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.
For those Christians who understand theological matters… this is the problem when you are an Arminian and a Dispensationalist. You become paranoid of everything because you have an awkward concept of divine sovereignty. It affects your views in life and society and how you preach your sermons. In this case it reflects hatred rather than understanding divine providence.
[…] me shed light on one issue in this whole controversy–the AIDS comment. The exact quote was, “The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of […]
Rev. Wright has the right to say what he wants. No one is violating his rights. The question is, do we want a president who associates and garners his wisdom from companions like this. It is true, people tend to hang around with those who think like them. Whether the view of Rev. Wright are Christian is another matter altogether. That goes for the present democratic agenda, too. People, use your brains. Don’t let others tell you what to think. But don’t reject what someone says just because they are not from your “party”, color, religion, or whatever. Use your own brain, and your own convictions. (hopefully based on the Bible, the principles our country was founded on…it’s a proven fact, so no debate needed there, regardless of what your views are now)
Why don’t you check out obama’s talk to the UCC Convention where he was asked to speak. For this the UCC is being investigated by the IRS .Check out the UCC it is a liberal main line church . I’m sure the Rev’s views are not those of the Church .
It would appear that the Rev. Wright doesn’t understand the concept that allows him to spew forth his venom. If he bothered to check, he would find that the United States of America provides him with that right - not Africa! He might also find that many U. S. citizens have died to give him that right - both black and white. Now, his church is claiming that Rev. Wright’s character is being assassinated. As far as I am concerned, the man has no character. He should be grateful for what God and this country he hates so much has given him. People like him will keep the “black vs. white” thing going forever.
You know what, white american cant face the truth that Rev. Wright is saying. Last time i checked it was white people who treated blacks less than animals, and killed us as like they were killing a dog. And blacks are just to forget about it and smile in in america’s face. NO. America has a lot to pay for. Remeber you reep wat you sew. If you do bad things, bad things come back on you. We killed innoncent civilians in Japan, TWICE. We knew what damage the first bomb did, and we stilled dropped a second one, and now people are born with birth defects because of us.
And remeber, Jesus said he was the son of God, and people and the govt said he was sinning against God for saying that. So you might wanna remember that before you talk about wright.
This pastor’s comments makes me sick. If the demotrats expect to win this election, they need to get rid of Obama. The Democratic National Convention needs to force Obama to leave the Race for President. He is an embarrasment to our Country
If Obama has been associating with this preacher and church for 20 years, then he is guilty of what is being said in the pulpit. If not, after the first few visits he would have left and gone to another church to learn about our Lord Jesus Christ. The pulpit is to preach the Word of God, not blaspheme God, America, whites and bring up old news from years and years ago. The African Americans today are not truly that. They were born in America and are Black Americans. Be proud of your country and race and leave it at that. None of us, if we look at our Heritage and ancestors were from America but came over from other countries. I am proud to be an American and proud to be a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Obama is guilty and so is his wife. I watched as he is scrambling to get his way out of this. If the shoe fits, wear it and fess up. We have intelligent people in this country and it is not hard to read between the lines.
I really don’t know how he made it as a Senator much less as a Presidential candidate?????
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!
Wow
I am a white woman . 61 years old
. i grew up beliving in civil rights . im a product of the 60s . went to school with many people of color. saw what was done to many backs lived in the north and the south saw the hate first hand . knew what was said behind their backs, argued with many peple . not being black but beig of Itailian decent knows what being called names . maybe not the (n) word but something like it, feel what it can do to you to be called names. but every time i hear what that man preched to his congrgation on beautiful sunday mornings makes me want to puke.
.i wanted hillary to win but i saw stuff in obama that reminded me of my youth and then i asked God to help me with this which one would heal america from bush which one would help america i prayed god would show me a sign. who would be the one to vote for. then this ugly preaching came out and i see i hope and pray with Gods help that the right one will win. we need to stop and think what is at hand here. in my heart i know there is no perfect person but
god showed me which one to vote for. AN AMERICAN FIRST ABOVE ALL ELSE
I JUST PRAY TO GOD THE RIGHT ONE WILL WIN
wow
Wow God works fast. I asked him to help me pick between obama and hillary
.being a white woman over 60, you would think i would favor hillary and i do but i
see
g
w
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Fox needs to look at the congregation, what they are hearing is not new and they agree with it. Obama is not telling the truth, He did know his favorite Pastor was preaching hate for all white people, and for America. Ask Obama’s wife.