The religion section of Saturday's Washington Post was topped by a year-in-review article by Kevin Eckstrom of the Religion News Service. Like many other reporters, Eckstrom blurred Obama's Rev. Wright problem right into two McCain endorsers who are ministers. "Both" candidates had vague church problems:
The unprecedented and extraordinary prominence of religion in the 2008 election was easily the year's top religion story. Both parties battled hard for religious voters, and both were forced to distance themselves from outspoken clergy whose fiery rhetoric threatened to become a political liability.
In the end, the top prize went to Obama, the son of a Muslim-born father and an atheist mother, who spent much of the campaign fighting off persistent -- and untrue -- rumors that he was a closet Muslim. His party, after years of consistently losing churchgoers to Republicans, decisively won Catholics, Jews and black Protestants, and made small but significant inroads among some evangelicals.
Eckstrom was slow to mention Jeremiah Wright, and then failed to quote a single word from him:
Still, the 2008 campaign was remarkable for the ways religion -- or religious figures -- played such a prominent role. Obama was forced to sever ties with his fiery pastor of 20 years, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, for sermons that were deemed racist, anti-American and at times downright bizarre. McCain, in turn, was forced to return the endorsements of Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee and Ohio's Rod Parsley.
"Deemed" racist, anti-American, and bizarre? How can anyone judge when the reporter doesn’t use any quotes, even fragments of quotes (say, "God damn America")?
But Eckstrom employed quote fractions when conservatives were at issue, and suggested their interventions into politics made a majority of the electorate uneasy, citing expert Luis Lugo of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson tried to play kingmaker by first saying he would not vote for McCain "under any circumstances" and later calling the Palin pick "God's answer" to prayer. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who proved most popular among religious conservatives and won the Iowa Republican caucuses in January, failed to gain traction despite ads that dubbed him a "Christian leader."
Obama and Biden faced strong opposition from Catholic leaders over their support of abortion rights. One American cardinal, James Stafford, called Obama's election "apocalyptic," and a South Carolina Catholic priest told Obama supporters to head to confession before receiving Communion.
All of that, Lugo said, shows that voters want politicians to be at least somewhat religious -- but prefer to make up their own minds, without the interference of politically outspoken clergy.
"People still do not want religious institutions or religious leaders to weigh in on politics," Lugo said. "There's strong opposition to it, and a strong consensus against it."
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Still mad...
December 28, 2008 - 00:19 ET by Clear thinkerI'm still mad that not one media outlet reported that when Rev. Wright took over as Pastor at Trinity, one of his first bold moves was to kick out all white members. This meant that Obama went to this Church for 18+ years that did NOT allow whites to attend. Around here, we call that racism!
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Clear Thinker, I have never
December 28, 2008 - 01:08 ET by thebutlerdiditClear Thinker,
I have never heard that before, hmmm. I have watched a good bit of footage from Trinity, a neighbor has a relative that goes there, asked to borrow the tapes. We watched a few hours of various Sunday services, and they were indeed awful. I think people want to think that Rev. Wright only said those type of things once or twice, but that's just not true! My neighbor said her relative that goes there is very racist, and yes,my neighbor is black.
Imagine That
December 28, 2008 - 02:01 ET by mountainman08thebutlerdidit,
"We watched a few hours of various Sunday services, and they were indeed awful. I think people want to think that Rev. Wright only said those type of things once or twice, but that's just not true! My neighbor said her relative that goes there is very racist, and yes,my neighbor is black."
Imagine That,
A church that spreads such hatred and racism and not be held accountable in the world of todays view's? Makes one wonder how many other church's in this country follow down this same path of hate.
Can u get some of them, and
December 28, 2008 - 02:37 ET by Dan The Man 2Can u get some of them, and why have they not been on TV 24/7
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
thebutler... And how many
December 30, 2008 - 00:02 ET by Clear thinkerthebutler...
And how many white people did you see in those tapes?
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I might can, but here's the
December 28, 2008 - 03:07 ET by thebutlerdiditI might can, but here's the thing, when my neighbor asked for them from her relative, her relative thought she wanted to see them because she was interested in the church and believed the message. When the relative found out she didn't agree, she got angry. I personally think they have asked people who attend there, or have the tapes not to let them be seen, or gotten out, I know that sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it's the only one I've got. The ones I saw where not as bad as the parts shown on t.v., but it was just words and phrases that were racial here and there. Not really good sound bites. I still believe there are probably horrible things that have been said in that church that were never taped, etc. I don't know, honestly, I put all I truly knew for fact in my first post, everything else is just guessing. I do know my neighbor said they are very protective of Rev. Wright, and that they were livid when the tapes got out on t.v.
Geez...where to start...
December 28, 2008 - 08:08 ET by sentforth5First off, a real church-house teaches the Word of God and ONLY the Word of God. These "churches" being spoken of here are not churches whatsoever.
