Righting Wright

We’ve heard the pundits. The politicians. And Joe six-pack. Now a young pastor takes a look at what can be learned from the Jeremiah Wright controversy.

Clinging to bitterness

Apparently, Obama got it wrong. Working-class folks don’t cling to religion because they are bitter, they cling to bitterness because they are religious. Take Peggy Noonan. This working-class Irish Catholic says she totally “gets” Rev. Wright’s anger. Bitterness, she feels, is an oppressed people’s perogative. And apparently, it is as much a Black Irish thing as it is a Black thing. Sort of like imbibing the bitter herb in the Passover seder or pressing your tongue against a friendly toothache. We like the pain. It reminds us of our heritage. Sure, we are doing well now, but don’t let that fool you. We are victims through and through. Well, it’s good to know, that after Obama has cut his pastor loose, there is still someone who will stick up for the feisty churchman. Peggy Noonan. A right-wing Republican.

McCain closes the gap

In a recent poll, John McCain has closed the 10-point gap between himself and Barack Obama. Now, if he can only close the gap with himself.

Compounds are scary

That’s why we call them “compounds.” The US government can burn down, shoot down and take down people who live in compounds and we don’t even blink. Of course, if the news media would refer to these so-called compounds as “living quarters” or “homes” even, we might take more umbrage at our taxpayer dollars blowing away or blowing up people who happened to be at “home.” (Unless, of course, they were in a Middle-Eastern country with an exoitc, terrorist-harboring-sounding name like Iraq. We’d be cool with that.) Be they Muslims or Mormons, the US public feels better when we cuff, kill or incinerate people who live in compounds. Now if these people are a part of a “sect,” so much the better. So recently, our government invaded the “compound” of a religious”sect” who are alleged to be abusing scores of “children.” Why? Because they have actually discovered teenage girls who are pregnant; and we all know how bad teen pregnancies are. Plus, the evidence indicates that it is older men who are impregnating these “children.” And that, of course, is child abuse. Particularly when it happens in a “compound.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I hate teen pregnancies, child abuse and compounds as much as the next guy. But the fact that these teenage girls are married to these older men, I would think might make a difference. And our authorities taking young, pregnant mothers away from their families is also a form of abuse. And why is it, that the news media would have no problem with some other “suburb” in Texas where teenage girls (children) are having polygamous sex with young men (other children) who aren’t their husbands, getting pregnant and aborting their offspring (more children)? Why isn’t that child abuse? Why isn’t the government intervening in that? Taking those kids away from those families? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because those teens live in condos. Not compounds.

Tolerating Freedom

Freedom of religion is complicated business. More complicated these days because of something called “tolerance.” Look as you may, you won’t find the “T” word in any of our founding documents. Because tolerance––in the way that it is popularly conceived–doesn’t seem to tolerate many of the built-in disagreements various religions historically have had with each other. To say nothing of religions’ varigated positions on you lovely heathen. Which brings us to the congregants of Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church––a faithful band of true believers who truly believe that GOD HATES FAGS. Not something you will run across in the anathemas of Trent, but then again, not something entirely inconsistent with the sacred writings’ conspicuous intolerance for all things kinky. (You may recall, that nasty Sodom and Gomorrah business.) Be that as it may, it seems that a federal judge has recently put a $5 million lien on Rev Phelps’ tax-exempt temple. According to the story, his church is being sued for their colorful devout behavior: Showing up with their banners and signs at the funerals of gay men. Which sounds as much like a freedom of speech issue, as a freedom of religion one. And it appears the government is clearly trying to limit both. So perhaps the moral of the story is that even free speech has it’s limitations. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theater. And you better not yell at gays period. Especially the dead ones.

