Obama’s Pastor’s Sermon: ‘God Damn America’
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., senior pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, March 2005. (Trinity United Church of Christ/Religion News Service)
In a fiery sermon taped and available on DVD, Barack Obama’s longtime pastor and spiritual adviser can be seen and heard saying three times: “God damn America.”
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., in his taped sermons, also questioned America’s role in the spread of the AIDS virus and suggested that the United States bore some responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Confronting the content of some of Wright’s sermons, parts of which have been aired this week on FOX News, Obama on Friday moved to condemn the remarks in his firmest statement on the matter to date, after initially stopping short of a full repudiation.
“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.”
Obama said he never personally heard Wright preach the statements at the center of the controversy, but that he first learned of them when he launched his presidential campaign.
Click here to read the full Obama statement.
Wright’s supporters say his Afro-centric sermons accurately portray black America, and they contend his sermons are widely studied by theologians. But critics are now calling attention to his more incendiary words from the pulpit.
The pastor delivered his final sermon last month and retired as leader of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Obama has attended the church for 20 years and calls Wright his spiritual adviser.
Click here to visit the Trinity United Church of Christ’s Web site.
In a fiery sermon in April 2003, Wright said: “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes three-strike laws and wants them to sing God Bless America.
“No! No No!
“God damn America … for killing innocent people.
“God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans.
“God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme.”
In DVD copies of his sermons available for purchase, Wright can also be seen questioning America’s role in the spreading of the HIV virus that leads to AIDS. In another speech, made in the days after 9/11, he suggested that American foreign policy invited the terror attacks.
“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki. And we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye,” Wright said.
“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because of stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own backyard. America is chickens coming home to roost.”
The pastor also said: “The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”
Amid calls to fully repudiate Wright, the Obama campaign said late Thursday it has distanced itself from certain Wright comments.
“Senator Obama has said before that he profoundly disagrees with some of the statements and positions of Reverend Wright, who has preached his last sermon as pastor at the church,” Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said. “Senator Obama deplores divisive statements whether they come from his supporters, the supporters of his opponent, talk radio, or anywhere else.”
That preceded the lengthy campaign statement issued Friday.
Last year, Obama rescinded an invitation to Wright to deliver the invocation at his announcement that he was running for president. He also issued a statement saying personal attacks have no place in politics after Wright delivered an attack on Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.
But Obama’s longtime relationship with Wright is continuing to spark controversy.
“This is not just someone that Barack Obama has a casual relationship with,” said Tom Bevan, executive editor of RealClearPolitics.com. He noted that Wright married Barack and Michelle Obama, and Wright’s words were the inspiration for the title of Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope.”
“Barack Obama has not out and out distanced himself from all of these comments … ,” Patricia Murphy, editor of CitizenJanePolitics.com, said before the campaign responded Friday. “It’s unclear if he rejects all of these statements. I would assume that he does, but I think he is going to be pushed where he needs to come out and fully explain his relationship with his pastor.”
Some of Wright’s statements have raised eyebrows at a time the Internal Revenue Service is scrutinizing tax-exempt religious organizations for alleged violations of rules barring them from participating in political campaigns.
Prior to his retirement last month, Wright delivered commentary from the pulpit in which he praised Obama, as well as remarks focusing on the racial divide between Obama and Clinton.
“There is a man here who can take this country in a new direction,” Wright said during his Jan. 13 sermon.
During a Christmas sermon, Wright tried to compare Obama’s upbringing to Jesus at the hands of the Romans.
“Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people,” Wright said. “Hillary would never know that.
“Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”
In a Jan. 13 sermon, Wright said:
“Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”
So far the Clinton campaign has been quiet over Wright’s comments.
Wright has declined interview requests from FOX News.
FOX News’ Jeff Goldblatt contributed to this report.
Jeremiah is wright. His comments are right on the dot.
He spoke truth and what the federal and jewish controlled media does not allow to talk.
US is the sole reason for most of the misery around the world today, either by inaction or by its own criminal actions.
The sooner America realizes this it is better for the country and its people.
This was not news to me so Obama must agree with his pastor or he would have had nothing to do with him. Only now when it broke in the news does Obama shy away from him. Jesus was a Jew and we do know Obama does not think much of Israel. What religion is Obama 20 years with this Pastor is a long time to have a Pastor you do not agree with.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure that Barack and Michelle Obama AGREE to a very reasonable degree with Jeremiah Wright’s views about America, Bill and Hillary Clinton and white people in general or they would not remain staunch members of the Trinity United Chuch of Christ to this day. It is clear to me that Jeremiah Wright is not the true servant of God that he claims to be. As one who has been a christian my entire life I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jeremiah wright does not have the Spirit of the living God in him.He is an agent of intolerance and a very DANGEROUS man who prefers to spread his poison from the pulpit.
