Rivers: Obama leaving church 'inevitable'

Coming from a broken home, growing up in exotic places, Barack Obama sought a grounding force in his life...with that Trinity welcomed him with open arms when he moved to Chicago 20 years ago. He needed a family, however chaotic it might be. His church helps those less fortunate- the poor, those with AIDS, and other destitute people. His pastor was a little loopy sometimes, but he still served as a bedrock in an otherwise topsy-turvy life. He married Barack and Michelle and baptized their beautiful girls. They were family...not perfect, but family.

Running from President, Barack tried to separate the two. Separate church and state as best he could. The media would not allow it. The Republicans would not allow it. Hillary Clinton would not allow it. Barack’s church was criticized, scrutinized and it’s members harassed by crass media. Barack gave a speech on his views on race relations in America, but the media continued its assault claiming his pastor and church spoke for him. It was not fair to Barack or his church, and he had to leave his church. His family. Not an easy decision at all, but necessary to spare them, and himself, the attention that was unwarranted. Separation of church and state is paramount, but many seem to disagree.

How many of you have close relatives or acquaintances that say controversial things sometimes? Does that make you a bad person for not striking them from your life? No. We scorn and cannot understand family members who disavow flesh and blood for something they may say as being cold and heartless. We have much more that binds us than separates us, and this Barack Obama understands. His message is that of unity and yet his opponents thrive of division. This campaign has been a battle of unity versus division. The past versus the future. It’s bloody, but the future is eking out a win. This is not just a win for Obama supporters. This is a win for Americans. Our nation will heal under an Obama presidency and we will endure prosperity and peace as our generation has never imagined. There will be calls of negativity as those who thrive on such gasp for air, but they will be ignored and cast aside as irrelevant as the next generation takes the throne. America will be great again!

Well if the church is unrepresentative of the 65,000 black churches across the country, then one would have to assume that Obama is also unrepresentative of the all of the members who attend said 65,000 churches. I can only assume his white grandmother who raised him will be next in his list of people he cannot but yet he can denounce. Webster shoudld add his picture under the word Hypocracy.

from a very saddened life long democrat.

I guess this means he will be returning to the practice of Islam...

I believe he was already a Christian prior to membership at that church. It is almost like these "ministers" were trying to sabotage Obama. Also what kind of minister makes fun of others - what does that have to do with spreading the word of God and Christianity. More than most, I guess Mr. Obama has learned why there is a separation of Church and State in this country!

Sorry, it is too late for me

This is yet the most displeasing thing to me that Obama has done. I understand why he did it--he thinks he is proving that he is the "candidate of unity." To me, he has proven just the opposite. I heard truth in Wright's message. What does this say about commitment to freedom of speech and association. I am disappointed in Obama's resignation.

yea. better leave the church of 20 yr membership that is full of racist.
run obama run....
or else you would be associated as a racist too...

politicians are all alike, no backbone.
if there is a good thing...they put their names all over it..
if it's bad politically, then "you ain't my church....you ain't my father...
....you ain't my mother....I am not gay...I don't have a lover...
I don't know you and didn't take money from you.......
dadada..."

Thank you, LM. That was well put.

OBama Monkeys lies again like Canada North Trade agreement ?????/???//
In short , America need that the president have to honest /love the country....
Not like Obama lies again and again......In short, Bible said that money/power can
buy Obama to betray his church .
I will not vote the Obama in coming November. In American standard, I will not
give up what i beleive in my church.....So sorry that Obama was corrupt and lie
like UFO.........

He resigned because he was running for office and knew the crap that was slung weekly at that church was offensive, racist and crude. Of course he has been listening to that same crap for 20 years and didn't quit then.... he is a two faced wiesel and anyone tricked by him is a fool. If my church had a preacher at the pulpit screaming and yelling how evil black people were and how we needed to take them down i'd quit the church that moment, not wait till i was running for president.... that man is no savior folks....

Obama chooses the people and organizations he belonged to and now he has to didtantance himself from them? Guess he does'nt have very good judgement does he? While do all his supporters see this as a distraction to his message rather than a window into his character?
He chooses divisive characters to associate with and then proclaims he will "unite" the country?
He needs to change the trinity community before he thinks he can "change" America.

I was a member of the United Church of Christ denomination - it is a radical left wing political wing of the Democratic Party in disguise as a non-profit church - tax exempt method of waging politics. Many of the UCC leaders are really not Christians in the classic historic sense and true sense of that word in that believing in Jesus Christ as the Lord of the Universe and one who died for our sins and saved us is not a part of their 'creed'. Obama would do well to join a church where political messages from the pulpit are not permitted - just spiritual messages based on Scripture. This whole idea of using the pulpit to support one political party over another is like Islamic use of its pulpits to do the same thing.

There is a section of the play "angels in America" where the actor "Jeffrey wright speaks to the actor Shemkent about how he feels about America. It seems to fit right in with what the pastor is saying. America has not done well by the Black community and I don't know that I am surprised that they don't love us white folks.

Why should they?

I do believe that God will not be mocked and I fear for these false prophets; they do not speak in the name of God Almighty but in their own names.
Also, Barack Obama obviously had no problem with this rhetoric until it began to affect him in the polls. Sorry, Barack but I think we are beginning to see you as you really are and we don't like it.

But only now as he is trying to win the presidency of the best country in the world will he denounce his church that he has been part of for 20 years, hummm...I wonder what other things he is willing to denounce just to win?!?! Seems to me that he embraces things and ideas that will make him win votes, but yet we still know nothing about what ACTUALLY he will do to CHANGE our situation in the USA.

I continue to be very skeptical of this unknown man who seems to have won over so many Americans.

Obama broke ranks with the church to avoid drawing fire on it. This is just like Sen. Byrd leaving the KKK to avoid embarrassing the Klan. There's not much difference between them, if you just look at their teachings. Obama should have left this church 19 years ago. Waiting to do it now makes it obvious that he is doing it for political expediency and no other reason.

UHHH....James...I don't believe that he ever practiced the releiion of Islam....

Obama is an extremist, racist, socialist and is utterly unqualified to be president. Any "American" who supports him needs to rethink their position. If you support Obama, why not just go to Russia and try to recreate the USSR? Oh yeah, that's right. Socialism doesn't work. Neither does Obama.

We need to go back to our roots. Fire all professional politicians!

Mr. Obama is Good as senate, but not as a president... please we can NOT afford the risk... he is from broken family, Islamic origin, and wired Christians... what a scary scenario

My preacher doesn't talk this way. He has to be very cautious as he is setting an example for those searching for God/Jesus.

I was prO-Bama, now I'm anti-Bama and anti-Clinton. They both sadden me. Hilary Clinton is selfish and lies. Obama disdains whites and deceives.

And, I've been anti-Republican my whole adult life as the Bush Empire sucks.

Where does that leave me? As usual, on the fringe. Now, what's the point of Ron Paul? I voted Perot years ago, who was anti-NAFTA and wanted to clean up Govt. and run it like a business. What good was voting for him? He couldn't even get airtime with the media.

