Obama's Speech

[lindalinda]

. And that for us, it is hard to imagine a person who wants our vote for POTUS not being the kind of person who would also stand up, walk out and not go back....whether he heard it in person or found out about it through the grapevine. Perhaps we envision a POTUS made of the stuff that would takean uncomfortable stand ASAP, even against a longtime friend, over something so disturbing as the sermons he delivered. Because doing the right thing is HARD. And I want a POTUS who can and will do the right thing, and do it before his back is up against a wall. .

Thats lovely. So do you think Hilary is this person, or McCain? I just dont see it.

 

[DisneyDotty]

From reading these posts, it seems that there are quite a number of people who truly would not walk out, let alone quit a church over these things.

Curious here--which of Wright's comments specifically would have made you walk out?
I'm really trying to understand which statements people found offensive, and why. Thanks.

 

[djm99]

At the risk of seeming naive, unAmerican, unpatriotic--I'm going to throw this out there...

Am I the only one who isn't terribly disturbed by Rev. Wright's comments? (Heck, I even agree with some of them.)

Similar comments were made about the US after 9/11 by Revs. Robertson and Falwell--didn't bother me--I wasn't going to elect them to anything.

History shows that the American government has been responsible for some horrendous human rights offenses (atomic bomb, internment camps, slavery, testing drugs on minorities, forced lobotomies etc.) What's that saying--those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat it?

I've heard similar strong language from Catholic priests in (my former) church regarding abortion/homosexuality. Really nothing unusual or shocking to have pastors make us feel uncomfortable, even offended by their sermons. Read the Bible. Jesus wasn't all honey and sugar.

Regardless, I'm not voting for Rev. Wright. It's America. He's allowed freedom of speech.

Nope your not the only one. Actually seeing the words in writing (although out of context) I can SEE the words for what they are. Even the G D America comment.

Thanks for posting that info Dawn. I know you enjoy doing what you do. Keep being you!!!

 

[Chuck S]

And that for us, it is hard to imagine a person who wants our vote for POTUS not being the kind of person who would also stand up, walk out and not go back....whether he heard it in person or found out about it through the grapevine. Perhaps we envision a POTUS made of the stuff that would take an uncomfortable stand ASAP, even against a longtime friend, over something so disturbing as the sermons he delivered. Because doing the right thing is HARD. And I want a POTUS who can and will do the right thing, and do it before his back is up against a wall. .

I absolutely agree. ONE of those sermons should have been enoughfor someone in that congregation to speak up or leave, let alone a potential POTUS.

 

[kribit]

Someone asked for the background of what the pastor said. Why is it that when people ask and get the answer, they are agitated?

Would it have been different if an Obama supporter posted the data?

On that, I'm going to bed. I'm Obama'd out.

 

[EMom]

Curious here--which of Wright's comments specifically would have made you walk out?
I'm really trying to understand which statements people found offensive, and why. Thanks.

For starters, the first time he took the Lord's name in vain and broke a Commandment, I'd be moving toward the parking lot. When he got on the HIV invention angle, I'd just think he was a ntucase like those people who claim the Holocaust never happened and that would have done the trick too. Saying that we believe in White supremacy and Black inferiority more than we believe in God is blasphemy, plain and simple. That's three. There are more, but that should suffice.

 

[emma'smom]

Issues like homosexuality, abortion and stem cell research are religious issues. Most religions teach that they are wrong but they do not teach hate. Race is not a religious issue.

Hmm..I'm a Christian and my religion does not teach that any of these things are wrong....

 

[jacksonsmom]

I apologize for lumping all small white churches together and it definitely wasn't my intention to come off as racist. I think it's great your church is so welcoming. I hope all churches learn to embrace their fellow man and not judge others by the color of their skin and how much money they have to offer.

I also know that not all churches are a House of God and not all ministers were called to preach which is why some people leave churches in disgust. Now I'm not talking about me, but I hear other talk about the goings on in these super large mega churches and how corrupt some of them are. I just think it's sad because that's not how God intended his house to be used.

Apology accepted

The part I bolded I totally agree with.

I think it is sad. I love my church because of the warm and welcoming feeling it gives. When I was church hunting, this church just grabbed me. I always felt welcomed there and I liked how there was also people of different races there. I will admit our town is probably a good 95% white, so it is easy to find a church in town that has no other race but white. Our small town has a lot of churches!
But anyway, I like how ours just seems to welcome every one from all walks of life. That is what drew me to the church in the first place.

Like I also said I really don't know my Pastor's political views, except that I saw him at our Democratic cacsus so I would think he is a Democrat. I have no idea if he supports Clinton or Obama or both. It doesn't matter to me.

Now I will say if he started preaching to me how one was better then the other while giving a sermon I would have a serious problem with that.
That is not why I go to church. IMO

 

[disneyjunkie]

For starters, the first time he took the Lord's name in vain and broke a Commandment, I'd be moving toward the parking lot. When he got on the HIV invention angle, I'd just think he was a ntucase like those people who claim the Holocaust never happened and that would have done the trick too. Saying that we believe in White supremacy and Black inferiority more than we believe in God is blasphemy, plain and simple. That's three. There are more, but that should suffice.

Why does the HIV issue make him a nut case?

The Tuskegee Experiment lasted for 50 years. It happened in our life time, to fellow Americans. About 500 poor, black, men were injected with syphilis. Some of their wives contracted the disease. Children were born with congenital syphilis. Our government (all the way up to the Surgeon General) was involved.

I don't believe our government had anything to do with AIDS, but I can understand why some may disagree.