Barack and Michelle Obama have clearly been indoctrinated by this HATE-MONGER masquerading as a man of the cloth and I think AMERICANS AND ALL WHO LOVE AMERICA SHOULD BE ALARMED AND REJECT BARACK OBAMA’S CANDIDACY OUTRIGHT. You need only listen to some of the speeches made recently by Barack Obama’s wife for proof that BARACK and Michelle Obama ACTUALLY subscibe to the views that Jeremiah Wright espouses contrary to Barack’s recent “repudiation” of his spiritual advisor, Jeremiah Wright.No one should lose sight of the fact that Barack Obama is running to become a “BLACK PRESIDENT” and will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.He has always been, and will remain close to Jeremiah Wright.
Even if one were inclined to give Barack Obama the benefit of the doubt and assume for one second that he does not share Jeremiah Wright’s rage against America and everyone that’s white , doesn’t Barack Obama’s 20-year close ties with Jeremiah Wright reveal a colossal lack of judgement on his part? Hillary Clinton’s bad call on the war in Iraq is nothing compared to this.
Wake up America. Barack Obama DOES NOT HAVE GOOD JUDGEMENT. He just happened to be echoing sentiments that were being expressed at that time by so many other people including MY HUMBLE SELF, and I am neither a Havard graduate nor a politician.
America cannot afford a Barack Obama presidency . The price may well turn out to be way too high for AMERICA to pay and that’s just my humble opinion.
GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Onye Uwaoma.
Honestly, there is no magic bullet for problems with the races; particularly Blacks and Whites. I am no historian but even Abraham Lincoln, who detested slavery, never believed that Blacks and Whites could live peacefully amongst each other. He, as well as other’s, who hated the concept of slavery were of the following opinions. To end slavery. To help the Black race found its own country and culture, primarily for the following reason: There was too much wrong done in the institution of slavery to ever repair it. He also noted that culturally there was too much difference between the Black and White race to find necessary common ground. Of course we see exceptions to these opinions every day; but, it we are really honest, Blacks got as far as they did by violence. Whites, particularly rich ones, gave them what they wanted, moved away from integrated environments and left the poor whites to ‘deal with it’. Do I think some of that violence was justified? Yes. Was slavery the most unfair institution to live in? Yes. Slavery has existed not just between Blacks and Whites but, many times in history in other cultures. It was usually rectified by marriage and ‘needed allegiances’ for wars or whatever. In the case of Blacks and Whites it will not be rectified. We are simply too different. It is not that one is right and the other is wrong; there is just too much difference. Add that in with the hatred that still fumes amongst Blacks for the institution of slavery and what would anyone with common sense come up with? Long ago, wrongs were righted after the problem was rectified because people just forgot it. Maybe a Roman killed a Greek’s great-grandfather or something but then, the Greeks and Romans intermarried, fought side by side and it just didn’t matter anymore— in the times before constant media. Time itself wiped away the sin. Our society has bent over backwards either by conscience, fear or both to equalize Blacks and Whites but, I just don’t have the belief that this race issue between Blacks and Whites will ever die when one of the slogans of Blacks is ‘Never forget’. Well, either one forgives and forgets or stays in a state of conflict. Other races find refuge and pleasure in staying in contact with their cultural roots while assimilating here in the U.S.; but, Blacks don’t really have a culture to take refuge and pleasure in. Most probably, slavery took that away from them. They and the Native Americans were the only ones punished for exercising the right to enjoy their culture and heritage. Native Americans believed in their way of life. Black Americans don’t even know what their’s is. Yes, different races tease and sometimes harm one another but, I don’t think anyone cared if an Oriental went back home after their work day was over and burned incense or chanted to Bhudda. There may have been incidents but, never on the level of the Blacks. Even though I believe Native Americans were treated worse than Blacks, they managed to retain a little sense of ‘culture.’ If one is a slave then one never has any ‘free-time’ to do anything. They are told what to do, how to act, what to believe and reduced to the state of an animal 24/7. At least the Native Americans got to sneak off and practice their culture. No doubt there was the most severe injustice culturally to the Blacks; but, that is in the past, the past played over and over and over again. I don’t know of a solution but, I do know that our society has been sugar- coating Black/White relations for decades now and calling it ‘progress’. Our forefather’s have left us with the ’shoe on the other foot’ and it is not fitting too well nor is it comfortable. The best hope I see for this is ‘honest’ dialogue but, I have more hope of waiting for the dinosaurs to return before that happens. People get so upset of ’stepping on toes’; well, its not going to feel too well for anyone of any race to get ’shot in the back’.