Our entire electoral/voting process needs to be revamped. Get these FRAUDS (Democrats and Republicans) out of WA! Get rid of the FED, a private entity of billionaires running our country. Dump the illegal IRS.

EDUCATE YOURSELVES FELLOW AMERICANS! You have no excuse now, with the internet at your fingertips. Then stand up and maybe, REVOLT?

White Christian female, married with kids, college educated.

America has a seperation of church and state? since when? This country lets God be brought up in houses of government far more than any other western nation would find acceptable. As a non-believer I am constantly shocked by the level of fanatacism in government today.

How did our Churches get so involved in the political arena? How prescient of our forefathers to include separation of church and state, though I’m sure they had no idea we’d have 24 hour news channels looking for anything to fill the time.

My first thought on seeing clips of some of Rev Wright’s sermons was an immediate reminder of another era - one I grew up in the Deep South but on the 'white' side. For over 20 years we had a hellfire and brimstone preacher in a large Baptist church who preached against everything and everybody, without exception – Catholics, Jews, Methodist, dancing, makeup, drinking, movies, secret societies (tho some were excluded), non-tithers, etc; I remember in the 60s he even had his deacons guard the doors on Sundays to ‘keep out’ the Blacks, as if.
I don't recall any members leaving the church because of him, because ultimately it was ‘our’ church with lots of activities for kids and young people. While his sermons may have warped some, it made others of us more thoughtful and questioning of his extreme views. I am not a Baptist anymore, but I do give those other adults credit for teaching us kids. It would be nice to think adults like them are still in churches, quietly teaching the kids rules to live by, stories of the Bible, instilling a sense of right and wrong, and giving them a fundamental base of Faith that is unwavering – no matter how extreme some of their pastor's sermons may be.

No words can explain the Catholic Father’s antics except that when he gets before a camera he becomes a ‘mad Black man’ wannabe or is trying out for The Daly Show. Obviously he likes the publicity – which the media so blatantly gives him.

I feel sad for the Obama’s for having to leave their church, sad for the other church members who are now stigmatized by the media, sad for this whole episode which if handled differently could have been an opportunity to start a dialog on race – because while we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go towards understanding each other – our ‘roots’ come from similar yet disparate backgrounds.

I am a Republican who will be voting for Obama – Like many other white OLDER women we are out here and are quietly not being counted.

Obama has corrected course when needed and accompanied his decisions with sound reason. These are marks of good leadership and say something about how he will govern as president. We have never elected a perfect president. Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and the second Bush all could have become far more successful if they had had the courage and honesty to admit their mistakes and change course.

A hypocrat. 20 years with a church, its beliefs and preachings and hearing some of the values he has been taught over the years....

Denouncing and resigning means nothing at this point. Many years to forget church preachings and to resign for the good of politics and votes? Give me a break!!! To late for me also.

Even though there are different opinions on the meaning of "no state-sponsored religion", Republicans at least acknowledge that religion plays a key role in a religious person's life. If it doesn't, then you are doing it wrong.

As a Republican, I have far more respect for Obama than any of the other candidates. He tried to keep his feet clean, he didn't play "victim" (though others did for him in proxy), and he's truly been the "non-politician". He is a man of character. Unfortunately, while I agree with his "politicking", I disagree with his "politics".

If Obama left the church ten years ago, after having sat there for ten years, and developed a long association with Rev. Wright, it would have been understandable.

But leaving the church only when it becomes apparent that not doing it might derail his campaign, is cynical, disingenuous, smacks of political expediency, lack of judgment, disloyalty, ...

Other than that, it is a commendable action, if you say so, Rev. Rivers.

A question: When/if the much bally-hooed Michelle Obama tape ranting against "whiteys" surfaces, would Obama "resign" from his wife too?

Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John says, "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."

I ask you all, who are so willing to condemn another, are you without sin?

I'm sure many of you have said things that are controversial, even if it was in private. There are people who say George Bush was responsible for 9/11, that he was in cahoots with Bin Laden and planned the whole thing to make Americans forget he stole the election. I've heard that with my own ears. Did I denounce the people who made those comments. No! This is America and they are entitled to their opinions.

Rev. Wright is flawed. Father Pfegler is flawed. Pastor Hagee and Parsly (McCain's own pastor problems), and you, are flawed. We live in glass houses and should be wary of throwing stones as true honesty will show us that we are no better than Barack Obama or any of these men.

Be honest with yourself. If Barack Obama was a white man, would you be so angry. If Rev Wright was a white man would you be so angry. The press doesn't seem to talk about the fact that Father Pfegler is a white Roman Catholic priest, but they certainly seem less angry about the premise of his attack on Hillary; they certainly (outside of Keith Olbermann) appear less angry about McCain seeking the endorsement of the divisive Pastor Hagee who called Catholicism "the great whore" and said Hitler was sent by God to torture the Jews.

Every candidate in this election is imperfect. If we could get a perfect candidate, the 2nd Coming would be at hand.

All the world's great religions implore us to love one another, turn the other cheek and learn to forgive.

I hope as a country we can move away from hatred built on soundbites to unity built on commonality.

We must forgive each other and ourselves and move away from

K.D. How ironic: you can't even spell right. It's HYPOCRISY. Hopefully, you are unrepresentative of americans' literate people.

I have been a Republican for 63 years. I am a caucasian woman. I am impressed by the comments of LM and agree 100%. Senator Obama has captured and held my attention from the very beginning. He has my vote.

LM got it right, big time, and Leigh Hernandez, too. But K.D., James, and Ray Lawson not only got it wrong,but show themselves to be small-minded and mean-spirited. But I bet they think of themselves as good Christians, with lots of love in their hearts to go around. K.D. is just stuffed full of assumptions, all nonsensical, and then, in a public display of his lack of education, wants to brand Obama a hypocrite (learn to type ["should"] and to spell ["hypocrisy"]. James does not know fact from fiction. And, yes, for Ray Lawson, it is too late!

It was disturbing to me to see and hear the congregation applauding and "amen-ing" their approval of the over the top tirades the Rev. Wright and Fr. Pfleger displayed. How could Obama, with any conscience whatsoever, sit amongst these people for 20 years and not be of like mind? His finally resigning from the church is all about public perception and nothing about denouncing the substance of the sermons shoveled there. I am completely disheartened and fearful of what our future holds.

You are judges by the company you keep.

If Obama felt uncomfortable with his church, and it's beliefs
he should have left it some time ago.

Doing so now makes him a hypocrite.

He attended the church for 20+ years... you can not say you disagree with something that you stuck with for so long.

A man is made up from his associations, what he is taught at home and at church.
Barrack Obama is if anything, what his church was. RACIST

Isn't this a good illustration of the drunken power of the church once they got their hands into the faith-based trough? If the politicans don't see the mistake of taking down the wall between church and state, the general population should. Based on history, it has never been a good marriage.

