WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday denounced inflammatory remarks from his pastor, who has railed against the United States and accused the country of bringing on the Sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism.
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(Photo: AP Images / M. Spencer Green)Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during a press conference with Major General Scott Gration, U.S. Air Force, left, General Merrill McPeak, U.S. Air Force, and other military leaders from the United States armed forces Wednesday, March 12, 2008 in Chicago.
Obama called the statements appearing on television and the Internet "completely unacceptable and inexcusable" in a Fox News interview and said they didn't reflect the kinds of sermons he had heard from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright while attending services at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.
Obama, a member of the church since the early 1990s, said he would have quit Trinity had such statements been "the repeated tenor of the church. ... I wouldn't feel comfortable there."
Earlier Friday, Obama responded by posting a blog about his relationship with Wright and Trinity on the Huffington Post. Wright brought Obama to Christianity, officiated at his wedding, baptized his daughters and inspired the title of his book, "The Audacity of Hope."
Obama wrote that he's looked to Wright for spiritual advice, not political guidance, and he's been pained and angered to learn of some of his pastor's comments for which he had not been present. Obama told MSNBC that Wright had stepped down from his campaign's African American Religious Leadership Committee.
"I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies," Obama said in his blog posting. "I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Reverend Wright that are at issue."
In a sermon on the Sunday after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Wright suggested the United States brought on the attacks.
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Wright said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."
In a 2003 sermon, he said blacks should condemn the United States.
"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
He also gave a sermon in December comparing Obama to Jesus, promoting his candidacy and criticizing his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"Barack knows what it means to be a black man to be living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people," Wright told a cheering congregation. "Hillary can never know that. Hillary ain't never been called a nigger."
Obama told MSNBC that he would not repudiate Wright as a man, describing him as "like an uncle" who says something that he disagrees with and must speak out against. He also said he expects his political opponents will use video of the sermons to attack him as the campaign goes on. Continue >>
Comments
kpercy07 "and pinning 9/11 as the fallout for our foreign policy of the 70's is unsophisticated and mean"
Actually the problems started much sooner than that. Study up on the history of the ME, starting with the conquering, partitioning and control at the end of WW I by Europe and USA. Take an objective look at the ME and America's influence there for the past 90 years and you will learn why 9-11 occured.
feetxxxl, I thought I would take the liberty to repost your message. Its a side of America that the average American does not want to see or admit to. I have been saying much the same stuff for years now. America has done some good stuff around the world, but is also guilty of serious crimes against humanity to protect its strategic and business interests, its most recent mistake- the invasion and destruction of Iraq and its people. Too bad US didn't learn from Vietnam.
"U.S.A. HAS HISTORY OF USING OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS AT TREMENDOUS PERIL TO THAT COUNTRY. THE ONLY REASON WE ARE IN IRAQ IS BECAUSE IT IS SITTING OVER OUR OIL.
WE WENT INTO AFGANISTAN. BOMBED IT OUT, THENM ABANDONED IT IN THE MIDST POVERTY AND INTERNAL UPHEAVAL FOR THE RICHES OF IRAQ.
THERE'S KISSINGERS COERSIVE INVOLVEMENT IN OVERTHROWING GOVTS IN SOUTH AMERICA.
BRINGING VIOLENCE AND KILLING AND UPHEAVAL TO OTHER COUNTIES FOR SUPPLYING DRUGS TO THIS COUNTRY'S POPULATION'S UNQUENCHABLE DEMAND.
GOING INTO NICERAGUA, USING THE SAME DEMAND TO SELL DRUGS TO SUPPLY GUNS TO FOMENT A CIVIL WAR CAUSING INTERNAL UPHEAVAL.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVING BILLIONS OF MILITARY SUPPLIES TO EVERY DESPOT IN THE MIDEAST WHO WOULD SUPPORT OUR INTERESTS..................THE SHAH OF IRAN,
DOES ANY ONE REMEMBER VIETNAM AMD MARTIN LUTHER KING"S SPEECH AGAINST THAT WAR AND OUR COUNTRY'S INTERNATTIONAL POILICIES.........................................IN ESSENCE WRIGHT WAS JUST REPEATING KING.
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/MLKapr67.html
"For nine years following 1945 we denied the people of Vietnam the right of independence. For nine years we vigorously supported the French in their abortive effort to recolonize Vietnam. Before the end of the war we were meeting eighty percent of the French war costs. Even before the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu, they began to despair of their reckless action, but we did not. We encouraged them with our huge financial and military supplies to continue the war even after they had lost the will. Soon we would be paying almost the full costs of this tragic attempt at recolonization. "
Obama, a member of the church since the early 1990s, said he would have quit Trinity had such statements been "the repeated tenor of the church. ... I wouldn't feel comfortable there."
I have heard that this was precisely why Oprah left that church.
TerryH - You're right about the congregants and choir, they all look in total agreement and to be enjoying everything he's saying and doing.
You have to wonder why Obama hasn't come out with any video of this pastor when he is preaching the true gospel from the scriptures, without screaming like a lunatic, without vulgar sexual gestures, without racist remarks, without anti-American rhetoric, without politics but in actual worship of God. Could it be because no such video exists?
Obama's preacher sanitizes website
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=59169
An opinion poll on the pastor issue.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Poll.aspx?ekfrm=71421
wrhalver, you are wrong. Jesus spoke against the Pharisees who were the priest. They were corrupting their followers. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees.
Paul also talks about leaven or false teaching. A little leaven leavens the whole batch.
Hey RBB - I totally agree with you on this thing that Obama has been part of this mans teachings for a long time. The other thing I found shocking is that this is not just one issue and you can see it when this video is playing. Look at the people behind him. The choir foljks laughing at what this man is saying. This tells me that this is not just his opinion but anyone who woulkd laugh at this shows a sign of agreement. I mean since when do we find sinful behavior funny?
Outstanding. About your shoe size, that is ...
taccording to the websites trinity church is dedicated in addition to be a home for the ministry of christ is also dedicated to reversing injustices.
what greater church you want a president to have been attending?
in addition to idol worship was not isreal (judah)exiled for its harboring injustices?
,
the word "justice" appears in scripture 144 times.
they is.
Are your feet really XXXL?
im a cradle born, evangelical, charasmatic, bible is inerrant believer.
feetxxxl:
1) Geez, would you relax, man? You sound like you're blowing a gasket.
2) This is not "one, single, televised incident." Rev. Wright's incendiary, racially-charged rhetoric has been floating around the Internet for a long time. Just check out his website: http://www.tucc.org/about.htm
3) Your Marxist views are decidedly on the wrong side of history. The Cold War is over, and pinning 9/11 as the fallout for our foreign policy of the 70's is unsophisticated and mean. As a Latin who lived some of that stuff, I weary of the simplistic interpretations of that era.
4) NEWSFLASH: Evangelical Christians are politically conservation. Did you come out to this site looking for fellow liberals??
you four below
you condemn a brother for the descrepancies of a pastor. for one single televised incedent. but you have yet to say what your charging his pastor.
" im a christian but at first sight of another brothers possible discression, i condemn the man and all who have associated with him."
"
are you saying this is what christ has called you to. what happened to 70 times 7.
what he said was true. but even if it wasnt. is our fellowship in christ dependent on having similar political views. so you are saying you dont attend a church of christ but instead attend a church of christ that has a particular political view. where is the unity in christ in that?
liberals are not suppose to worship with conservatives?????????????????????????????