First it was the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and now the Reverend Michael Pfleger. What's with Obama's crackpot preacher pals?
One is white and one is black. And there are probably more of them that the Obama campaign is trying to muzzle as we speak. But does Obama seem peculiarly unfortunate in his choice of mentors and allies, or is there an ideological basis to what these preachers are saying?
Chicago, where Obama is from, is the capital of what may be called the Black Liberation Theology movement in the United States. This movement is a legacy of the 1960s, and has more to do with Malcolm X than Martin Luther King.
Malcolm X, you may recall, denounced Christianity as a racist religion which had created what he called a "blond, blue-eyed Jesus." Malcolm X called on blacks to repudiate this bigoted religion. He himself embraced the Nation of Islam with its own peculiar theology.
Some black activists, notably a theologian named James Cone, agreed with Malcolm X. But their solution was not to abandon Christianity. Rather, they countered what they saw as the white man's Christianity with a kind of black equivalent. In this view, Christ was not blond and blue eyed but rather black and Afrocentric. Picture Christ with an Afro and dashiki leading a revolutionary liberation movement against the white Pharoahs and you'll get the picture.
Cone and others spearheaded a new interpretation of the Bible which is now read as a story of emancipation from white racist oppression. Unfortunately what black liberation theology does is to take all the old racial stereotypes and simply invert them. Consequently the new theology was no less race-conscious and prejudiced than the one it sought to replace.
The Reverend Jeremiah Wright explicitly associates himself with black liberation theology. I don't know about Pfleger, but his rhetoric also reflects the same themes. Ironically there are some whites like Pfleger who are attracted to the doctrine of white oppressors and black martyrs. Presumably these whites hope that by allying themselves with black virtue they can escape the moral stigma of being white.
Obama and his campaign managers have been trying to promote the lie that this bizarre cult of black liberation theology is actually mainstream teaching in the black church. And again there is a strain of condescending white liberalism that is quick to agree. "Yes, of course they say crazy things in the black church, Mildred, but you have to understand the terrible things those people have been through."
In reality you only have to sample black churches across the country to see that this is a calumny against black Christians, who are mostly traditional in their understanding of the Bible and who don't spend their Sundays chanting "God damn America!"
I'm relieved that Obama has finally summoned the good sense to quit the Reverend Wright's Trinity Church. Ultimately what Obama needs to repudiate is not only the odd Reverend who happens to embarrass his campaign but the racist ideology that calls itself black liberation theology.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 44)
16. Repost: Typo.
The late Pope John Paul II condemned Liberation Theology. Christianity teaches that we are to care for the poor and oppressed, but the central message of the Gospel is salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a quasi-Marxist movement. Likewise, Black Liberation Theology misses the root cause of racism; sin. Racism is caused by an incorrect understanding of the role of humanity. We are to love and worship God. We are not to worship ourselves as gods. People that are racist elevate themselves to the level of God determining what is good and bad. God created everything and called it good. Who are we to turn around and say, "Hey, God these people were made badly"? I might add that worship of skin color, gender, ethnicity, nationality, etc. is idolatrous. We are to have no idols.
janesophie1 at 9:19AM on Jun 2nd 2008
17. janesophie1 says
Christianity teaches that we are to care for the poor and oppressed, but the central message of the Gospel is salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.
How very wrong you are although you might have been taught this lie by your church or religion. The central message of the Gospel that Jesus taught was God is your father, and you are his child, not salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.
Jerry Brown at 9:22AM on Jun 2nd 2008
18. "Hey Rev, clear this up for me. Was it Moses or Abraham that GOD commanded that they kill their child"?
Dennis,
It was Abraham that was commanded to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. It was a test of faith. God wanted to see if he would withhold anything from him. Abraham would not withhold his only son and demonstrated unwavering faith in God's love and dominion over all things, including life and death. God provided the sacrifice in place of Isaac. The story is also a precursor to the sacrifice of Jesus. He was the sacrificial lamb for sin. God did not withhold his only begotten son. He allowed him to be killed for our transgressions.
janesophie1 at 9:29AM on Jun 2nd 2008
19. "How very wrong you are although you might have been taught this lie by your church or religion. The central message of the Gospel that Jesus taught was God is your father, and you are his child, not salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.
Jerry Brown
This is the message of the gospel.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)”.
janesophie1 at 9:34AM on Jun 2nd 2008
20. "these days; and I think it must have been even more rare 2,000 ago when Jesus lived. But it is sad if people need to make Jesus into their own race"
This shows a lack of understanding of what the term "semitic" means. If Jesus existed, he would have been far darker than the "white" Jesus of European and American Churchs.
Jim Cavizel??????? Really?????
Ryan Anderson at 9:40AM on Jun 2nd 2008
21. That's funny. You posted a similar blog months ago titled, "Obama's Imperiled Candidacy."
I guess Obama's candidacy didn't go as you had hoped, eh? So now your choice is between an out-of-touch, wishy-washy, former hero, who consistently speaks one thing and does another; and has tied himself inexorably to failing, miserable, arguably-treasonous policies; or a black liberal.
Oy vey, your stomach must be turning, KUMAR
America's Most Gangsta at 9:42AM on Jun 2nd 2008
22. I am amazed at how ignorant the people in today's world are. First, life began in Eastern Africa, somewhere between what is present day Ethiopia and the Arabian peninsula, which is adjacent to Iraq. Years ago, scientists - I believe at the University of Pennsylvania - conducted a research study and found that the `midocondral' (phonetic) DNA of the sample population of people from every continent on the globe originates from a common African ancestor. Also, the oldest human focil is a female called "Lucy" who was found in Ethiopia.
