<p>Where have you been? What performances? The guy retired already; in fact, I posted about it about a month before anyone else on CC noticed (and I knew last May when I spoke with the gentleman I know from Trinity, and he told me about the impending retirement). I challenged you to share some sort of anecdotal evidence that proves Wright is a crook. You offered nothing other than speculation. I offered first hand knowledge from people WHO ARE ACTUALLY MEMBERS and professionals that that debunk everything you say, that you can only speculate on.</p>
<p>Hondu, I will answer this way: However how many scientists have been to the moon - that doesn’t stopped them from designing lunar landers and calculating with precision the distance,fuel,projectory in order to make a moon landing.</p>
<p>Also is it common experience for black churches to bash America as regular part of their services ?</p>
<p>yourworld, your analogy is totally irrelevant because scientists have a deep and thorough theoretical and empirical understanding of everything related to the moon whereas you have at best an extremely limited understanding of a single church.</p>
<p>I see, yourworld … I take it from your analogy that you have a PhD in African-American studies or sociology, just as the moon scientists have PhDs in astronomy or aerospace engineering. Where’d you get your degrees?</p>
<p>The United Church of Christ has a long history of doing good for the community and the country. When Obama came to NH he lived this creed by working at the food pantry stacking cans of food-More than just a photo op-he got very little press, but won the admiration of those he worked with.</p>
<p>You still have not answered YW’s thoughtful questions: What was the reverend thinking about when he drove from his mansion in the rich,white neighorhood to church, and what was he thinking about when he drove from the hood back to his mansion.</p>
<p>The home hasn’t been built yet. It’s a home owned by the church for the Reverend’s use during his retirement. 1.6 million. A lot of churches do this to reward theri pastors for years of service-- Graham and Fallwell come to mind.</p>
<p>Wright did not served a mega church and does TV evangelism like Falwell or crusade like Graham. He’s not in the same class. And Graham uses much of his property for church business. </p>
<p>By the way, didnt the good Book warns men of God against laying up treasures on earth ? Wright is a man of God, isn’t he ?</p>
<p>Personally, I’ve had it up to here with the smarmy, sanctimonious hypocrites who sneer at people who have actually tried to better the lot of the poor, minorities, the middle class - everyday people - on the basis that the people who actually try to accomplish change that will help others should have to be held to a standard of personal self-sacrifice that they don’t hold themselves to. I am in favor of political and social change which will better the lot of the poor and blue collar people in America - even if that change must come at the expense of people like me. Does that mean that I give all my earnings to the poor? No. Did I move to an affluent, crime-free community with good schools when the opportunity presented itself to me? Yes. I remember the very firm advice my (Republican) mom gave me as a teenager: “Charity begins at home.” I take care of my own kids - first - and I (try to) ensure my own financial security for retirement. But I continue to work towards an America where those less fortunate than I don’t get left behind, despite their best efforts.</p>
<p>I don’t blame Wright for accepting a nice home to live in in retirement. I don’t blame John Edwards for living in a big house while trying to reverse the tide of anti-middle class laws and regulations choking America. I don’t criticize Al Gore for using jet travel to spread the word about global warming. I don’t hold them to a different standard than I do the totally self-centered greedheads - or myself. Working for the good of others does not - and should not - condemn the good to a life of personal sacrifice beyond that which anyone else experiences. People who insist that they should, without holding themselves to that same standard - are hypocrites.</p>
<p>Does that answer your question edvest? Yourworld? Do you hold Rev. Wright to a standard you don’t apply to yourselves?</p>
<p>Kluge, you are being sanctimonious yourself by passing judgment on me and others. I never told anyone I tried to better the lot of other people. Therefore I have no standard to live up to. </p>
<p>Like a common folk that I am, I call this crook as I see it. </p>
<p>What I get from you and others is it seems like its a liberal’s life calling to reverse logics, abandom common sense, defend the indefensibles. It is capricious to argue wrong is right. Example: what he said was merely “taken out of context”. </p>
<p>He is in context alright. He gave a performance. He fed garbage to his congregation who ate it up including “I wasn’t there” Obama.</p>
<p>For your info, Wright made an even bigger jerk of himself in the Bill Moyer interview. He’s just what I expected.</p>
<p>A lot of words, Yourworld, but no answer. Do you condemn Rev. Wright for living in a nice house (not yet, but in the future)? Would you yourself not live there? If you would live in such a house, given the opportunity, what is your basis for criticizing Rev. Wright for doing the exact same thing that you would do, given the chance? Simple questions. </p>
<p>Is it the fact that you never claim to have tried to better the lot of anyone other than yourself that makes it OK for you to do the exact same thing you criticize others for? “Standards” only apply to people who care about others? Is that your point? If so, what’s your basis for asserting moral superiority over Rev. Wright? Do you believe that your own lack of standards makes you morally superior to people who do the same things you would do if given the opportunity?</p>
<p>I’ll be honest: I’m having a hard time following your logic.</p>
<p>How much house does $1.6 million buy in the Chicago area? In my area, a nice but by no means palatial house. The house, presumably, will belong to the church, not to Rev. Wright. This is a very common arrangement. Rev. Gomes lives in a large house owned by Harvard. I would not be surprised if it were estimated at around $5 million. University presidents, of course, also get to live in houses provided by their university.</p>
<p>I just watched the Bill Moyers interview. I hope that everyone who feels that Obama’s association with Jeremiah Wright is disturbing watches this interview. It is riveting. He is smart and thoughtful and inspiring. I certainly see why Obama would be drawn to him as a spiritual leader. Those sound bites do him a huge disservice.</p>
<p>yes, I did watch it and I agree with you babar, but I doubt anyone who had hatred of him before will have their minds changed because of it.</p>
<p>For me, it was kind of like being back in seminary, with all the references to theologians I’d read… Martin Marty and James Cone in particular. They were inspirational when I read them, and still are today. But I had a couple of seminary profs that definitely came to mind as I listened to Wright’s interview. Like I’ve said, not anything too new that I’ve not heard before from classes. So how many here had ever heard of the word hermeneutics? I’ll have to admit, I’d never heard of it until I studied theology. </p>
<p>Actually, I was very impressed with Moyers theological insight and ability to address the nuances of the biblical contexts.</p>
<p>I watched the interview too, and yes, it was impressive. I like Martin Marty too, and I caught the reference. Did you catch Moyers showing how he was in the picture of Wright tending to Lyndon Johnson in the hospital? They have apparently known each other a long time.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, they didn’t address stuff like Wright telling his parishoners that the gov’t invented AIDS to kill black people, or that the gov’t distributes crack cocaine in urban areas so as to arrest black kids. Those are lies. There were more complete clips of some sermons which do, I admit, put some of the statements more into context, altho’ I still think they are over the top and inflammatory. But you are right, there is another side to Rev. Wright, and I’m sure it was the intent of the show to portray that.</p>
<p>Wright will address the Washington Press Club on Monday, fwiw. Hopefully more (and better) exposure.</p>
<p>I thought the tough questions that Mr. Moyers asked were very impressive. He had to know that asking the tough questions that he did was going to displease many of the Obama supporters and subject him to a great deal of ridicule. </p>
<p>Good for him that he made a point of challenging the good Reverend. I thought that it was especially provocative to ask him to explain his comments. Now I understand why Moyers is held in such high regard for being such an inquisitive and challenging journalist.</p>