RAW DATA: Obama’s Statement Condemning His Pastor’s Controversial Sermons
The following statement was released by the Barack Obama campaign Friday in response to criticism over sermons delivered by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.:
On My Faith and My Church
The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He’s drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.
Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. 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.
Because these particular statements by Rev. Wright are so contrary to my own life and beliefs, a number of people have legitimately raised questions about the nature of my relationship with Rev. Wright and my membership in the church. Let me therefore provide some context.
As I have written about in my books, I first joined Trinity United Church of Christ nearly twenty years ago. I knew Rev. Wright as someone who served this nation with honor as a United States Marine, as a respected biblical scholar, and as someone who taught or lectured at seminaries across the country, from Union Theological Seminary to the University of Chicago. He also led a diverse congregation that was and still is a pillar of the South Side and the entire city of Chicago. It’s a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.
Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he’s been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.
The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.
Let me repeat what I’ve said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.
With Rev. Wright’s retirement and the ascension of my new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss, III, Michelle and I look forward to continuing a relationship with a church that has done so much good. And while Rev. Wright’s statements have pained and angered me, I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.
Obama must think the American people are fools.
If “he didn’t know” (and that’s quite a stretch) what does that say about his ability to anticipate danger and to protect to our country as President of the United States? How could he have a “mentor” and not know what his mentor believes.
I do not believe Senator Obama is telling the American people the truth.
The press needs to ask Michelle Obama to denounce their pastor…..she has been strangely quite during this uprising…..
Why does this discussion read NO comments yet, when there are plenty of comments being sent?
I find it hard to believe that Obama sat in the pews for 20 years and never heard ‘Pastor’ Wright utter any of these statements - or statements like them. I find it interesting to note that he goes out of his way to state that he never ‘personally’ heard Wright say these things, but that still leaves a lot of open terroritory. Trinity has a large congregation. Did anyone there tell Obama about Wright’s sermons? They make videos and DVD’s, did Obama ever watch them? Did Wright ever make similiar statements we’ve not yet heard about that Obama did ‘personally’ hear?
Even if we grant Obama the benefit of the doubt and assume this is the first he’s ever heard of these remarks, do you really think they came out of the blue? A pastor who preaches the true gospel (lit. ‘good news’) of Christ Jesus is unlikely to abruptly come out with a diatribe against the United States and have it well received by his congregation, as we saw was the case on the video clips. The only way such remarks would be applauded is if they were part of a continuous, ongoing pattern of similiar remarks and sermons over an extended period of time to a congregation that believes the same tihings. Obama claims to have been in the pews for 20 years; surely he must have ‘personally’ heard some of those remarks and sermons. To claim otherwise is on par with Bill Clinton’s unbelievable remark that he ‘never inhaled’.
Either Obama is lying to us about never hearing these, or similiar statements from Wright, or he is so far around the bend he really doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about. In either case his personal judgement and character have fallen under profound suspicion. And character was of course of great importance to Martin Luther King Jr., who famously noted he was looking forward to a day when people would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
By King’s standard, Obama seems to be coming up short.
WOW!!! I have always likedto view Fox but now I am turning to CNN. I am not happy f how obsessed FOX is with the candidtes. Especially, OBAMA.
FOX please help the people was the views and policy concerning the economy. FOX has really lost a lot of views based upon it’s obsessive views.
Let’s move forward. This is the type of white america that I am sick of. Can we please cometogether and leave race behind.
For one who claims that he has great capabilities in judgement, this is a total screw up. After belonging to this church for twenty years, being married and baptizing his children with Rev. Wright, Obama now claims he never heard any of these messages. Was he sleeping? Attending to his big job in the Illinois Statehouse?
Or is Obama only a social christian, wanting to be seen in church but not listening to the message being delivered? He claims to have learned a lot from Rev. Wright. Maybe he listening skills transend the rest of us, and he only hears the politically correct stuff.
I agree with the words stated by Geraldine F. Without being black and taking his postion on Iraq (who was listenng to him?), there is little real substance there. And what there is has been inspired by the likes of Rev. Wright.
“…judge on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values and experience to be the president of the United States.”
Barack Obama doesn’t seem to be sure what he believes in and his judgement is very suspect. Following a hate mongering speaker for 20 some years and stating that he just now heard of his teachings on seperatism, racism, hate, etc. Was he snoozing all the while?
I think Mr. Obama’s response is appropriate. Now, if only Fox News will find it so. However, I don’t expect to see this happen.
Freedom of Speech is one of the reasons we live in the United States. None of us can be held liable for what someone ELSE says, regardless of whether or not they are our pastors.
Mr. Obama says that if he had heard Rev. Wright’s radical oritory and agenda, he would have quit the church. He has heard them now, has he quit?
Mr. Obama, has known Rev. Wright for years and counts him a close friend and a mentor. Yet, he says he was not aware of his radical views about our Country, 911, etc.. He says Rev. Wright is like an uncle.
What would Rev. Jesse Jackson say if a candidate said he had been a KKK member for years and the grand wizard was a close friend and mentor but he was not aware that the wizard was racist?
Please.
The problem I have with Obama’s statement is what he said in the last paragraph.
“I believe that Americans will judge me not on the basis of what someone else said, but on the basis of who I am and what I believe in; on my values, judgment and experience to be President of the United States.”
Question: “Who is he?” He hasn’t been in the public eye long enough for us to really know the answer to that question.
Question: “What does he believe in, what are his values?” It is hard for me to believe the inflamatory views and comments of the Rev. Wright were isolated ones. Surely the Obama’s knew where this man stood idealogically after sitting under his sermons for twenty years. The Rev. Wright was also Obama’s mentor. To me that indicates a close personal relationship. Therefore, it is hard to believe the they didn’t share some of the same bliefs and values.
Also there is the question of his “experience to be President”. He has none. The other candidates, Clinton and McCain have both been in the public eye long enough that we know something about them and their postions both good and bad. Not so with Obama.
I applaud Obama’s carisma and his message of change. He has excited young voters and others who haven’t been previously engaged in the political process but “change” for change sake isn’t necessarily a good thing unless he articulates clearly what those changes are that he wants to make.
Before you get carried away with Obama I suggest that you look at his legislative record as an Illinois state represenative. It is not very glowing. He voted on several pieces of legislation that put greater tax burdens on those that could least afford it in his state.
TELL YOU SOMETHING. I DON’T BELIEVE A WORD OF WHAT YOU’RE SAYING. A MEMBER OF JEREMIAH’S CONGREGATION FOR MANY YEARS, BROUGHT YOU TO JESUS CHRIST, AND YOU NEVER HEARD HIM TALK THAT WAY? WHAT KIND OF CRAP ARE YOU TRYING TO SELL? MORE OF THE SAME OF WHAT YOU TOLD CANADA, MORE OF THE SAME ABOUT YOUR PAL, REZKO, I MEAN REALLY BARACK, GIVE IT A REST. AS FAR AS YOUR BID FOR PRES. - NOT A CHANCE, AND BY THE WAY MSNBC, WHY DO YOU HAVE OLBERMANN ON THE AIR. WHO IN HELL WANTS TO HEAR HIM AND HIS DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT BUSH. ONE OF THESE DAYS WE’LL BE PLAYING BASEBALL, (HE LOVES BASEBALL) WITH HIS HAT.