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Im sorry, I just see a Senator and Presidential candidate sitting through some of those "despicable" statements for 20 years as being a bit diff from John Q Public doing the same. There is a higher level of responsibility in my opinion.

I understand that Rev Wright has every right to say them and Sen Obama has every right to go to church where he chooses. But actions have consequences.

I wonder how much of a Christian Pastor you are! Anyone can call themselves a Pastor! Many false profits do! Apparently you do as does Mr. Wright if you condone his retoric!

However, I as any Christian and particularly our Lord Jesus Christ will hold you accountable for taking the Lord's name in vain. This violation of scripture is not acceptable to present to any Christian congregation! If you accept that Mr Wright or others in the name of Christianity can do this, I think you should have a long talk with the Lord and ask for forgiviness!

For you to condone is almost unimaginable!
Obama will be found out! The question is will it happen before or after the ignorant and enamored vote him in office!

Thank you for this wonderful article. I agree wholeheartedly that just because you attend church or have someone influential in your life does not mean you have to support and agree with all of their views. My own grandparents still harbor racism in their hearts and that is the only reason they are hesitant to vote for Obama (they clearly agree with all of his politics). I will not disown them but try to show them a better way, just as Obama has done with Rev. Wright.

Yeah, well, sort of. But a man is known by the company he keeps. Certainly this kind of apologetics would hardly be applied were the congregant/politico a member, say, of Jerry Falwell's congregation. It's not unreasonable to assume that individuals worship in places whose ideologies and theologies are similar to their own. The rather crude comparisons here with academic freedom are less than compelling. Sure, invite Falwell and Wright to campus, but not to my church, please.

Obama's problem, simply put, is that he casts himself as being above the old, divisive racial politics and yet worships at a militant Afrocentric church.

Yeah, well, sort of. But a man is known by the company he keeps. Certainly this kind of apologetics would hardly be applied were the congregant/politico a member, say, of Jerry Falwell's congregation. It's not unreasonable to assume that individuals worship in places whose ideologies and theologies are similar to their own. The rather crude comparisons here with academic freedom are less than compelling. Sure, invite Falwell and Wright to campus, but not to my church, please.

Obama's problem, simply put, is that he casts himself as being above the old, divisive racial politics and yet worships at a militant Afrocentric church.

The most telling part of this whole debacle is that for more than 20 years Obama has been comfortable with this anti-American, anti-white preacher.Obama was forced by the public to face reality and fired Wright because of public sentiment, not because Obama found Wright's statements despicable.

Its funny a story that was buried by the LIBERAL press need defending! Would the liberal pastor tell us his take when Bush went to Bob Jones University? I doubt that he wants to discuss that.

Several questions occur to me, in no particular order. Are there other well known people who are members of this church? What are their politics? Do well-regarded ministers of other primarily black churches preach political hellfire and damnation on Sunday and then act more moderately the rest of the week? Can Obama compartmentalize his spiritual-cum-political church life and his White House life? Does he want to? Should we even expect that? Would some small doses of Rev. Wright's philosophy, minus the invective and via the moderating influence of Obama, be a good thing or a bad thing? Is this more of the same of what John Kennedy faced as a Catholic or is it something different?

The truth be told, many black ministers preach some of the same lessons from the pulpit as Wright, if not in quite the same tone.
The rhetoric my press hard on the hyperbole button but it's rooted in frustration and exasperation of the many black Americans allegiance to this nation but anger that (no pun intended) America does not always practice what it preaches.
Consider how black World War II veterans felt in fighting and dying for liberty abroad and then (the fortunate ones) coming home to segregated jobs, schools and communities.

From the perspective of the stereotypical "average white person," the problem with your example is that it's half a century old. The AWP believes that, at present, the nation does practice what it preaches: that the achievement gap (in education, income, crime, drug use, etc.) is not due to a failure of society at large, but of the black community in particular and its anachronistic deployment of a rhetoric of victimization. Here's, more or less, what the AWP thinks:

"Sure I'm like Susan Estrich--more scared of black men on the bus--but that's because they commit more crimes than men of other races. That's not racism; that's logic. I'm not racist: I treat everyone the same, including Bob at the office. He does fine: why can't those black people on TV do like he does and get a decent education and a decent job? When cousin Sally married that black guy, I went to the wedding. He seems OK.