 

[CathrynRose]

Why does the HIV issue make him a nut case?

The Tuskegee Experiment lasted for 50 years. It happened in our life time, to fellow Americans. About 500 poor, black, men were injected with syphilis. Some of their wives contracted the disease. Children were born with congenital syphilis. Our government (all the way up to the Surgeon General) was involved.

I don't believe our government had anything to do with AIDS, but I can understand why some may disagree.

No disrespect, but truly feeling that our goverment had anything at all to do with HIV/AIDS is very much a nut-case, if not at least completely paranoid.

And then announcing such to parishioners who DO respect him, who DO look up to him, who DO want to see him as an honest, genuine Christian are getting his paranoid thoughts.

WOuldnt you agree?

 

[chobie]

No disrespect, but truly feeling that our goverment had anything at all to do with HIV/AIDS is very much a nut-case, if not at least completely paranoid.

And then announcing such to parishioners who DO respect him, who DO look up to him, who DO want to see him as an honest, genuine Christian are getting his paranoid thoughts.

WOuldnt you agree?

If the government already did this once with a sexually transmitted disease, why is so nutty to think they might do it again?

 

[disneyjunkie]

No disrespect, but truly feeling that our goverment had anything at all to do with HIV/AIDS is very much a nut-case, if not at least completely paranoid.

And then announcing such to parishioners who DO respect him, who DO look up to him, who DO want to see him as an honest, genuine Christian are getting his paranoid thoughts.

WOuldnt you agree?

No I don't agree. It happened once from 1932-1972.

Those feelings weren't just pulled out of thin air.

 

[yeartolate]

No disrespect, but truly feeling that our goverment had anything at all to do with HIV/AIDS is very much a nut-case, if not at least completely paranoid.

And then announcing such to parishioners who DO respect him, who DO look up to him, who DO want to see him as an honest, genuine Christian are getting his paranoid thoughts.

WOuldnt you agree?

I do not now how old you are, but I was alive while The Tuskegee Experiments were occuring. We had already had a man on the moon while these expeiments were occuring.

Now realistically, I do not think is happening now, but I will allow the black community to ponder the possibility. They have every right to wonder.

I am a firm believer in understanding and acknowledging mistakes so you do not repeat them in the future. I am curious how many folks here actually were educated about this?

 

[CathrynRose]

No I don't agree. It happened once from 1932-1972.

Those feelings weren't just pulled out of thin air.

Fair enough. However.... just as you said you didnt really feel that was the case this time around, he's putting thoughts into people heads that may NOT be the case - and quite frankly, most likely NOT the case.

Paranoia breeds fear, and it feeds on itself.

 

[kribit]

Why does the HIV issue make him a nut case?

The Tuskegee Experiment lasted for 50 years. It happened in our life time, to fellow Americans. About 500 poor, black, men were injected with syphilis. Some of their wives contracted the disease. Children were born with congenital syphilis. Our government (all the way up to the Surgeon General) was involved.

I don't believe our government had anything to do with AIDS, but I can understand why some may disagree.

I do not know this for a fact, but my understanding of this story (as posted in the following CDC article) is that the men already had the disease and were part of a study. It is still horrendous that these men were not cured of the disease, but our government did not inject them to die.

http://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

 

[marybet]

Does this help? Here a few quotes.

September 2001: “The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”

– September 2001: “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.”

– September 2001: “We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because of stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own backyard. America is chickens coming home to roost.”

– April 2003: “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes three-strike laws and wants them to sing God Bless America. No! No No! God damn America … for killing innocent people. God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans. God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme.”

– December 2007: “Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich, white people. Hillary would never know that.”

– December 2007: “Hillary ain’t never been called a ******. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”

– Jan. 13, 2008: “Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”

– “Fact number one: We’ve got more black men in prison than there are in college. … Fact number two: Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run.”

– “We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns and the training of professional killers. … We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. … We conducted radiation experiments on our own people. … We care nothing about human life if the ends justify the means.
And … And … And! God! Has got! To be sick! Of this ****!”

As tedhowe said, these all happened after 9/11. They don't go back 20 years. So Obama has not been sitting in a pew listening to hate speech for 20 years.

People will believe what they choose. I believe that I will still vote for Obama.

 

[yeartolate]

Fair enough. However.... just as you said you didnt really feel that was the case this time around, he's putting thoughts into people heads that may NOT be the case - and quite frankly, most likely NOT the case.

Paranoia breeds fear, and it feeds on itself.

Yet those who forget the past are condemed to repeat it.

Speeking of which, we seem to have a habit of supporting people or regimes that come back to bite us in the butt later. (Hussain/Bin Laden). I wonder how many people back then spoke out about Saddam, but were called alarmist?

 

[luvmy3]

As tedhowe said, these all happened after 9/11. They don't go back 20 years. So Obama has not been sitting in a pew listening to hate speech for 20 years.

People will believe what they choose. I believe that I will still vote for Obama.

Isn't 7 long enough?

 

[disneyjunkie]

I do not know this for a fact, but my understanding of this story (as posted in the following CDC article) is that the men already had the disease and were part of a study. It is still horrendous that these men were not cured of the disease, but our government did not inject them to die.

http://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

OK, maybe they didn't inject them. They did not treat them. They allowed the disease to spread. They did all they could do to keep them from getting the treatment that would have cured them.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762136.html

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Most conservatives, who have looked at Huckabee's record, would strongly disagree that he is a conservative.

So you're telling me you didn't like what he said, eh?


Most conservatives said they'd never vote for John McCain either so