Second, to place the terms "reverend" or "pastor" in front of Wright's or Hagee's names is a farce. When I was ordained, the methodist "church" affixed "reverend" to my name, and it displeases me to this day, as I wish for no man or woman to revere me, as no person under the sun Biblically can be revered.We are ONLY to revere God. The word Pastor suits me a bit better, but that word comes from pasture as a pasture is where the sheep are fed.Problem with accepting that suffix before your name is that one can only feed Christ's sheep the Word of God...our daily Bread..theBread ofLife. The Bread of Life is ONLY the Words in the Bible and NOTHING else.Christ was born in Bethlehem..Bethlehem means literally the house of bread.
Frankly, I have tested the fruit of these empty men and they wouldn't know the Bread of Life if I personally crammed it down their throats.
And beats me why they are still picking on McCain...his name is literally Son of Cain, and what would anyone expect from a son of Cain other than to bolster the work of Cain's father Satan.
It's all a joke played on us by the children of satan and satan himself.
The Fifth trump has sounded and now is the time of teaching DISCIPLINE within The Word of God, and there is little or no discipline at all within these would-be "churches".
In very short order the sixth trump will sound and satan will be here DEFACTO pretending to be Christ.Many will be deceived and here we see a good picture of the deception as children of that wicked one pretend to be men of God.
It's all a joke, it's all deception, it's all vanity, it's all vexation, and satan is chuckling at us as we wade through this mire.
satan is a punk and he will not get away with it as long as the Elect are around and God, with Christ Jesus at His Right Hand, is still sitting on His Throne.
Uhhh...you know...I's just sayin' is all..........
You're an ordained Methodist minister?
December 28, 2008 - 11:31 ET by catharIn my neck of the woods, the United Methodist Church is very liberal (gay friendly and anti-war). Your commentary seems a little - ah - unique for those of the Methodist persuasion. Just sayin' is all......
not really cathar
December 28, 2008 - 11:43 ET by candanceI used to be friends with a Methodist family in NC and they were pretty fundamental.
I'm a typical white person.
Same for me, except in
December 28, 2008 - 11:51 ET by Free StinkerSame for me, except in Northern New Jersey.
P.S. - Me thinks cathar has a problem with God or those who believe in Him.
cathar also has
December 28, 2008 - 11:55 ET by cocodriecathar also has a problem with real women.
Since cathar angrily
December 28, 2008 - 11:59 ET by Free StinkerSince cathar angrily mentioned in a previous post that we DO NOT have calendars of ineffective & weak women such as Christie Whitman, and Olympia Snow, I would tend to agree.
"Gov. Palin has been subjected to one of the most massive and dishonest pile-on smear attacks in the history of liberal media." -- Lowell Ponte
Quick, get a broom. There is cathair all over the place in here!
December 28, 2008 - 12:05 ET by R D Helm:-)
-Dave
cathar...
December 28, 2008 - 16:24 ET by sentforth5I left the Methodist church when they accused me of "Bibliolatry" which is a word they made up because of my staunch adherence to scripture.
I am now an independent Christian minister and Bible teacher and I recommend to all I teach to stay far away from organized church governments. Hey, I had to start somewhere...what a long strange trip it's been.
Hmm...folks "round here think you don't believe in God...this is the first I've seen of you, so I won't judge.
Obama
December 28, 2008 - 12:24 ET by lotr"decisively won Catholics"
This, folks, is the "other" Catholic scandal.
And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. -- Edgar Allan Poe
Rome tells us daily
December 29, 2008 - 15:49 ET by JIMMY1660Rome tells us daily "abortion is wrong"-so Catholics vote for the baby killer BHO. he will lead us to the promised land.
allow me to Love America
I grew up in a Southern
December 29, 2008 - 16:07 ET by thebutlerdiditI grew up in a Southern Baptist church in Alabama. I moved to Georgia, and the Baptist churches here were different from what I was used to. It wouldn't seem that way, but it was. I tell people I am Baptist, and they have all these weird visions about what goes on in our churches. I can't speak for all branches of the Baptist, but we were very normal. No one practiced any things you see on tv that people associate with Southern churches. We go, the pastor gives a sermon, about 30 min, before and after we stand and sing, no band, just piano/organ, no one moves about, we pray silently, and then we shake hands with the pastor on the way out the door. It may not appeal to all, or anyone else, but my family likes it. It is very simple and comfortable. There's no yellling, no snakes, no dancing, no laying on hands, just the basics. I think it is a very personal thing, everyone likes their religious service differently, but I am comfortable with my church.
Consensus
December 30, 2008 - 00:01 ET by NorthCoasterYeah, right Kevin, Rev. Wright and Louis Farrakhan, both Obama supporters and virulant anti-American preachers who were confidants of Obama for years compared to differences of opinions between John McCain and a few conservative Christian preachers who happened to support John McCain? This comparison was overblown during the campaign and should have been silenced then. Church Leaders have their opinions that are presented as lessons for their flocks. The Catholic Curch holds life very dear and as such, leaders pronounced the need for believers to go to confession for supporting the goals of free abortion, which is killing a life. As such, Church leaders stated that McCain held beliefs in line with their conservative teachings and it was fair to point this out.
Wright and Farrakhan are just trash talking rabble rousers hiding their racism under the guise of religion.