Rev. Wright Defends Sermons, Rattles Critics at NAACP Dinner
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the embattled pastor of presidential candidate Barack Obama, called his sermons ‘descriptive’ rather than ‘divisive’ during his keynote address at the NAACP freedom fund dinner in Detroit.
“I’m not here for political reasons,” Wright said. “I’m not a politician. I know that fact will surprise many of you because many in the corporate-owned media made it seem like I am running for the Oval Office. I am not running for the Oval Office. I’ve been running for Jesus a long, long time, and I’m not tired yet.”
Wright is set to speak Monday to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., at approximately 9 a.m. ET at an event that is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET. Watch FOXNews.com to see Wright speak.
Wright on Sunday received a standing ovation from the attendees at the $150-a-plate fundraiser billed as America’s largest sit-down dinner.
He also defended Obama and lashed out at the news media for running excerpts of his heated sermons, media pundits and those who have tried to connect him to Islam because of his full name — Barack Hussein Obama.
“Please run and tell my stuck up stupid friends that Arabic is a language, not a religion,” said Wright. “It’s not a religion stop trying to scare people like you are giving him a religious name.”
Wright received a standing ovation from the 4,000 worshippers at Friendship-West Baptist Church, The Dallas Morning News reported on its Web site.
Wright also was the subject of political dispute on the campaign trail, as Republican John McCain criticized some of Wrights earlier remarks that have recently surfaced, and Obama taking a swipe at McCain.
McCain has been fighting the North Carolina GOP over an ad set to air Monday that links Obama and Wright, saying the ad is unfair. But on Sunday, McCain made the most confident steps so far on the subject, criticizing Wright over comments he made comparing Marines to Roman soldiers who killed Jesus, and comparing Al Qaeda flags to the American flag.
Of the Roman comparison, McCain said, “It’s beyond belief. And then of course saying that Al Qaeda and the American flag were the same flags. So I can understand, I can understand why people are upset about this. I can understand why Americans, when viewing these kinds of comments, are angry and upset.”
Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugnan said McCain had “broken his word to the American people” in his criticism of Wright, according to a statement from the campaign.
“By sinking to a level that he specifically said he’d avoid, John McCain has broken his word to the American people and rendered hollow his promise of a respectful campaign. With each passing day, John McCain acts more and more like someone who’s spent twenty-six years learning the divisive, distracting tactics of Washington. That’s not the change that the American people are looking for,” Sevugnan said.
During the first of two Sunday sermons Wright delivered, he wove a gospel message with commentary about social justice. He told the congregation to lean on God and stand up for themselves.
He gave a 45-minute sermon on Sunday that included a reference to his “public crucifixion” for past comments from the pulpit.
Security was tight, and no media cameras were allowed inside the church, the Morning News.
Later, Wright was to follow in the footsteps of Obama, President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton with a scheduled address to the Detroit NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund dinner Sunday evening.
Local leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said interest was strong in the event because of the address by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. They said 10,000 people were expected to attend the $150-a-plate event.
Wright became an issue in the presidential race in March after the circulation of videos of old sermons in which he accused the U.S. government of racism and accused it of flooding black neighborhoods with drugs.
In a sermon days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Wright said “America’s chickens are coming home to roost” after it dropped atomic bombs on Japan and “supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans.”
The videos, circulated widely on television and the Internet, knocked Sen. Obama’s campaign off-stride. The Illinois Democrat distanced himself from the comments of Wright, whom he has known for 20 years.
Wright, who is leaving Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, claimed that the videos were old snippets that were taken out of context.
In an interview aired Friday on PBS, Wright said publicizing portions of old sermons was unfair and “made me the target of hatred.” He said he had received death threats.
Wright preached earlier this month at a Virginia church and was scheduled to speak Monday at the National Press Club in Washington. He was invited to Friendship-West to honor the Rev. Freddie Haynes, the church’s senior pastor.
“We’re going to hear the whole sermon,” Haynes had promised his congregation. “Not just the clips in order to feed a right-wing agenda.”
FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou and Bonney Kapp and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
When people in Europe proclaimed the earth was round during the dark ages, people called them crazy too. Meanwhile, sea-faring people from around the globe knew this was stated as an obvious fact. Fact is, many of us need to come out of the dark ages - where we trust that everything in our government is right, that our hisotry is pristine and that what we see is what we get. The information is there if you just look for it - nothing that Reverend Wright is saying is brand new. What’s crazy is that people think it is. What rocks have people been living under?
