Another interesting article about Barack Obama’s Church, and specifically his “spiritual mentor” Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who tremendously insulted Bill Clinton recently.
I consider these questions to be relevant, because this Reverend doesn’t just talk about religion, he also talks about society and politics. Obama himself has a past of mixing religion and politics as well. He considers Wright his spiritual mentor. Fine. That means that people have the right to ask Wright what he believes and teaches, not with regards to religion but with regards to politics and society.
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*Yawn*
Hmm, I’m not a religious person, so I don’t know for sure, but my impression is that your "spiritual mentor" gives you "spiritual advice", not secular advice. That is to say, the preacher would give Obama advice relevant to his religious practice, and not to his policies. I can only imagine that virtually every pastor of every candidate is firmly against any abortion and probably against homosexuality entirely (though curiously Obama might be an exception, since the United Church of Christ is more accepting than average of gays), but that doesn’t mean each candidate will heed every instruction of their pastor, nor does it make it necessary for each pastor to be interviewed to ascertain his views.
Michael, you oppose using some of the wackier Mormon positions to question Romney, so I’m surprised you would say the views of this pastor are at all relevant to Obama’s personal views or how he would govern. The only pastor whose opinion is important in this election is Huckabee’s, that’s it.
Michael, you oppose using some of the wackier Mormon positions to question Romney, so I’m surprised you would say the views of this pastor are at all relevant to Obama’s personal views or how he would govern. The only pastor whose opinion is important in this election is Huckabee’s, that’s it.
Now this is becoming annoying. When people support someone they seemingly are unable to differentiate. Let me try to explain this for you:
1. I couldn’t care less what this person teaches about religion unless it actually impacts Obama’s policies
2. What we talk about here is what this person says about society and politics. If he’s Obama’s "spiritual adviser" doesn’t he also influence Obama in other ways, namely ways that actually touch the public?
3. With Mormons the discussion wasn’t about politics but about religion. I’m not arguing religion here, I’m arguing what this reverent teaches his followers about society and politics
Am I the only one who understands that there’s a difference or what?
Yes Michael, I successfully completed the 5th grade quite some time ago, so I understand the difference between religion and society and politics. The fact I don’t agree with you does not in fact mean I don’t understand your position.
What I was getting at was that as his spiritual adviser, I don’t see why anyone would have reason to believe that Obama would be unduly influenced in his policy views by this man. His views about God maybe, his views about, say, the economy, not so much. I defy almost anyone on Earth to go down the list of people they are close to and not find any strange, bigoted or just plain wacky beliefs. That doesn’t mean that those views define you.
If Obama had stated something like Lois Farrakhan being a close adviser on manners of race, I can assure you I would be very worried, but my impression here (and it’s only my impression, just like your opinion is just your impression) is that this pastor is there for purely spiritual matters (or was, I don’t know he’ll be around too much if Obama moves to DC). If Obama starts talking about Zionism being evil, I’ll worry, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
If you bothered to go to the website of this church, you’d know why this is pertinent. I did, months ago. Politics is a HUGE part of what is preached. This is not the case in every church.
And of course you aren’t the only one who can see the difference, Michael.
P.S. Funny that you mention Louis Farrakhan. I’m just going from memory here, but he was this church’s ‘man of the year’ or some such quite recently (obviously, this wasn’t based on his religious views).