Christians? Those people are Christians? Advocating violence, segregation along with rabid misrepresentation of others? This is Christian? Well, yeah, that's been my experience. Maybe we need a LOT less christianity in this country and a lot more "milk of human kindness." If the congregation of Trinity has been getting their moral guidance from the examples I have seen, I wouldn't wonder why, were there to be racial violence in Chicago.

I HEAR A LOT OF RHETORIC ABOUT HIM BEING A CHRISTIAN AND I'M NOT HIS
JUDGE AND CANNOT SAY, BUT SO FAR WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT HIS
CHURCH , AND ABOUT BAPTISM ABOUT FAMILY AND ABOUT BELIEVING IN GOD I HAVE YET TO HEAR ONE WORD ABOUT HIS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST , WHO SAID ' YOU BELIEVE IN GOD BELIEVE ALSO IN ME', AND JESUS CHRIST
IS THE ONLY SAVIOR!

> Rivers also argued that Trinity is "unrepresentative" of the 65,000 black churches across the country.

Neither should it be indicative of the United Church of Christ as a whole; calling it a "black" church is too limiting to a denomination that routinely advertises that it is open to anyone, "no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey", as my local pastor says.

I can't give Obama my vote as a result of this.

as usual this is what we get from washington politic. If you are a member of a church for 20 years Why would you denounce it. once again we put God on the back burner for politic. I was on the fence but now it looks like I have to vote for John McCain and I am a registered Democrat. I just think if you can turn your
back on your belives what kind of leader would you be?

Of course he must leave his church. He knows full well that to even have a chance in November, he must renounce certain truths about the terrorist Israeli government that have been stated by his pastor...oh but wait, we all know how that poor and wonderful little country and its agents in America have no sway on America.......

HEADLINES!!!!!!! DATELINE CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"PREACHER USES HYPERBOLE AT BLACK CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!"

OMG!!!!!!!!!

the chickens are coming home to roost. apparently many of the people in this country are not aware of what goes on in chicago. i am because i have worked in places where minorities are numerous and feel free to sphew out this hate rhetoric. i have witnessed it for many years. small example is the white people this white people that conversations i could go on for hours after all of the rude racist behavior i have seen for years. but as jesse says we are entitled

The IRS should take the tax execmption from this church. They sell political books and endorse politicians. Isn't this a cause for them to pay taxes? Yes it is.
IRS, listen up.

The comments that Obama left this church was for reasons that were not political sounds like something that Karl Rove would have written.

In my book, the ability to surround yourself with straight thinking people is an absolute prerequisite of good leadership, especially those that you refer to as your "spiritual advisors". The question is; if it takes you 20+ years to evaluate something as simple as the tenor of your church and the character of its minister, how many terms would it take to evaluate Mahműd Ahmadinejâd’s character?

Obama seeks to paint himself in whichever voters he so happens to be rallying, ranging from whites to blacks. In the end, instead of his supposed appeal of appeal across races, what he comes across to me is, he's not black when he's black, he's not white when he has the blood.

I'd like to ask one question: Who is he anyways? He tries to be black, and the black voters identify with his darker skin, but is he really? And general white voters (not the wealthy elites) certainly don't identify with him.

While main media and Obama camp would like me to believe this, but I don't find his various speeches to expound on race and religion answer any of my questions. He's no different from the other candidates/politician, other than that he has nada on his resume, and he's mixed race. Neither of those qualities qualifies him as a presidential candidate. None of his previous Dem debates show strong debate skills either. His poor grasp on policy and details surprises me.

I don't want another president like Bush, who is likeable in person, but brings almost nothing to the table. While his IQ might be a few notches above Bush, I don't think I'll give him the WH job. In a real world, if I were to hire him on my team, his experience and resume would put as an entry-level employee (which is what he is in Senate). Now, he's telling me, he doesn't have the experience, but no matter, he wants to run my company, and my bank account. NOPE - NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Obama clearly knows how to keep matters of faith far, far away from his political views, as they should be, so this announcement didn't make much difference for me, even if it had surprised me (which it hasn't).

Obama is still the Democratic nominee, and he could be a LOT worse and still be preferable to John McCain. Hopefully the American people will wake up and see what a great opportunity Obama is giving us--under his Presidency, we can begin to fix things but short and long-term.

I think of Obama as the Google of politics--both came out of nowhere, and I believe both will eventually gain a reputation as being the best thing that's happened to their respective fields in a long time.

Obama did the right thing. Christianity is not about an institution. It is more about principals and morals and how one lives those out. It was important for him to separate himself from comments that do not reflect what he thinks or believes.

I don't understand why churches feel it is appropriate to discuss political matters in the church forum. If the church I attended engaged in politcal commentary during the mass, I would leave. I don't feel it's inappropriate for a church to be engaged in political issues outside of mass such as supporting candidates who are pro-life, but mass is not the place for politcal discussion.

Too little, too late. Ever "positive change" Obama does, he does because he has to politically. He's not fooling anyone except the blind Obamatrons. Nice try BO.

LM #1. I've read a lot of blogs on this subject and I must say yours is the best because it eloquently describes this tragedy. The way the media and the other candidates are treating this make me very sad as a black American woman. It seems heartless. Seeing other comments, it is clear that so many people are either so full of hatred or ignorance, that they refuse to step into Obama's shoes to try to understand how wrong it is to assign the comments of a pastor, who is not supposed to be "politically correct" in pulpit, to another free-thinking human being. Why can't people judge Obama for his own words and his own actions. Rev. Wright has said and done many wonderful things, but I don't see anyone praising Obama for that and rightfully so. America, why can't we come together, try to understand each other and be better than who we are today?

There obviously is no separation of church and state in this country. This is sad, given that the concept is one that this nation was built on. Somewhere along the line we've made it okay for religion to intesect with government. And it's only going to get worse. If we start basing government values on religious values, how do we decide what religion's values to use? Not all religions agree, so we're eventually going to be governed by a central national religion. And that's what the founders of this country were trying to avoid. Homosexual marriage is an example. How can this be considered illegal because of religious values? Some religions say it's okay, so how can the government decide one religion is right on the issue?

Time spent on this and related issues is time wasted. We allow ourselves to be

distracted by this nonsense because it's easier than dealing with substantive

issues. Barack Obama is trying to get us focused on what matters, and many of us

can't hack it. It's time to grow up and get to work, to put aside childish things.

This is just a bunch of nonsense. Obama changes positions every other day. Obama knew what the Trinity Church was preaching as well as the hateful racist ideas of Rev. Wright all along....he just got caught. Obama leaving the Trinity church saying nothing about him except that he is a LIAR and would do or say anything to cover his butt. I am a God Fearing Christan, and I would never set foot in a church that taught any thing like what Trinity was teaching. Trinity is not a place of worship or of God. Trinity is based on hate, blaming others, and racism. All of which go along w/ Obama's true feelings. I wouldn't be a member of a church like this for one day not to mention 20 yrs. Obama never saw anything wrong w/ the preaching at this church in the past because he agreed w/ it. Obama is a Black Racist. Yes Blacks can be Racist too, not just whites. I think Obama should have a spine and stay at the church he's loved all of these years. Give the American public a honest chance to see who he really is. If America decides that it is ready for a Racist President, then we will all vote Obama into office. But don't keep changing your politics and convictions every other day just to get votes.

