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.
As a black person, I am appalled by the attitude of most black people regarding this issue. It appears that when a black person makes unacceptable statements against other races, blacks refuse to condemn such statements. On the other hand, blacks are so unreasonably sensitive at times to the slightest of statements they choose to interpret as racists. The comment Bill Clinton made regarding Obama and Jessie Jackson was so frowned upon by most blacks and Hillary by association paid a high price for it. The same black people who are against guilt by association, switched their support conveniently for Obama. Hillary did not complain about racism against her did she? well, the comments by Obama’s pastor are inflammatory to state the least, regardless of his experiences. Obama being so touchy about racism and the need to disassociate from people with the mildest of comments, saw no reason to do the same. It is high time blacks moved on from the past and looked at how far people have come. Obama has been well received and in-fact has enjoyed a fair amount of white support so far. If his poor judgement changes the picture, blacks must not cry racism, as this is untrue in this case. Obama is entitled to his associations, but cannot claim ignorance when he has communed with this man for 20 years. While he must not be judged by the words of his pastor, he will be judged by the essence of his believes ,which is based on the teachings of his church, for as long as he was a member in the church and did not leave when those things were preached. He is just as responsible as his pastor. If a murder is committed in your presence and you don’t take action to report the murder, concealing it and hanging around with the murderer, causes you to be guilty by association. Silence is not innocence. Obama is a lawyer and he knows it. It is impossible not to know what his pastor and mentor stood for. At best he needs to apologize for his poor judgement and hope for forgiveness, then move on. My point simply is that, the whites are entitled to their hurt feelings and distrust of Obama and fairly so. When Divid Duke was found to have been a member in the KKK, the whites did not make excuses on his behalf, they rejected him in assurance to the blacks of their disapproval of his actions. The least the blacks can do is to acknowledge what Obama has done wrong here. David Duke could not claim to be unaware of the clan’s believes. Obama cannot make such claims either. I think Obama is a fine man who might have been caught in the wrong company, he needs to accept responsibility if he is to be forgiven. This is not a case of a catholic priest molesting children and the congregation being held responsible.This is a case of sitting in the Catholic church and listening to sermons condoning the molestation of children for 20 years, Who would want such a man who cannot stand up for his believes and say I am out of here, but become close friends with the preacher, commune with him, bring him home, then say oh he is an uncle that professes and teaches child molestation, but well I can’t get rid of him? Please! Not leaving the church is one thing, but calling him a mentor is another. Obama can’t claim he did not share in the pastor’s believes. Tell it to drunken people and they will buy your story and actually say you have acted with class and eloquence. Shame on those who think so. We cannot be held responsible for the actions of others, but we can be held responsible for the believes of the groups we associate with, if we continue to do so regardless of their believes. Obama hates divisiveness? the presence of anything divisive should have turned him off immediately, not turned him closer to the divisive person. People will always say nice things to be elected. Actions do speak louder that words. You can’t preach virtue and practice vice. Virtue and vice can never dwell together, impossible. Like the bible says, bitter and sweet water cannot run from the same stream. After 20 years, one cannot deny that belonging to a group for that long, constitutes ones believes and judgement. As a leader of a nation, Obama must be able to embody the needs and well being of all people from all walks of life. His membership in the church, leaves people to fairly question his true ability to do so. Presently, his resume does not look good. lets face it and begin to heal! I am not a voter by the way, I am only an objective observer.
To all of you that think what this pastor said was great…. why don’t you leave the country along with him if you hate the USA so much? We have the right to disagree with our government, not to spread hatred and racism. Especially after 9/11. It is disgusting and I seriously doubt that this was the only sermon ever given by him stating this. I would never go to a church like that. What about our troops over there, defending us, defending our constitution? How do you think THEY feel looking at that?!? Anyone who votes for someone that goes to a church like this, I will pray for you. I have been a lifelong democrat, but if Obama wins, I will vote for McCain. No true american would sit and listen to this and call it church.
[…] been matched in Major League Baseball’s rich and enduring history. The activebleacherreport.comObama??s Spiritual Adviser Questioned US Role in Spread of HIV … - FOXNewsSo far the Clinton campaign has been quiet over Wright??s comments. Wright has declined interview […]
I grew up in Wolfe County, Kentucky, a rural farming county, and attended a little country church. As far as I know there was never a black person who ever lived in our county. I’m not sure why. But a black singing group came to our church once. They were made to feel as welcome in our little church as if they’d attended all their lives. Never once have I ever heard a racist statement come from that little church, and would be safe in saying never will. That’s just the kind of people we are.
I return to that little country church from time to time. It brings me peace and comfort. I contemplate now on how welcome I’d be made to feel in the Rev. Wright’s church. I fear not very.
Obama attended Rev. Wright’s church for 20 years. Doesn’t appear he condemned what the Reverend had to say then. It’s easy to see why he does now.
Obama is not responsible for what his pastor says, and he is clever enough to develop his own ideas. All this is a storm in a tea cup.
The dredging up by political dirt slingers of Rev. Wright’s sermons damning America, is yet the latest example of the degeneration of our constitutional right to freedom of speech.
It seems that ever since 9/11, it’s anti-American to speak negatively about America. Look at what happened to some reporters who critized the government and or criticized Mr. Bush right after 9/11-they lost their jobs! People too easily pointed fingers at anyone who spoke disparingly about American policies and Americans who critized America were called traitors.
What kind of nation have we become that it is no longer politically correct to question our actions here and abroad as a nation? We are still a young nation comparitively to most of the world. Have we so quickly forgotten our roots? Did not the colonists rebel against the King of England. Wasn’t our forefathers rebellion considered treasonable?
A considerable part of my family left England to make a new life in America. And in doing so ended up fighting in the American Revolution. And some of my forefathers spoke out against the tyranny of England and helped shape a new style of government in America that allowed for freedom of speech. I am as American as they come. And as an American, I consider it my right and my duty to speak out against my country when I don’t like the way it’s behaving, as a mother whould corrects her child when he behaves unruly.
I remember having the naive belief, not so long ago, “love it or leave it”. Now I that I’ve been a parent awhile, I realize the arrogance and ignorance of such a belief. This kind of pride is like Satan’s before his fall.
I want to be proud of America and proud to be American with the same kind of pride I have for my children. How can I ever get back to that point, when most likely if my words are even read, some fool(s) will take them and dismiss them as anti-American?
The article says it all. I am interested in obtaining the DVD containing these statements. Where can it be purchased ?
AMEN! I agree with most of what the pastor has to say!
obama is not done, many white especially the right want blacks to pretend or forget that slavery, police brutality, lyching and jimcrow laws never happen. pastor wright was wrong about blaming America for 9-11 but he was right about the cab refusing to pick up a black person, because they were blacks, injecting blacks with siphilis, and american supporting segregation in south Africa. obama clearly explain that ” pastor fight is from the 60s and he fihgting for th future of ALL Americans. many people were looking for a reason to put down him down. they see an opening and they are gonig for it. do bad this 2008 and not 1960s
obama is lair.