Of course its alway someone else fault. If he did not blame it on someone else he would have to take responsibilty for his own words and action. Mr. Wright you are wrong. You yourself are responsibilty for what you say and do so stop blaming the white man for all your problems. There has never been shackles on your feet. Your shackles are self inflickeded. I am Native American. We where treated worse then the blacks by the white man but I don’t go around blaming the present day white man for what his distant relatives did to my people so get over it and get on with your life what’s left of it. In other words, Mr. Wright, your wrong. Grow up and get over it and becomes a responsible citizen. You blame the white americans for your own failures. Until you change that you will remain in your self inflicked shackles.
I think it’s evident, by these postings alone, how much of a divide Wright is fueling. I really think he continues to simply enjoy the attention - rather than standing up for a specific message. I wish a Wright supporter could justify how they can support someone that states, “[...]Sept 11 was retribution[...]” against this great country. My point is we are never going to go beyond our current status quo until we put the past behind us and work toward the future. Wright’s comments reflect hatred and further divide our country. I believe Wright could be far more effective rallying his congregation around a postive message, but I guess he feels stirring emotion outweighs the actual message - the only problem with that approach is his congregation will forever be on a treadmill of hatred that they can never get off of…
I did not hear the question….WHY did Rev. Wright make the remark, ALL whites should be exterminated ????
My Dad was a Minister and we went to church with blacks as well as whites. My Dad would have never made such a remark that all blacks should be exterminated.
As Rev. Wright said on TV, we were ALL created equal. The whites are no better than the blacks, nor is the blacks any better thanm the whites. We are of ONE.
I am not black and nor white. I think few of comments in press conference (including) questions are rude.
But I can say that replied from the person attacked by press is somehow make sense. If you do not throw stone to others home then you can not get the stone back. It’s not only apply to 9/11 but same goes to Usama’s world as well.
Press should not go one sided in anyway.
Last and least pray that God will save world from all sort of barbirisim.
I agree with other posters that race relations were better before Obama and his spiritual advisor came on the national scene.
According to the Obama camp, any criticism from Mc Cain (or any white person for that matter) will be dismissed as white racism. Obama is not only playing the race card, he’s hiding behind it.
Wright said in response to Islam being a saved nation that the bible says I have other sheep not of this fold. However the rest of that is that “I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. …” One flock with one shepherd……what an unbelievable twist on the gospels meaning by him.
It is impossible for me to believe that Obama is not a racist as well. He claims that Wright was like a family member you dont agree with but I have a hard time reconciling that statement. Everyone has family and or friends that say things that dont resonate with your own life however your spiritual adviser is a different story. There are two people in your life that you can judge someones heart and real opinion by and that is your pastor and your spouse. This man married Obama and baptized his children. He named a book after one of his sermons, and until all of the negatives came out Obama openly discussed his closeness with this man. I trust my pastor 100% or I certainly wouldnt stay 20 years and let him baptize my kids. Secondly lets talk about Michelle Obama the other person in his life we have to judge his true feelings. Michelle says “There was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the black community, I am obligated to this community and will utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit the black community first and foremost.” These people and their statements are of the utmost importance in this election . One is the person whom he chose to spend his life and have this children with and the other is the person he trust to get him into heaven. If those people and their opinions arent important I dont know what is. All us white folk will be out here with our voices not being heard by the black separatists that we out of ignorance or guilt have elected.
Wright claims to be ‘descriptive’ not devisive. So is it accurate and descriptive to say the US Government spread AIDS to the black community? Did the Government really flood the black neighborhoods with drugs? Was ‘three strikes and you’re out’ intended to get innocent young black men off the streets and into prison? If you believe any of these lies, you are a moron! He isn’t telling the truth, he is telling lies to make money off the same poor black people that he claims to speak for. He isn’t serving Jesus. Satan is the ‘father of all lies’. This boy is a child of satan and proves it by his reward, a multi-million dollar mansion paid for by the poor black community of south Chicago. Wake up and smell the stench of this race baiter’s lies!!! And quit covering the fool in the news!