He left the church not because the teachings were WRONG, but because OTHERS found the teachings divisive.

What does that say about his character or lack thereof?

What would Jesus do? Not a darn thing that Rev. Wright taught and Obama followed.

Who cares about his minister or the Father, who I gather was a guest minister. I follow him because of where he stands on the issues.

Get your facts straight. Obama was raised by loving grandparents in Hawaii. He was sent there at the age of 10 by his mother who wanted him to get an American education. He went to the most prestigious school in Hawaii and afterwards on to the best universities. His grandfather was an insurance salesman and his grand mother was an official in a bank. Now come off it. Obama wants to perpetuate the idea that he was brought up in a ghetto type situation and instead he had a pretty plush upbring. There is so much misinformation out there about Obama. You want to vote for, go for it. But do it with your eyes open for heavens sake.

I think that Senator Obama did the right thing.
All of this makes me think: I need to pay close attention to what is said in church. No more nodding off to sleep like Bill Clinton did recently. You could miss something that was said and then be held liable for it later simply because you sat in the audience or you are a member of the organization.

Please! Obama did the politically expedient thing at the time, that is, enrolling in a controversial church known for its racial, but politically acceptable rhetoric. He had no idea he would be a serious candidate for president of the USA when he did so. He was feathering his bed for a life long political career in state wide Chicago politics. Now the horse is out of the barn. He is in a different set of circumstances, and he is taking several small steps toward separating himself from his past misjudgments concerning his career. It is amazing how much can be revealed by such a long campaign. The "inconvenient truth" is slowly taking form. I am afraid that all of the changes and apologies he makes will not hide the true Obama. He is surrounded by birds of like feather, and always has been. Now we wait for the next revelation...
.

Ray Lawson, you never would have supported Obama in the first place. Now you have your excuse. Thankfully there are many more of us than you Archie Bunkers.

It's funny, he ageed with the teachings going on in that church for something like 20 years, but now, since he's running for president, he doesn't agree. Bull! You can't tell me that he's leaving the church for anything other than a political move and, after the electon, he'll be right back for his fix of racisim and America bashing. Wake Up People!

There shall be no state church. You can not seperate God from anything that he wants to be a part of. Please understand the constitution.Churchs that are of God and not of man do not promote thing that are not of God. ie ministries for same gender loving couples(dating services) God will NEVER promote sin men will.....be not grafted to sin....

An (appreciated) analogy to loudmouthed family members, an example of ecological fallacy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_fallacy ; in case you're interested), a blithe statement about Obama's faith (say it enough and maybe it'll actually become true; but why would it matter unless one continued with the false linkage of his faith to support for radical Islam and the overthrow of America...seriously), a hearkening of US constitutional principles, and a profession of either apathy or rejection. No comments on anything Pfleger said. Nothing about a real substantive issue. Reading these blogs and listening to the headlines, it sounds as if Obama's opponents have successfully removed any connotation of a substantive debate for issue positions and underlying reasoning.

opponents are

Why do some people hold others responsible for the words of their pastor? I have been in church many times and not agreed with my pastor. Church all through our American history has been a place not only to worship but also to gather with friends, socialize and help those more unfortunate then ourselves. It seems Trinity has fulfilled most of that customary criteria..........in spite of occasional "out of the box" sermons. There is no reason to hold Obama responsible for the words of the Pastor & Priest.

Obama's life has been focused on helping people. He MUST work with people on all sides to bring them together. That includes the unsavory people his name has been attached to including boards of directorship, church(s), community groups ans so on................ If he demanded that any and all of those groups have all ideal socialized people then he wouldn't be able to participate in trying to gather and change things for the better. He has been working to bring out the best of ALL of those people. .........................Would you want a president who worked only for a selected few?????

I can understand why the people behind the priest were laughing as the priest was very funny in making his Hillary "joke" even though it was so very distasteful and in poor judgement. It seemed to me that if I had been in those pews I would have laughed too.................but later thought how wrong it had been of the priest and regretted my laughter. ........................Maybe he is better following a career of stand-up political humor than preaching holy idealism.

I don't know what is important in the great matrix of all that is, has been and will be. I know though, that when I see how much attention is being paid to only what really is a minor section of a greater sample of Obama's church - it frankly makes me shudder. It makes me shudder because we have had two pastors brought out for public consumption and opinion news cycle spin that plods through the same information over and over again without insight ... and frankly much contextual background. As though if they keep repeating it and have more talking heads chatter about it - it will somehow change the substance they themselves are perpetuating. Nowhere have I seen an attempt to look historically, sociologically or through the eyes of contemporary scholars on the role of the church particularly in the black community. Or even the black community having a voice - hullo? Because wasn't it the church that centralized black society and its emergent municiple ambition? Wasn't it the black churches that housed a political discourse for the abolishonists and the civil rights movement? Was it not a black church - hand built by the freed slaves - in buffalo that navigated the underground railroad? Think about this. I enjoy opinion news and check in to see a few folks ... and I am sure they can add more to the discourse if this particular box was opened further instead of assuming that the prize at the bottom of a cerial box represents the whole content. If you are doing local organizing for a democrat entertaining campaign season .... I challenge you to find someone who will not admit that one of the high priorities is a discussion with the black churches in the area. It is the same as the right wing evangelicals. Or are we in the world of split personality on this issue and only white churches can be political ... black churches took the place of 'schools' in some instances ... and when the black community understood that they had to organize to participate in levels of government up to that point they had little entry to, much less encouraged participation - where did they meet? In black churches. When they had to take on school boards and the educational system to ensure that equal access to an equitable curriculum content was being given to their children - where did they meet? In black churches. The dialogue of the stained glass. People who had big dreams, but little access, hardly any support ... they would call meetings ... come in early, sit on wooden chairs at the front of the church in that strange light you only find in churches ... and wait. Wait not knowing. Wait to see what happens ... running through their minds all the planning, all the conversations, all the time ... wondering if it will all end there in those churches - the only doors that were truly open to them. And folks often came ... bringing with them every bit of social grace or social trauma with them. They came in their Sunday best for what they believed had far reaching implications to their communities. They brought their hopes, their dreams, their wishes for their children and, yes, they brought their fears, agony and anger. And all of this they would have to work out in these meetings. Not unlike what you saw at the democratic rules committee meeting. Not unlike what happened with many unions either. And stupid things are said .... passions run high ... great pain is articulated and great joy is surrendered to. Some days the organizers begin to wonder what in the world got into their heads to do this as great egos clash in loud disagreement ... and some days a few battles are won and tangible evidence of a success is felt ... and it becomes okay - until the next challenge. And so we go .... The black church is a part of America! They represent every bit of the ideal that the forefathers attempted to articulate through the constitution ... ! Why are they being villified? Please give the big picture. Trinity is like Glide Memorial in San Francisco ... both have a remarkable agenda of community service, but have also taken on the work that many assume to be only under local government social services. I would love to see a study that iluminates their degree of success versus what local government's have done. Both Glide and Trinity - yes, like the work of the Ebenezer church and other large churches in city areas - have beds, and kitches for homeless individuals, a job placement effort, a building with old computers to train individuals, a drug abuse counseling effort, a safe house for abused women and children .... and yeah, it is sticky and difficult and there are characters out of a sitcom funny and not so funny. On a given Sunday in San Francisco - for two services ... if you snooze you lose a seat and are left to either stand or crawl on to a window ledge to a view of an odd mix of SF's elite, intellectual minds, political heavy weights, everyday person and homeless folks who are just taking it one day at a time ... and while they too stand there in worship know at least for the night they will have a roof over their head. And yeah, you will hear a few salty words from the equivalent pastor to Rev. Wright. And while you may not challenge him then - you can get a chance in the background ... but don't think yourself too smart to get one over him, he is just as savvy as any other politician in the area. THIS is why these churches exist ... like local governments they are also not perfect. I am having a hard time understanding how we are thinking ... the misguided sermon of a visiting pastor VERSUS what is now becoming a real clear position that the white house did indeed cobble together facts and data to make their case for a war that has cost more than 4 thousand American lives - created a near 3 trillion dollar financial burden that has bled the US economy, and killed more civilians in another country than anyone is really willing to talk about. Which is the real story????