Slavery and segregation were ages ago: blacks today have it easy, even compared to me. That was then, this is now. If I were black, I would have gotten a college scholarship! The problem with blacks is that they blame us for everything, including wierd conspiracy theories about HIV. If they want to have 70% of their kids outside of marriage, that's on them. If they're more concerned about police oppression than they are about black-on-black crime, then what am I supposed to do? Bill Cosby says the same thing. Enough about their frustration and exasperation: blacks frustrate and exasperate ME. Why can't they get their act together? Why can't they have leaders more like Bill Cosby and less like Al Sharpton? Why do they need leaders anyway? There aren't any white leaders. Can't they think for themselves? Maybe this Obama guy can light a fire under them and show them that America IS the land of opportunity. He sounds optimistic, and a can-do attitude is precisely what blacks need most of all. But wait, his preacher is the same-old blame whitey sort of guy. Obama's probably just like the rest of them."

Whatever the statistic connection between the white population and the AWP, the above captures pretty accurately, I think, the tough row Obama has to hoe.

I've been thinking about this for several days and here are my thoughts, for what they are worth.

I have been pro-Hillary most of the campaign, but not in a huge way. I knew her politics better than Obama's and I felt comfortable with her foibles. When Obama finally surged ahead, I was all right with him. I liked what he had said over the past few months and he sounded reasonable. Importantly for me, he--like Hillary--wants to get out of Iraq and he has been addressing the declining economy.

When I heard Rev. Wright's remarks last week, I figured they were probably taken out of context. I've been a member of a United Church of Christ in the past--it is a fairly mainstream church. And, more to the point, some good things have come out of politically-active churches such as the United Church of Christ.

Uh-oh, the nice little bubble I've been in has popped.

The more I read about Obama's church, the more uncomfortable I feel. I get that Rev. Wright is angry and I certainly can't blame him for being frustrated. I can't even imagine the world that he, as a young black man, grew up in during the 50's and the 60's or, in many respects, the world he, even now, deals with on a day-to-day basis. At some level, I don't even blame Rev. Wright for venting in his church. He has a right to say what he wants to say and people have a right to listen. People need a place to vent.

However, at this point, it's not just about one man and his church--it's about a candidate for president of the United States. Obama has been sitting in this church (with his children) for 20 years listening to mean-spirited sermons...and he is still there. Fortunately for Obama, he is a good speaker and he said all the politically-correct things in response to the Rev. Wright fiasco; but unfortunately for me, his words no longer mesh with my experience of him and as the old cliche goes, actions speak louder than words.

Maybe some will say I am racist for questioning this. Maybe some will say that I am looking at this through the lens of a white person. But if Hillary (or any other nominee for that matter) were a member of a church in which the pastor continually said hateful things about blacks, I would not give her a pass. She would not get my vote.

I want a centrist president. I want someone who can work both sides of the aisle. I know Hillary can and will do that. I am not so sure about Obama any more. If Obama is the Democratic nominee in November, McCain possibly may be the centrist candidate for me. I am truly surprised because it's been many years since I, a registered Independent, have even considered voting Republican. But there it is.

I respect that choice and understand how you arrived at it.

... However, you should know that John McCain has courted supporters from the Religious Right whom he once denounced.
They, too, have said infamously divisive and controversial things.

Allen--
I am aware of that and I fundamentally disagree with Religious Right as well. I wouldn't have minded if Obama had courted Rev. Wright--didn't B. Clinton even invite him to the White House? I get the strange bedfellows issue.

My issue is with Obama sitting in the church for 20 (count them--1, 2, 3,...,20--egads!) years. Obama's long-term association with this church and its politics do not mesh with his words. I am truly disappointed.

Oops...does not mesh!

Allen-
I will try my best to keep an open mind. Obama has some fine qualities. Perhaps you or someone else can enlighten me.

Does Obama listen to all this preaching and philosophy at church on Sunday and then just compartmentalize it? Or does he really believe it? Is this similar to the hellfire and brimstone preaching we find at other churches (regarding salvation); i.e. Jack, you're going to hell if you don't get baptized for the remission of sins...oh, and by the way, are we still on for that tennis game Saturday?

I think I could use some education here.