HOWEVER... many of you may have recently heard of the hub-bub with Barack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright. My in-laws were here this past weekend and we chatted about this latest political hiccup and I thought it an interesting subject, regardless of whom it involves.
According to a CNN article today...
(CNN) -- The Rev. Jeremiah Wright's former church criticized the news media Sunday for coverage of his sermons, saying in a statement that Wright's "character is being assassinated in the public sphere."
Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, defended Wright, saying he "has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe."
The statement came two days after Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a longtime friend of Wright and attendee of the church, denounced sermons that have become the subject of recent controversy. Obama called them "inflammatory and appalling."
Here are my thoughts on the matter (and if you wish you can read the rest of the article here). Obama, Clinton, McCain or Daffy Duck himself, ought to know the heart of a man, pastor and close friend he has known for 20 years. The article said that, "Obama called them (the sermons in question) "inflammatory and appalling".
Okay. Hadn't he heard them originally? Were they not appalling and inflammatory when he sat in a pew and listened? Let's give Mr. Obama the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was traveling when these sermons were preached. Maybe he simply had never heard them. We have all missed a church service or two.
That being said, I frankly can tell you how my pastor feels about quite a few things and what his thoughts are on biblical and some social issues. I have only attended my church for the 4 years we have lived in Pennsylvania and while we have a great relationship with our pastor as members of the church, I am not a longtime friend or trusted confidant of my pastor; yet I can safely say that I would defend his sermons before hearing them based on his past deliveries.
Basically, unless my beloved pastor took a ride on the crazy train, I know that his sermons would have the same feel each time, even when teaching a different passage or theme. So, do you think that Mr. Obama (Mrs. Clinton, Mr. McCain or Monsiour Daffy Duck, whomever) should have left the church years ago if he found some of the sermons inflammatory and appalling? Is it telling that he did not leave the church, yet is now playing the perfect politician by denouncing the sermons that have now come to the media's attention?
Personally, I would leave any church if I believed the teaching was wrong and not biblically based. I don't care if the pastor was my good friend, my father or John MacArthur himself. I would love to hear your partisan or non-partisan thoughts!
2 comments:
Amen. And the leadership someone puts themselves under says a lot about them. While many people can not choose their boss, their family, etc... one certainly can choose a pastor.
I agree with you... someone's character doesn't change in the 5 minutes that they have retired. He certainly is the same person now as he was a year ago... five years ago, and when he married the Obamas.
I wholeheartedly agree about leaving the church if the teaching was not from the Bible. Regardless of who is preaching. I can't stand how politicians change their stories to try to make themselves look good.
Now I'm not one to get much into the whole political scheme like some people do, but I do try to keep up a bit with things. Afterall, I believe our country is at stake, and being that my husband is in the military I really need to be aware of the candidates and how it will affect our family! Hope this all makes sense;)
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