LM: that is one of the more ridiculous comments I've ever heard. Any public figure whether political or celebrity submits themselves and their so-called "families" to scrutiny. To suggest that there is something wrong or unusual about the "crass media" scrutinizing Mr. Obama's church is just silly. It seems to me that accusing the US government of spreading AIDS to kill black people is rather crass. Not only are comments like that crass but they are revolutonary in nature and dangerous to the unity of the U.S.: that is why Mr. Obama got heat over it. Mr. Obama was perfectly aware that these types of choices may arise: he is running for the presidency where nothing about your life is personal or sacred. Too bad for him he didn't quit the church sooner: any half-way intuitive person would have had the foresight to see the possiblity of problems arising. I think it illustrates a lot about Mr. Obama's intelligence and character. Not sharp enough to see it coming, not tough enough to stand his ground and stand behind his "family" when scrutiny fell upon him. Pretty weak if you ask me.
Oh, and good luck with that by the way. Mr. Obama is going to have a hell of a time winning the white house and enacting his plan for unity. And even if he does, it's pretty naive of you to assume it's some sort of miracle fix (where did you come up with such a half baked comment: "we will edure prosperity and peace as we have never imagined"?) Give me a break, he still has to work within the constraints and timeframe every other president has. Small steps. All of you democrats out there searching for a miracle may just dash our best chance at it.

First, to stifle a swift boat rumor that he was a closet Muslim, Barack Obama was forced to declare publicly that no, he was a Christian, and yes, he totally rejected and denounced Louis Farrakhan and the Black Muslims.

Second, now that Christianity had been plopped on the table as a viable wedge issue, the same forces of religious orthodoxy and secular partisanship demanded that Senator Obama publicly endorse or dissassociate himself from snippets of Reverend Wright's sermons culled from more than twenty years of church archives, comment by inflammatory comment, issue by inevitably divisive issue.

Then, subsequent speakers from the Trinity pulpit became fair game for scrutiny, their ordinary remarks ignored, any controversial remarks instantly rebroadcast on the net and in the political horse race reporting of the mainstream media - again, to hold secular candidate Obama's feet to the fire and either affirm, tolerate, or dissasociate himself from the religious hyperbole de jour.

So enough of this game. Over the weekend, with great reluctance and obvious deep personal pain, the Obamas severed their relationship with their south side Chicago church. Do you think you've heard the last of this? Not by a long shot.

Remember, in the Illinois Senator's magnificent Philadelphia speech on racism in America, he said he could no more turn his back upon Reverend Wright and Trinity Church than he could turn his back on the black community, that to do so would be like disowning his own white grandmother. I fear that Phase II of this coordinated campaign of religious bigotry is now likely just beginning.

The gleeful argument from the right, white wing of the GOP will be that Senator Obama, having been forced to chose between his political candidacy and his faith, expediently chose to further his career, even if that meant tossing God under the proverbial bus. All of the old race and Islam baiting can now be augmented with the charge that this fellow with the funny ears and funny name either must not take religion very seriously to begin with, or else he values a grab at political power more than he values fidelity to the religious values that for most of "us" are bedrock.

What a tragedy. What a shameful and bigoted double standard.

But that's what happens when you open the door to impose a test of religious faith or religiosity to qualify for public office. It used to be only one of the two major political parties had junked the Founders' insistence upon a wall of separation between church and state. Now, it looks like the nominees of both major parties have been sucked up into that game of sectarian one upsmanship, leaving the whole nation spiritually poorer as a result.

Bill from Saginaw

Senator Obama is not perfect. I think what he did was tough and he probably did not want to do it. But in order to save that church from the media, and to carry on his campaign, it was inevitable. It saddens me that so many people on here are pouncing on Senator Obama for his preacher's comments. You say he's been in the church for 20+ years. So what? Who says he's there every single week? Who says his pastor/pastors make these comments every week. We've heard of two scenarios over the past 5 years. My pastor makes comments that I don't agree with all the time. However, is that the reason I go to the church? There is more to fellowship than what your pastor says. That church, one of the most influential churches in Chicago, in terms ouf outreach, community service and help for the less fortunate, was an excellent way for Sen. Obama to get to know the people of Chicago and do some good.

How do you help people? You live amongst them, get to know them, understand them and teach them. Basic anthropology. Now, am I to assume that any anthropologist who goes to Africa is suffering from AIDS, is wreckless with their sexual behavior and supports polygamy? I don't think so.

So, for those people who have been waiting, and I say this based on facts, waiting for an excuse to not vote for Sen. Obama, this is a pretty lame one.

Ever since the first Christian clerics came to these shores, the various falsehoods such as the 'blood libel of Matthew, that fill the New Testament have been heard at least once weekly in nearly every community. From Cotton Mather to Charles Coughlin to the dimwitted bible thumpers of today, our American air has been polluted with this nastiness, racism and sexism. It's past time that Americans give up on these barbaric and harmful beliefs which have not slightest shred of evidence behind them. All the monotheistic religions are guilty of spreading the same kind of BS. When people grow up they'll be able to dump the baggage of 'God'!

I wonder if someone told Sen. Obama that 80+% of Americans do not like clowns, that he would then promise legislation to limit the activity of clowns in America.
It'd be great to know where he stands on... well anything really.