Given all this as well as Biblical scriptures that only people with wisdom can discern, I tend to believe that Adam who was formed from dark earth and Eve who was formed from this man formed from dark earth were black people. Therefore, their immediate offsprings were also black people. In Biology, the black gene is dominant and the white gene is not!
Furthermore, Moses had to be black himself to have been hidden amongst the Egyptians who were a dynasty of Nubians; Nubians were and still are black people. [A famous Nubian was Anwar Sadat, slain former President of Egypt, during the Jimmy Carter presidency here in the US.] In addition, Moses married an Ethiopian woman, Zipporah. Hence, Moses children were black. Also, Joseph the youngest child of Jacob - who became Israel - married an Egyptian woman. Wow, all this black blood in these ancient Hebrew Israelites. So, ABSOLUTELY, the original Hebrew Israelites were people of color - deal with it you racist white, mentally ill people who can't get over the fact that all people on earth originate from black people who white people have spent centuries dehumanizing. CAN ANYONE SAY ALOT OF WHITE PEOPLE BEHAVE AS IF THEY WERE THE DEVIL INCARNATE OR MAY BE THE SEEDS OF SATAN.
Oh, yes, Jesus also known as Yeshua was a man of color who wore locks in accordance with the Nazarene vow (Hebrew men who were consecrated unto God always wore locks - just like Samson during Biblical times and the Jamaican Rastafarians during modern times.)
In some of the original translation of the Holy Bible, Jesus is described as having arms and feet in color to burnt brass. However, in the Catholic Bible, the New International Version, etc. the mentally ill white editors get together during their meetings and take out and add what suits their demonic purposes. BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN IN REVELATION, THE MOST HIGH WILL DEAL WITH ALL THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN OUT AND/OR ADDED TO HIS WORD!
My comments are a response to the blogger denoted with the number 9. This individual needs to do some serious research before he states that there aren't many blacks who are "Jews". Of course not! The seeds of Satan have succeeded in cutting off the true Hebrews from knowing who they are; The seeds of Satan have stolen the identities of many black Hebrew Israelites and are claiming to be the rightful heirs to the blessings of the Most High upon his beloved Israel. However, no person or group of people will escape the Judgement that will take place in Israel when Yeshua will purge Jerusalem of "those that say that they are Jews and are not but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 2:9).
Dian Moffatt at 10:36AM on Jun 2nd 2008
23. Every once in a while DD writes a sensible article, this is one of the times.
I was expecting his usual "any religion is better than no religion" stuff. Maybe even DD is beginning to see how dangerous some "religious" people can be.
Davidg at 9:57AM on Jun 2nd 2008
24. It is still your religion Dinesh, whether it is Black Liberation Theology or Christian Identity it still boils down to Christian extremists. You may moan and groan about it but what else do you expect? Religion is a lot like the roulette table, you all place your bets now hoping that when you cash in ... you picked the right spot. If there really was a God ... wouldn't he make it just a little bit more obvious than just hope and a prayer?
JimCO at 10:06AM on Jun 2nd 2008
25. Why wouldn't "God" have other begotten sons? Certainly he wasn't reproductively impotent, or just waiting for a better financial situation.
Mokele Mbembe at 10:08AM on Jun 2nd 2008
26. Mokele Mbembe wrote:
"Rev,
But it's blessed to dash babies against rocks like flesh piñatas (Psalms 137:9)."
The context of Psalm 137 is the Babylonian captivity. The Psalmist speaks of the captors tormenting the people of God (vv. 1-3), a promise to remember Jerusalem (vv. 5-6), and a curse against the captors (vv. 7-9).
The Psalmist is in exile and had probably witnessed the atrocities committed against his people, babies included. In the revenge-style that was so common at the time, he wishes the same upon his enemy as a description of their utter destruction. Is God approving of this retribution? There is nothing in the text to suggest He did.
Res Firma at 10:27AM on Jun 2nd 2008
27. "This shows a lack of understanding of what the term "semitic" means. If Jesus existed, he would have been far darker than the "white" Jesus of European and American Churchs".
Ryan Anderson
The preoccupation with Jesus' skin color is a recent phenomenon; i.e. within the last 500 years; prior to that no one cared. Europeans depicted him in their own image which is understandable. Renaissance art was not meant to be accurate. The figures often wear contemporary clothing. The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center Museum’s Marian exhibit shows depictions of the Blessed Mother from around the world. Incidentally, icons which are used in Orthodox churches may be the most accurate depictions of Christ. Why? Iconographers are taught to imitate as closely as possible their instructor. Some of the oldest ions date to the early church and may be based on actual eye witness accounts of Jesus. It is really sad that racism has distorted the gospel message.
FYI: Apparitions of Mary always appear within cultural context. At Guadalupe, she came as an Indian woman. At Akita, she is Japanese. In Rwanda, she was African; etc, etc.
janesophie1 at 10:16AM on Jun 2nd 2008
28. MM, as we all know, God blesses and loves America; and western christians made God in their own image. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that God had E.D., and possibly took Viagra or Cialis, but had to see a doctor after His erection lasted more than four hours. Also, shining on America, God was very pessimistic about the economy, what with the housing crisis, and His own neighborhood, a wonderful little community called Heaven, now suffering foreclosures, boarded up windows, and plunging property values. Is it any wonder he was quoted as saying "I just don't want to bring another child into this terrible terrible world. Oh what evolution has wrought. Goddamn those scientists! Save us, dinesh!"
America's Most Gangsta at 10:23AM on Jun 2nd 2008
29. A vote for McCain is a vote for endless war. A vote for Obama is a vote for the possibility for peace.
I'll choose Obama.
Bill at 10:23AM on Jun 2nd 2008
30. AMG,
So what is Heaven, a retirement community?
Mokele Mbembe at 10:26AM on Jun 2nd 2008