of Jeremiah Wright Jr. sermons,–that’s almost incomprehensible. To boot, in 2004 Barack dis-invited Jeremiah Wright Jr. to an event announcing his candidacy … saying that some of his sermons were a bit rough –obviously Mr. Obama was aware of some of the inflammatory rhetoric from the pulpit. Come on, he was attending that same church for two decades–give us a break! I hope Obama sets the record straight!
How can someone go to a church for 20yrs and not know about the hate american Rev you have? Why would a Rev be aloud to say the lords name in vain? Also why was he aloud to be humping at the podium in a church during a sermon exspecially with children present? Obama had to of known what was going on since he had been going there for 20 yrs. Also Obama calls the Rev his brother. So, yes Obama and his wife are guilty of supporting this american hater.
Another want a be HITLER! And let me guess OBAMA is one of his GENERIALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe Obama has lied about his association with his preacher. This preacher should be tried for treason for his comments about our country and our government officials.
You cant trust someone who attends a church so anti white and anti American. Our nation is a multi ethnic community and as president your responsibility is to govern for all not radicals. I am a democrat and very dissappointed with Obama. If it came down to Obama and Mccain. It would have to be Mccain. I no longer trust Obama. Hopefully Clinton will win this where we have two canidates worthy of governing all without prejudice……from an American who happens to be a Democrat………