I am another life-long Democrat all my life who will NOT be voting for Obama. My husband, and every member of my large extended family have come to the same decision as I have. Almost every one of my friends, all Democrats, despise Obama,

Yeah, I know.... The black racists will call us racists. No matter. In fact, we would vote for several black politicians if they were to run for public office, including the office of POTUS.

It is that hypocrite Obama we detest.

look at the obama sheep who posted below. they put all their faith in one man, who has done nothing, and has had horrible associations and role models....to fix the entire nation of the USA. It must feel good to be that blind and dumb.

It's funny, he ageed with the teachings going on in that church for something like 20 years, but now, since he's running for president, he doesn't agree. Bull! You can't tell me that he's leaving the church for anything other than a political move and, after the electon, he'll right back for his fix of racisim and America bashing. Wake Up People!

All I can say is "Unbelievable".......................................For this I will not vote for him. He has been with this church for over 20 years and now for his polictical career he is leaving them..................hmmmm sounds fishy to me....................can he be trusted when the going gets rough or will he turn his back on us.

Ironical how the same same people would be screaming blue murder if he did not quit the church. He did a decent thing by quiting, there comes a time when one says enuf is enough. And unlike most people who would not even have the guts to quit. If you're voting for 66 million innocent Iranian lives to be destroyed by Hillary, or 4-5 million innocent lives by MaCain. Then vote alone, coz am not with you!

Read and you may just find out why the economy is in shits : The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes.

If you think it's too late think of the 4000 dead sooldiers family. Think if Bush had not authorised an illegal warGood luck

I love How Obama says he is going to bring change to Washington...

He just did what every politician has done since the beginning of our nation, He just sold his soul! Literally giving up his faith and church for political gain.

How can it take you thirty years of sundays, wedding ceremonies and batptisms to realize you're not in a the right church. Yet, when you smell a presidential nomination, you can denounce the holiest of holies, your church and religion.

Lame! That would make you a Lame Duck President also!

Just for the record, I am a Democrat.

A series of typical occurences at Mr. Obama's Trinity church has come before the public eye as part of a legitimate exercise among American voters, aided by a free press protected by our Constitution, to find out all we can about this candidate for president of the United States. If you look at this objectively, you must acknowledge that these remarks from the pulpit, combined with the apparently favorable reaction of the congregation and the responses from Mr. Obama, you cannot deny that it reveals plenty. To look away and focus on abstract excuses and conspiracies is to ignore meaningful information about Mr. Obama's personal character and beliefs.

Another boldly presented reality no American should ignore is the degreee to which the Democrat party has failed to live up to its own rhetoric. Layer upon layer of logic-averse principles, mortared with a toxic compound of irrational hatred born of their frustrations, have yielded a 2008 party platform built on sand. This party simply is in no condition to be the dominant party in the United States in 2008.

Hopefully, one positive thing we can get from this activity is a new level of frankness and honesty about where to go from here on racism and inequity in America. Mr. Obama had a golden opportunity over the past few months to catapult this ongoing discussion to an amazingly productive, if messy, new stage of openness. Sadly, his handling of this campaign and the challenges presented by the happenings at Trinity have only shown Mr. Obama to be an inexperienced, unremarkable, typical politician.

Mr. Obama could have boldly explored the comments from his church, inviting people from that point of view to join some representatives of "white America" into a meaningful town hall meeting, with Mr. Obama as moderator. He could have led an honest outpouring of what's been really bothering all of us in our collective ongoing effort to improve race relations. With one meeting he could have truly been a one-man bridge united black and white America. He could have called into question the counter-productive viewpoints of both sides, suggesting alternatives that could move us forward.

But he didn't do it. He isn't being honest himself. And worse, he's not leading our country in an open, honest discussion about what is really happening in American race relations. He has tried to gloss over it with shallow rhetoric and meaningless apologies. And now he announces he is leaving his church. Big deal. Who cares?

America needs many leaders who will drop all the meaningless gestures and postures and platitudes and get real. America wanted to support Mr. Obama because he claimed to be such a person. The rigors of the campaign are proving to the voting public that he is not. We must recognize this truth before carrying our fantasy all the way through the election, only to wake up with a typical left-wing politician who is too inexperienced to keep the ambitious, unelected people around him from running the show for the next four years. We can't afford that.

But, as Michelle Obama says, it is much easier for all of us to remain in our comfortable enclaves of racial and cultural homogeny. She had a good point there. Unfortunately, neither she nor her husband nor the leaders of their home church are willing to lead anyone from those enclaves. Indeed, the message I get from Mr. Obama's Trinity church is that there is no hope of reconciliation of black and white in America. We must be content to feather the nest with more of that comfortable racist story line. Amen, brother.

So, should we vote for Obama because of what he says or by what he does in the name of unity? I'm sorry, but Obama is third rate in the list of candidates who will work across the aisle.
No doubt, as a candidate, he is the best orator we've had in this country--probably since Reagan--but can you honestly say he will be able to do the things he says he will do as president if he governs as he has voted historically? He is tops in voting for liberal causes (please, if I'm wrong, let me know),and he is tops for voting with his party (again, correct me if I'm wrong). Logically speaking, how can he make these sweeping changes w/out support from a number of Republicans or Conservatives? How can he preach unity if he has/will not not work with other views? Clinton and McCain have often worked with the other party for change.

If the truth is your litmus test for how you vote, Obama won't even register. However, he'll still very likely to win, because he is the master of the sound byte. While it warms the heart to dream that he speaks the truth, with time, he's likely to be known as the gilded president.

I've voted Democrat since George McGovern 1972. But this year, for the first time in 36 years, I'm voting Republican, for John McCain. Why? Because the idea of rabid racist bigots like Wright and Pfleger having access to the President's ear scares the hell out of me. You say they don't speak for him? Maybe not. But they did for nearly 20 years. Anyway, this 36-year Dem is voting for John McCain this year. And I do believe there are many more Dems just like me out there.

As much as I don't like Obama (or Hillary, or McCain), his association with that Church has been completely overblown in an election that should not involve any religious test. Sure, the Church seems like some kind of cult presided over by a racist, but that has little bearing on Obama's ability/inability to enact sensible policies. In an election long overrun by irrelevant propaganda and smears, is it really too much to ask that we start focusing on actual issues?

Who cares!

McShame should have to renounce Bush for all his lies to America!

I suppose a warmonger is better than a person being held responsible for others statements.

Mary,
Obama was simply trying to help poor communities in Chicago for many years. He did not suddenly discover how well he resonated with "honest-hard-working-white-Americans" during the primaries. Do you ever realise that only one of the candidate seems to bring up the race groupings all the time? This time it's "Am great among Hispanics, Women and Seniors..." purleazee try unite the American people once and for all Billary!

