Obama's Church: Spengler on Jeremiah Wright and his peculiar theology

The more you know, the more painfully clear it becomes that Obama embodies everything America is not.

The peculiar theology of black liberation Spengler hat tip George

What played out last week on America's television screens was a clash of two irreconcilable cultures, the posture of "black liberation theology" and the mainstream American understanding of Christianity. Obama, who presented himself as a unifying figure, now seems rather the living embodiment of the clash.

One of the strangest dialogues in American political history ensued on March 15 when Fox News interviewed Obama's pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, of Chicago's Trinity Church. Wright asserted the authority of the "black liberation" theologians James Cone and Dwight Hopkins:

Wright: How many of Cone's books have you read? How many of Cone's book have you read?

Sean Hannity: Reverend, Reverend?

(crosstalk)

Wright: How many books of Cone's have you head?

Hannity: I'm going to ask you this question ...

Wright: How many books of Dwight Hopkins have you read?

Hannity: You're very angry and defensive. I'm just trying to ask a question here.

Wright: You haven't answered - you haven't answered my question.

[...]

Biblical theology teaches that even the most terrible events to befall Israel, such as the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, embody the workings of divine justice, even if humankind cannot see God's purpose. James Cone sees the matter very differently. Either God must do what we want him to do, or we must reject him, Cone maintains:

Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love. [1]

Go, read it all.

UPDATE: Craig draws this stunning parallel:

CNN reported in late Feb 2000 that, “The members of Bush's senior team in Austin, Texas, were only vaguely aware of Bob Jones University's policies and past. "Reagan spoke there…” Aides said.

Bush had given a speech. Just one speech at the controversial university, but that was enough to join him at Jones’ hip. Thus, the press piled on:

• Feb 27, 2000 – Los Angeles Times - “Bush is wishing he'd never set foot on the Bob Jones campus”
• Feb 28, 2000 – BusinessWeek - “Bush received an enthusiastic response at Bob Jones U.
• Feb 28, 2000 – Washington Post - “Bush Caters to the Bigotry of Bob Jones”
• Feb 29, 2000 – International Herald Tribune - “criticized Mr. Bush for speaking at Bob Jones University,”
• Mar 4, 2000 – Seattle Post-Intelligencer - “do we want the ideals of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Bob Jones?”
• Mar 4, 2000 – Dallas Morning News - “a letter of regret for visiting Bob Jones University”
• Mar 4, 2000 – Dayton Daily News - “Gerald Ford says he would not have spoken at Bob Jones:
• >Mar 5, 2000 - Contra Costa - "The definition of George Bush's compassionate conservative is Bob Jones III ...
• Mar 5, 2000 – Los Angeles Times - “aggrieved over Bush's visit to Bob Jones University”
• Mar 5, 2000 – Miami Herald - “Bush was insensitive to Catholics by visiting Bob Jones University.”
• Mar 5, 2000 – Chicago Sun-Times - “criticism of Bush for his visit to anti-Catholic Bob Jones University”=
• Mar 5, 2000 – Maureen Dowd- “In South Carolina, former Gov. David Beasley … gave a bear hug to Bob Jones Bush.”
• Mar 6, 2000 – Guardian Unlimited - “Mr Bush had to repair the damage done by his appearance at the Bob Jones university”
• Mar 6, 2000 – Philadelphia Daily News - “the Bob Jones affair"

This was just a slice of what the press ran with at the time, and continued throughout the campaign. Remember this was about the issue of simply making a speech at the place. Bush had issued a letter of apology and it should have been over, but the MSM persisted right up to the last days of the election:

• Oct. 09, 2000 – Time - “Remember Bob Jones?”
• Oct 13, 2000 – Boston Globe – “Governor Bush, you say you are a `uniter,' but how could you speak at Bob Jones University”
• Oct 22, 2000 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch -  “At the same time, he spoke at the ultraconservative Bob Jones University,”
• Oct 23, 2000 - Philadelphia Inquirer -  “Hughes, did not buy Bush's promises of inclusion, especially after his visit to Bob Jones”
• Nov 1, 2000 - Los Angeles Times – “then took a hard right turn, heralded by a fiery defense of conservative values at Bob Jones University in South Carolina”
• And even as Gore hadn’t tried to make it an issue, the press was still begging him to right into the final days:
• 11-02-2000 - Julianne Malveaux, - The Sun Reporter – “Why won't Al Gore talk about Bob Jones University?”

Now imagine if Bush hadn’t just given a speech, but also…

• Was an active member of the church for 20-years
• Was married by Bob Jones
• Had his children baptized by Bob Jones
• Titled a book after one of Jones’ sermons
• Had regularly listened to Jones’ sermons on tape while at grad school

• Had appointed Jones to his campaign

• Claimed Jones as his spiritual mentor

…and then claimed he was “only vaguely aware of Bob Jones University's policies and past”?

I have just two words to answer that; President Gore.

 

Comments

[oppressedbyislam]

Jeremiah Wright's talk reminds me a lot of the teachings of Elijah Muhammad--Yakub the mad scientist, the Mother Ship, kooky stuff. Both men combine hate with sci-fi conspiracy theories with illiteracy of claimed religious texts. At least if Obama was going to follow some anti-American, racist pastor preaching oppression and exploitation by Western capitalist imperialists, he could have at least chosen someone thoughtful, analytical, intelligent--like Sayyid Qutb (malignant though his influence has been)--not a nutjob like Wright. I kind of feel sorry for Obama, he's starting to look not wrong, or even just naive, but really downright stupid because of his bad judgment.