Context

The Easter season is a a good time to reflect on the importance of context. On Friday, a nailed-up Jesus looks pretty helpless. On Saturday, a dead-in-the-grave Jesus looks pretty hopeless. But on Sunday….my, my. Sorta like when you take the time to watch the excerpted sound bites of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons in their actual sermon. When you hear the pastor’s message in its actual context. When you hear what the Reverend is actually saying. And who he is actually quoting. My, my. You see, it wasn’t a sermon full of hatred and violence. It was, in fact, a sermon AGAINST hatred and violence. Funny, the difference context makes. Funny, how FOX News doesn’t seem to care much about context. Funny, how 2,000 years after Christ’s resurrection, some people are still more interested in crucifying than in rising again.

God damn it

Given all the patriotic hew and cry over Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s prophetic call for God to damn America; Given all the conservatives who have gotten their knickers in a twist over Barack Obama’s refusal to repudiate his pastor; I’m just a little bit curious why no one ever asked George W. Bush to repudiate the man who lead him to Jesus. The man who, on more than one occasion stated that if God did not judge America, He would owe Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. Not exactly a 4th of July flag-waving sentiment. I mean, Rev. Graham and Rev. Wright seem to be swimming in the same baptismal fount on this topic. Aren’t they? So where was the outrage then? Why did Presidents from Nixon to Bush get to pal around with this old hell-fire prophet with impunity? Why was Graham not banned from every presidential inaugural? Every White House prayer breakfast? Could it be that those of us in the majority culture have less of a problem with a white evangelist enumerating our nation’s sins than with a black preacher casting stones? Could it be that the racism that Rev. Wright finds so endemic in our nation is the very thing that makes us smile when Billy likens us to the sinners of Sodom and makes us spit when a black man makes the same observation? Could it be that Rev. Wright has struck a nerve? Could it be that our sins have found us out?

Who shall overcome?

Remember Martin Luther King? The guy that didn’t do much for the Civil Rights Movement but give little speeches and organize little marches. At least, that was Hillary Clinton’s assessment a week ago. Well, he’s suddenly important again. That’s why Senator Clinton put in an appearance Saturday at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church. That’s why today––MLK day–– she’s all about the transformative achievements of the martyred Dr. King. It is also the reason that both Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee recently showed up at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. (I think Dr. King had a dream about this.) And apparently Obama’s own “fairytale” dream about being America’s first black president is also very much alive. It seems Hillary’s narrow victory in Nevada actually yielded her fewer delegates than Senator Obama. So let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! And please Lord, let freedom ring in South Carolina. Can I get an “Amen”?

Now what?

Two big wins for John McCain. Two back-to-back victories for Romney. And Hillary Clinton is kicking butt and taking names. So what do we know for sure? In the Democratic camp, it is clearly down to a two-way race. If Clinton ekes out a victory in South Carolina, Obama can start crafting his concession speech and a shot at the V.P. slot. The GOP is more up in the air. Clearly, Thompson is a bridesmaid. Ron Paul can decide between a Libertarian run or writing a book on How to Run a World-class Government on Two Dollars a Day. The Giuliani strategy remains an intriguing gamble. And it is pretty clear that Romney has the Mormon vote. The rest, I confess, is a bit hazy. It wasn’t all that long ago that John McCain’s campaign was dead in the water. And there is plenty of time in politics for him to fall and rise again. One thing, however, has to be troubling. McCain’s narrow victories have been with a rag-tag confederation of Republican moderates, independents and the religiously lukewarm. The traditional Republican mainstay of the abortion-hating, illegal hard-lining, born-again church-goers seem to favor a Huckabee candidacy and they, on the whole, have always been a bit leery of McCain and his maverick ways. I mean, the man opposes torture; Can this fellow really be trusted? Winning over the base of the GOP means not alienating this powerful block. Can McCain do it? Well, he’s just won over the people that knocked him out of the running eight years ago. So, anything is possible.

Man Crush

Andrew Sullivan is a complicated guy. Gay, Roman Catholic and a politically conservative libertarian. Right. It makes my head explode, too. And his recent article in The Atlantic further complicates this man. Because his take on Obama is not only fascinating, it’s practically idolatrous. And maybe a little gay. Read it and see what you think.