Reading the ignorant rants of Obama supporters makes one wonder how good this country could have been if some of them were never allowed the right to vote. LIke him, they have no character, make excuses, are light weight thinkers regarding national security, have a feeling of entitlement, would cripple our economy, harm our health care, make excuses for law breakers, most likely hang with unsavory characters, and propably use drugs. White America will not make this mistake.

It's interesting that Obama has now summoned the "courage" walk from his church. I wonder how many Obama supporters have such courage to walk away from him?

Well you could keep George for another 8 years or maybe yet take Bill back for another 8 years. To be honest there is zero in this for all of you. Place your vote step up and be counted one sheep after another. They are waiting to march you off to Iran next. Have you seen those gas prices, have you seen those corps heads rolling. You think Obama is your problem? You think your vote count? Sound off is all you got and if you don't like it. you can stay home, don't vote. Someone voted for George Bush not once but twice. If that's the best you can do. The world is better off if all of you stay home, DON"T VOTE. If not for your Vote over 4000 Americans would be alive today and another thing Shutup.

The brutal truth is that Obama sat in the church for 20 years and soaked up these sermons, applauding, laughing, and agreeing. Wright has always preached this way. Moss has always preached this way. The congregation has always reacted to these sermons with wild enthusiasm. Obama was a participant in this milieu for 20 years. Obama is therefore blatantly lying to us when he says he didn't know that this was what Trinity United was all about.

Had Obama stood by his biography and his church then, whether I agreed with the church or not, I would see a man with integrity. I may not support Obama, but at least I would have in front of me a man who stands on principle. But he didn't do that. He turned his back on his church of two decades - he turned his back on the church that brought him to Christianity, that married him, that baptized his children, that found for him his very identity. This despicable act exposes a profound character defect in the man. He is not an honorable man. Obama is the rankest kind of politician, one who will say and do anything to get elected.

The brutal truth is that Obama sat in the church for 20 years and soaked up these sermons, applauding, laughing, and agreeing. Wright has always preached this way. Moss has always preached this way. The congregation has always reacted to these sermons with wild enthusiasm. Obama was a participant in this milieu for 20 years. Obama is therefore blatantly lying to us when he says he didn't know that this was what Trinity United was all about.

Had Obama stood by his biography and his church then, whether I agreed with the church or not, I would see a man with integrity. I may not support Obama, but at least I would have in front of me a man who stands on principle. But he didn't do that. He turned his back on his church of two decades - he turned his back on the church that brought him to Christianity, that married him, that baptized his children, that found for him his very identity. This despicable act exposes a profound character defect in the man. He is not an honorable man. Obama is the rankest kind of politician, one who will say and do anything to get elected.

It is interesting that it was not until Obama saw the church behavior was not good for his Presidential run, that he chose to denounce his ties after 20 years.
Also, at the time of his entry into politics, his wife told him that he must change from Islam customs to Christianity or he would not make it politically

If you think for one minute that Obama is not racist, wishy-washy, scheming, and a total liar and you check his name on election day, then I say, Americans, we are in big trouble. "As the old saying goes,"you ain't seen nothin' yet." God help us as a nation! I pray we wake up before it's too late and see him for the opportunist he is.
He's a senator from my state and I'm ashamed of that fact.

Too many questions - too many serious shortcomings in judgment, experience, and wisdom show him as not qualified or fit for the presidency. More interesting is how he got this far before he was found out to have so many loony associations...??? (Reznick,(sp) Ayers, Wright, Pfleger...etc.)

The fact that we have this disturbing selection of Democratic candidates (yes, Clinton, also) means that for the first time in my life of 51 years - I will be voting for the GOP candidate for president......the Democratic party can no longer be trusted.

Crawling away from racism after over 400 years.

I just want to make a sarcastic point concerning those of you who are claiming that Obama went to a "racist" church. This is the number one Hannity/ Limbaugh ect talking point about why we shouldn't vote for Obama and why he will be bad for America. Anyone can be discredited by guilt by association. So consider these "facts" (these are really things that happened) about McCain concerning religion--
1) His mother said on MSNBC that she doesn't like Mormons, McCain did not denounce her and has even sat side by side next to her in a TV comercial talking about the values she helped instill in him. -- So, how can anyone beleive he is not predisposed to be bigotted towards those of the Mormon faith.

2) He has called evangilist christians agents of intolerance. He has rejected 2 preachers and thrown them "under the bus" because he refuses to accept the some of the basic principals of evangilists faith-- including the second coming of Christ and the signs God has given his followers written in the book of Revelations.

3) The most telling picture of McCain dislike towards anything religious comes from his own preacher, who has claimed the McCain not come up to the alter of his Church to accept Christ (as is the tradition and the norm of his Church) -- so obviously he is not moved by God's word and doesn't even care about the traditions that mean so much to the people of his denomintion that he "claims" to be a part of.

So based on thes facts how can McCain be a moral Christian leader, obviously he is trying to trick us into beleiving he cares about his own faith and the faith of others.

(This is all fact, but it is BS--- anyone in public office can be made to look like something they are not by looking at their affiliations and what they have said, and taking a few sentences they have said and using them to fit the person who is making the arguements context. Stop being stupid. Vote for who you want based on their policies and discount those when you make an arguement. When people vote based upon associations and supposed "values" we get George Bush and most of us don't want that again)

Obama quitting the church will save it from years of scrutiny and him from having to answer to bullshit like this for generations to come.

If he wants to quit, it is more than reasonable.

Now the real test fails Obama.How can you denounce something {Religion )you really believed in for a job you're seeking very hypocracy.

Plenty of Hillary & McCain supporters on this site. A vote for Hillary is a vote for McCain. These two are the same except one is an old man and the other one is an old woman.

Naive DEMs,

When they could not find radical video clips over twenty years showing Barrack in the audience – they created one to radicalize his church by targeting Hillary. The Pfleger video was a Chicago style hit-job designed to split the democratic party a week before the last primaries and the DNC rules meeting. It was only possible due to the sensation-seeking TV media that had spent a solid month looping out-of-context video and trivial analysis defaming and endangering a congregation with a long record for work for the poor in Chicago. Hillary had piled on at the time. Ofcourse the congregation celebrated Pfleger's counter-punch since it was delivered by a visiting white priest from an entirely different Christian denomination....as if to say “see we are not crazy, everyone thinks this way”

As to Pfleger's motives, why would he 1) duplicate Wright's theatrical performance, 2) one week before the final primaries, 3) at Wright's old pulpit and 4) pick a personal fight that was never his to begin with against the opposing democratic candidate, especially 5) when it is nearly won, 6) using race as the argument. 7) Amazingly there just happened to be a camera-person in the audience that posted to Youtube within two days. The intended audience was the national TV media!

Pfleger's long-term mutual support with Obama is peanuts when compared to what he could get for his ministry in such a high stake drama with only a slap on the wrist from the archdioces! Obama did what he had to do try to get the conversation in America back to real issues and to save his congregation from more personal attacks. For real information on the candidates OWN extensive records read this --
www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633

Obama just got a huge lesson in separating church from state, eh?