INGRATES and FOOLS the whole bunch of them!
OBAMA, the empty suit who says NOTHING in tenorous
tones, wants us to believe he transcends politics and has
good judgement! He went to elite, private schools in Hawaii
and on to Ivy Leagues, but “does drugs” and becomes best buds
with an American-hating Seperatist Preacher. That’s good and
rational Judgement? Alas, America is nearing the bottom when it
gets mesmerized by a - - - Manchurian Candidate!! This is “the good
son” who gives his mother short shrift in his autobiagraphy and elevates
his deadbeat father to mythical proportions! He has no use for the “white”
side of his family tree, obviously. He is said to be first cousin to Raila Odinga,
the Rebel leader in Kenya who caused the deaths
of thousands. But we’re told THIS cousin is ‘The Uniter’. Good Luck w/THAT!
Of course, our MSM, operating at about a 5th grade level, is keeping THAT a big
secret for now (don’t ask me why).
MICHELLE, his whiny WIFE (”give us something here!”)who gets her salary
tripled after he’s elected IL Senator, is calling America mean! She can ONLY
be ‘proud’ of her country when ‘Hubby’ is an adored candidate for President and
gets Oprah’s blessing. What a Prima Donna, this many-times-over beneficiary
of affirmative action! In Africa she wouldn’t be living ‘the good life’, but then, she’s
too shallow and vain to recognize that!
And that vile, crude little Porsche Driving ‘Reverend’ with his Vaudeville Act. His
’showmanship’ delivery is so full of envy and hate- he’s just busting at the seams! He
goes into his “schtick” to draw a little attention to himself as the ‘Big Man on Campus’,
at least where his congregation is concerned. He’s the classic ‘big fish’ in a little pond.
America - I shudder to think of your fate is this group of fools gets into power!
I believe that a “Reverend” should be a spirtual leader and not a political antagonist. How can a man profess love for God and preach such hate?
Yeah right, Bomba….you can’t be committed in a church for over 20 yrs and NOT know how your pastor feels about our nation and how he abhors the white community. !! A committed spiritual person is seen as an extension of the church.
I am a 70 year old black man that used to attend the AME Church, a black denomination. Each Sunday these “black churches” preach total hatred of white people. It is as normal as the sun rising in the summer. What my homeboy Jeremiah Wright preaches is TYPICAL of the “black church.” It is not an aberration, but the rule. I Obama attended the church for 20 weeks he would hear that hatred at least every other sermon. For him to claim anything else, he must think we are as stupid as Jeremiah Wright thinks us black Republicans must be. Is he forgetting the kkk was Democrats? Yes, like most liberals they input racism to Republicans as usual. Has he forgotten Abe Lincoln was a Republican? Wrights sermons are identical to Farrakhan’s drivel.
The key is most liberal black preachers born in the 40’s have been trained by the AME Churches’ extreme black racist James Cone, a professor at the “Union Theological Seminary.” In his writings he says black preachers need to look at Marxism. This from an African Methodist Episcopal Pastor. In the 60s through the 70’s they adopted the thought train of the Nation of Islam without outing stating that. To prove it most of the black baby boomer preachers all admire and like Farrakhan, they promoted his million-man march. A demagogue who preaches against all Christian denominations, yet the promoted his march. None of they ever preach or condemn his publicly. All the seeds are there for the black preachers to hate America, hate all black Republicans and to color Jesus with the black liberation colors: red, black and green.
I have a lifetime of experience as a black man in the greatest county God has created!!!
Tyrone
God help us,,,is he ordained?? surely anyone looking for peace in his or her heart, that comes from repenting to GOD,, would laugh at the turmoil he proposes, the hatred for whites, the Government, the Defacing America, the ONLY country in the world that will tolerate such verbage, that gives him the right to be,, er,,, uh,,, well what ever he is, surely anyone hearing his message, will understand, the ANTICHRIST is here, and we need to send those who feel like Gods own Demon (Jerry Write),on a one way ride to their HOMELAND,, then they wouldnt have to whine about being “PART” american, they could be ALL AFRO, God Bless their Pointed Little nappy haids,,
I nearly get sick when I hear this man goin on, I want to puke, Terry Wake
Is the moderator not permitting comments that are anti-Obama? This news story has been up for at least 24 hours.