Obama’s Religious Credentials Threatened by Rev. Wright Flap
Religion is supposed to be Barack Obama’s strength.
Unlike many Democratic candidates before him, Obama speaks with ease about his faith. He attends Sunday worship and knows his Bible. His supporters believe he can pry some committed churchgoers away from the GOP.
But the furor over comments by his Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, broadcast again and again on TV and viewed by millions on YouTube, is tempering those hopes.
“It certainly gives people pause,” even in the Democratic Party, said Corwin Smidt, a Calvin College professor who studies religion and politics.
All the top Democratic presidential contenders spoke of their faith this election year. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Methodist and Obama’s remaining Democratic rival, has spent years reaching out to traditional Christians. But more than any other candidate, Obama has made religion a core part of his message and outreach.
The Illinois senator has held faith forums, created a grass-roots support network of “congregation contacts” and has spoken at evangelical churches that Democrats had rarely visited.
His strategy is rooted in the Christian faith he found as an adult through Wright at Trinity United Church of Christ, a predominantly African-American megachurch. Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope” was inspired by a Wright sermon.
But last week, Obama distanced himself from his pastor, after video circulated of Wright’s most inflammatory rhetoric from the pulpit. Among the most remarked upon sound bites was Wright proclaiming “God damn America” for its racism. He also accused the government of flooding black neighborhoods with drugs. In a March 18 speech on race that was partly aimed at damage control, Obama described the history of injustice that fueled Wright’s comments, while also condemning his pastor’s statements and acknowledging the resentment of whites.
Shaun A. Casey, an Obama adviser and a Christian ethics professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, said the campaign will change nothing about its faith outreach because of the controversy.
“We’re months and months away from the general election. I think that gives Sen. Obama time to lay out his own views,” Casey said. “Over time, people will spend a lot more time listening to what Sen. Obama says than to a few well-chosen, cherry-picked video clips from his pastor.”
But at least for now, the campaign is on the defensive.
No one expects Obama or Clinton to draw voters from the Christian right, especially considering the candidates’ support for abortion rights.
Still, polls have found that younger evangelicals are less tied to the Republican Party than their parents have been. As a generation of old-guard Christian conservative leaders, such as the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, fade from the scene, some evangelicals are pushing for a broader agenda that includes environmental protection and fighting poverty. And Christian right activists remain wary of the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.
Democrats view this as a rare opening that could win them the White House. In a close general election, if the Democratic nominee can peel away even a small percentage of the traditional Christian vote, he or she could win the presidency.
Obama’s focus on racial reconciliation has a special appeal to traditional Bible-believers. Their concern about diversity has intensified recently, in part because of the growth in immigrant churches in the U.S., and by a new awareness that conservative Christianity is spreading dramatically in developing countries. Multiethnic churches are a rarity in America.
The turmoil over Wright could cost Obama these votes.
Barry Hankins, a Baylor University historian who studies religion and politics, predicted that Christian right activists would bombard less-politically engaged evangelicals with the message that they should be leery of Obama because of his pastor.
“That’s where it’s going to hurt him,” Hankins said.
James Guth, an expert on religion and politics at Furman University in South Carolina, said Wright’s comments haven’t killed Obama’s chances. The candidate has built up some goodwill and “curiosity” through his outreach to evangelicals, including appearing at a Christian AIDS summit hosted by megachurch pastor Rick Warren and his wife, Kay.
But Guth said he had always been skeptical that Obama’s strategy would succeed with traditional Christians. Wright’s views inevitably would receive extensive publicity, as would Obama’s denomination, the United Church of Christ, one of the most liberal of the mainline Protestant groups that theological conservatives deeply distrust, Guth said.
“I just thought the ‘beginning of the end’ would come during the general election, not the Democratic primaries,” Guth said. “I don’t think Obama has lost all the benefits of his earlier ‘quiet’ campaign among evangelicals, but this episode is certainly sets back those efforts.”
GO HILLARY !!!
Thank You FOX News for this NEW report on the recent Anti-American bashing by the pastor in the church bulletin. Obama must know and agree with the general message. Obama will not be elected -his background & judgment are far too questionable to be President of the UNITED States.
America - Wake Up!!!! We need a Leader - Not a Tall, Dark, Handsome man who can give a good speech!