I agree that this man is a huge hypocrite, and would be a lousy leader of this country. People are too scared to tell the truth -- and that is that because Obama is (HALF) black, he's had a free ride. Too bad we've seen another fixed election in this farcical land we call a "democracy."

Ignorance! The separation of church and state was not intended to protect the state frome the church, but rather to protect the church from the state. The true intent is masked by revisionist history to fuel the attack on spiritualism. Quit vomiting out the garbage that your burn out hippy teachers and professors told you and look it up!

Sorry . Had to poit it out.

Both the Demicrans and the Republicrats better find candidates for this unfortunate election year. Except for Ron Paul, there are NO candidates that have an ounce of honesty or decency or fundamental commitment to helping this country and it's citizens. Not one , except Dr Paul, have a clue what this country is about or was founded on. Haven't we had enough of this politics as usual for the past 50 years?

Why can't we use Barak Obama's middle name?

This pres (GEORGE BUSH) is the greatest pres ever he doesn't change his mind just to make people happy he stands his ground that is a pres WE ARE SAFER BECAUSE HE CARES( YOU LOST GET OVER IT MOVE ON)

Obama's presidential campaign is simply exposing the height, depth and breadth of white supremacy in the United States of America -- and turning it against itself so it can be destroyed. White supremacy is over. Obama IS the next President and will force racism to the margin by reshaping class and entitlement in this country.

When commenting on slavery, Thomas Jefferson once said, " ...I tremble when I remember that God is just..."

Many White Americans (and those that identify with being white) are beginning to tremble. It's okay, God is merciful also. God will not only bless the United States, but the whole world through this brilliant, insightful and courageous man.

BUSH 8 MORE YEARS THAT WOULD BE GREAT HE IS THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB AND I DID NOT VOTE FOR HIM BUT I WOULD THIS TIME ( YOU LOST GET OVER IT)

I'm a Christian and this is unending attack on Obama disgusting. There are those who claim to follow Jesus and pretend: that every of their respective pastors/priests hasn't said a few "questionable comments" (depending on the audience) over their careers, and yet they didn't leave the church; that John McCain's pastor(s) undeniably are blatant hate-mongering bigots; that he/she sat on their behinds and happily allowed George Bush to go on pretending to be a Christian (even though he doesn't attend church and seems uninterested in Christian speech or acts); that the life of a white American is worth more than all others; and that many Americans continue to be racist against God's will. These hypocrites WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD FOR THE HATE IN THEIR HEARTS.

whats a matter are you going to lose your job if you put anything good about this pres or this country
(you are a coward)

Type your comment here...

Obama is an imposter--he is not even black man as was Martin Luther King and as is Nelson Mandela. He is technically defined in genetics as a mulatto (noun) - the offspring of a black parent and a white parent..

Rather than seizing the high ground and campaigning as a candidate to all the people, Obama has consciously and actively downplayed the existence of his white birth mother and played the race card every chance he could during the Democratic primary elections against Hillary Clinton. Then this disingenuous man had the gall to state in one of his books that he would side with Islam if "things turned ugly"

Obama won't make it past the ballot box if this voter has anything to say about it."Christian" man stated in one of his books

This is better for the church. If he hadn't, they would be under a media microscope for the rest of their lives. Instead, we can move on.

I feel bad for them, though. There is no one out there who can express an opinion, ANY opinion, on controversial matters to a wide audience and not find people who hate them for it. Some Palestinians will hate you if you express support for Jews having a country of their own in the wrong way. Some Jews will hate you if you express too much sympathy for the innocent Palestinians who get caught in crossfire in the wrong way.

It's inevitable, then, for a church to discuss religion without people finding controversy. McCain's friends weren't immune to this. Neither would Clinton's be. As a Methodist like Clinton, I can think of several opinions in the Methodist church that would not play well to some audiences, but I hate seeing religion used as a weapon like this, so I will not mention them.

But there is a silver lining. If we understand our differences, we can come to terms with them. If we are kind even to those who hate us, the hate will disperse. If we work together in spite of our differences, we will not be so easily divided. This is the path forward.

Who is Rev. Rivers? Obama didn't belong to a "black" church, so Rev. Rivers is full of nonsense. Obama left his church because the media is disrupting the church services and holding Obama accountable for every word being preached. Is Obama in charge of the sermons at mass?

Whats next from the right wingnuts? As a long time GOP supporter and concerned Catholic it is highly unlikely that I would ever vote again for a Republican. I resign from the Republican Party, and I am sending the largest donation allowed to the Obama campaign fund and to the DNC. McCain and the GOP will not get one cent.

ananon,,,,,,,
No one knows where he stands on the issues. He has a way of making
anything of substance off limits to questions. The msm has given him a
free pass in part because he makes Cris Mathews legs tingle and in part
because he was their choice in January. And they will not be mocked.

He has sponsored a bill that Joe Biden is trying sneak through the senate
that would cost this country .7% off it's gross national product. Simply put
he is a two faced marxiest.

Jude Denis said
" Be honest with yourself. If Barack Obama was a white man, would you be so angry. If Rev Wright was a white man would you be so angry. The press doesn't seem to talk about the fact that Father Pfegler is a white Roman Catholic priest, but they certainly seem less angry about the premise of his attack on Hillary; they certainly (outside of Keith Olbermann) appear less angry about McCain seeking the endorsement of the divisive Pastor Hagee who called Catholicism "the great whore" and said Hitler was sent by God to torture the Jews."

Well, I guess more Americans are angry because Wright's comments are are offensive to a larger group of people? Am sure more Americans would be angry over a preacher yelling "God damn America" than someone who crticizes the Catholic Church.
I'm a Catholic and I dislike Hagee for his silly words...and I consider it funny that he took them back after the storm they created. It shows he doesn't speak what he belives...it's all political expediency.

"All the world's great religions implore us to love one another, turn the other cheek and learn to forgive.

I hope as a country we can move away from hatred built on soundbites to unity built on commonality.

We must forgive each other and ourselves and move away from "

So true. But that certainly is not what is preached at Sen. Obama's church is it? And Sen. Obama listened to , and brought his growing children to listen to a preacher who teaches revenge and hatred.

Well the most segregated hour of the week is the one spent on Sunday Morning. I am appalled at the judgemental and naive comments that I have seen on this website. You are upset with Rev. Wright? What about those who sat for endless Sundays and said nothing about the racism and lynchings that were going on down the road? What about those who condoned young children being molested by priests and not wanting to turn in their friends? What about a church that sent the molesters to Alaska and other places only to have the Alaskan children molested ? Wake up hypocrits...someone said their preacher doesn't talk this way. You ought to read the Bible for yourself and you will find out that Christianity has radical roots. Go on read it! Revenge and hatred?...the Methodist church forced Richard Allen up from his knees while praying because he couldn't kneel with the white members. He went on to found his own denomination. These things I say are facts. Rev. Rivers should not throw stones. He might live in a glass house.