When you won’t disassociate yourself from a very close friend and mentor who spews anti-American rhetoric with ties to Farrakhan and you give thousands of dollars in contributions to this Trinity Church and your wife thinks America is mean then you cannot hold the office of the Presidency of the United States. Not now, not ever.
Obama should drop out of this race before he damages the democratic party even more. He will not win a general election. If he is our candidate, I will vote for McCain.
Obama should drop out of the race. He’s got too much baggage that the Republicans are licking their chops to unlease in the general election. That’s why the Republicans deliberately and willfully crossed over to vote for Obama in the traditional Republican states during the democratic primary to boost him as the Democratic nominee. The Republicans are scared to death of running against Hillary in the general election. Drop out Obama before you damage the party any further.
You are in error in this article above in the second paragraph. You stated “He attends Sunday worship and knows his bible” speaking of Obama. See the following link that came out today:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Election2008/Default.aspx?id=73553 Obama contends belief in Jesus Christ not necessary for salvation
Read it all. This man does not know his bible and any true Christian voting for him or sitting out this election is no better than he is.
Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED.
DROP THE RELIGN ,TIME TO MOVE ON AND GET DOWM TO ISSUES ,WHILE THIS CRAP IS GOING ON THE COUNTRY IS FALLING APART.
While some of you still continue to wonder about Senator Obama sitting in the church for twenty years, listening to Pastor Wright’s sermons of hatred. There are/were individuals born and have lived in this United States of America and have endured slavery, seen people lynched while others just looked on and laughed or instigated so many atrocities and did nothing, while still tolerating that oh so blessed suit and colorful fabric that is them and not us . How could you for so long abuse another human and keep them in bondage (way over 20 yrs.) without batting an eye or lifting a hand to help? Why don’t you listen to the sermon to its entirety!!
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: . . . And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. Some of you sit today and speak of racism and racists and still listen to others spewing the same resentment and hatred for people of color and do NOTHING but lie to yourself. Who told you that you were superior any way? You act as if you are GOD, judge, jury, and executioner. The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee . . .
I was moved and brought to tears by Senator Obama’s race speech because much of his speech was correct. Some of you still do not have a clue. You obviously don’t get it. It’s way over your heads. Do you change your views and open your mind and try to change this world in which we live. NO!! Why? What are you afraid of? Are you so afraid of change, change that will help bring these United States of America closer to a unity and oneness that was designed by a higher power or are you so swept up in your own selfish ways.
Like Obama so eloquently put it, out of many we are one. One died to save us from our sins and took the world to another level. Many need to get yet closer to a better world for the sake of our children.
Was it not Jesus that was betrayed but yet found it in his heart to forgive? This world will never change with people such as you. What a shame and waste of a life so precious. Some of you need to do some research in history and some self examination. Start with this Easter sermon by Rev. Dean Snyder, Sr. Minister of Foundry United Methodist Church, http://www.foundryumc.org/sermons/3_23_2008.htm then http://badazzmofo.com/?p=636 .
I for one do not want OBama’s form of religion where whites are typically racist - and one that condemns the very government OBama hopes to run and is a part of. That hypocrisy is just too much. thank you!
Noticed one thing about Obama:
This guy for some reason in his head thinks that by making speeches at places where President Lincoln had done in his lifetime, would make him get as close to Honest Abe’s popularity, credibility and judgment!
Brother Obama you “AIN’T” NO LINCOLN. you will NEVER BE A LINCOLN. Well if any, you are close in being another “STEPHEN DOUGLAS”. Its a shame that a few fellow AMERICANS are blinded by this man’s phony “YES WE CAN” and “HOPE”. By the way, Mary Todd Lincoln was always proud of the UNION and volunteered in treating the wounded soldiers. Whereas, Michelle O made it clear about her pride in America for the first time (only when her husband started winning caucus/primaries in RED states). WHAT A CONTRASTING PATRIOTIC AMERICAN FAMILY?
McCain or Hillary or heck Nader or Knut the POLAR BEAR will make a better president than this impressionist obama.
Obama made a statement in yesterday’s NYT that he believed in Christ but that his Mother did not but he was sure she was in heaven. Not true. The only way to enter heaven under the Christian faith is by accepting Jesus as your personal savior - no matter how good you are, it doesn’t get you to heaven.