Just What Did Obama Know About Wright's Past Sermons?

I find it disturbing that Mr. Obama did not speak out against the rhetoric spoken by “his” Pastor. When you sit under a Pastor for twenty years there are bound to be philosophical disagreements. I had been a member of a church for fifteen years and during that time went to my own Pastor three times in areas I disagreed vehemently with. I did so with love and kindness, respecting the Pastor, but eventually left the church, because I felt he was teaching things that were scripturally unsound. We can and must stand up against leaders who go against the moral tenets we hold without being disrespectful; in addition, we must respect our morality over all. Mr. Obama is seeking to be the leader of the United States of America, if he can go to a church for twenty years and not invest his time to learn what is happening in that church, then how is he going to be able to discern in an hour what a possibly dangerous world leader is thinking. Mr. Obama has said that he didn’t know what was happening in his own congregation, Ummm… funny, but it only took the rest of us five minutes to figure it out and Mr. Obama had twenty years.

When people of color unite behind a message of GOD BLESS AMERICA and look inward to their problems with crime, imprisonment, educational failures and poverty, I am sure we would support their most popular candidate for president at any time. Too many of their leaders have based their popularity on deprivation manifested only by hands of whites. Martin Luther King turned the tide on that many years ago. God bless him for what he did and it is up to his true followers and good citizens to exploit the goodness of his work.

The days of slavery and segregation are far behind us and the black philosophy could be for a renewal of their own energy to cure the pains they so easily blame on the rest of society. We all live in the most freedom-loving, progressive, bountiful and generous country the earth has ever seen. And we are blessed with the longest standing constitution on the planet.

Yes, it may be time for change in political leadership but trashing the USA is not in the equation. The rest of the world is not going to change around black people in order to award something simply because of racial difference. Some things have to be earned by those invested in it.

This story resonates with all of us including Democrats and Republicans. While we like to think the best of our leaders, we must understand that they have personal lives and agendas that will eventually dictate their actions in public. I heard the story but then heard Reverend Wright in person, and the invective is quite clear. He is angry and vocal about American racism. He has every right by our system to espouse his beliefs publicly to his listeners. However, Mr Obama does not have to agree with him. The fact the Mr Obama has supported the Reverend for many years with attendance, friendship,and consultation for his political campaign makes his complicity obvious and incontrovertible with the Reverend's strong and illogical agenda.
I believe we have seen the beginning of the end for this 'pied piper' of change!!

WV Pastor I understand your statement. I have worked in a social service setting for many years. When Obama started at this Church he wasn't in politics. I don't know whose ideal it was for him to become active in politics. I give his pastor credit for I assume getting him off of drugs, and showing him direction to God. Those two aspects alone give him a certain amount of devotion to this man. Is he a person easily influenced by the people he is associated too? I don't know! I've studied him and I noted some irregularities from the very beginning. But thats neither here or there. As stated there are some people who are robots easily molded and controlled. They have to be told what to do that is the scary part.

I am a pastor who works in a very political environment. I don't know any politicians who actually know what their Pastors' philosophies are. They associate with churches long enough to get through a campaign season. To call a Pastor any-one's mentor or spiritual leader in the U.S. is pretty absurd. You would be hard pressed to find any politician with such a relationship with a pastor. America was once about promoting free thought and free speech. To blast a man for holding membership in a church where a retiring pastor is a social extremist is shameful. Will I vote for Obama? Not a chance, but not because of this lame trail of reasoning.

Joan I have to agree with you it's irrelevant who did what the facts still remain that this young man has been fed irrational, ignorance for quite a few years. The thought of that is scary!

Joel I don't want to point fingers but, I don't think it was the Clintons wouldn't make sense the woman has been offering him a space with her on the Democratic ticket. Now on the other hand if I were a Republican candidate trying to make my chances better it would be something I would do to take the momentum out of my opponents. That makes sense. I would put trash out on both of them to make me shine.

Response to Joel. I don't care who put this information out about this Pastor!!!! That is irrelavent to me. All I care about is that Barack Obama has been a member of this "America Bashing" church for some 20 years and never and continued to call this man a "friend". That is what is important. You need to wake up!!

This pastor has had a weekly television program airing in the Chicago area for years and never fails to rip the United States. This man is a real live hate monger.

Although John McCain received endorsements from a couple of religious leaders who have said some horrible comments, none of them are HIS pastor/minister. Rev. Wright is Obama's pastor and has been for 20 years. There is a BIG difference in my opinion

Sorry, Senator Obama, it does matter. I know many whites who left segregationist clubs and walked out of sermons claiming that a vote for Kennedy was a vote for the Pope. How could Senator Obama not know what I was told 6 months ago about his church? At the time I told my republican friend that he was falling for talk show banter . How who's the fool? No double standards here. No white politician could get away with belonging a church that preached an anti-Black message. GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Response to AGBI If this were a white man they would be asking the same questions about him that have been brought up in reference to Obama. Why! Because we as BLACK PEOPLE would be demanding it. Calling him a white racist candidate. What is the difference in Obama that these same statement can't be made? I have to agree with the majority of the people in this room this man was fed TWO DECADES of racial hatred. You can call it what you want. I call it racism! If he had only been at the church a couple years maybe but two decades that means he met his pastor when he was 26 no that is not flying with me. Racism is a poison you get slow doses of it over time and it turns into a potion. There is no excuse, this young man has had too many encounters with strong influential mentors. Their theories thus become his vision. He then becomes their vessel.

Barack Obama is Toast!! No one is going to belive that he was a member of a church for 20 years, developed a very close bond with this Pastor, enough to call him an Uncle, even receive political advice from this "Uncle" and knew nothing of all of these sermons that this Pastor has made. This Pastor is a hater of this country. I am a republican and I was hoping that Barack Obama would win the nomination because I would rather he be in the Whitehouse than the Clintons. (I am sick of the Clintons) But with this recent information about Baracks Pastor, there is NO WAY I would want this man in the whitehouse. Back a couple of months ago when Michele Obama said this was the first time she was proud to be an American, I thought it was just a slip of the tongue and surly she did not mean that. But now I do believe she meant just that!!! This is VERY SCARY to me and my family!!! I of course am for McCain but NOW I would rather see the Clinton's back in the Whitehouse then Barack Obama!

Either Obama believes the venom his pastor spouts or he's as calculating as the southern democrat of old who showed up at the clan rally so as not to lose the good old boy's votes

Either Obama believes the venom his pastor spouts or he's as calculating as the southern democrat of old who showed up at the clan rally so as not to lose the good old boy's votes

You really are drinking the Kool Aid if you are willing to excuse this guy if you can't find proof that he was in attendance. The association has been well documented and any intelligent person can put the pieces together

Jack... I have to give you and ABC credit for helping break this story. You not only asked the right questions but followed it up with tough objective reporting. Your coleagues at CNN, msnbc, CBS have been softballing it.

It may not be politically correct but many people are concerned about this relationship with a bigoted, hate monger. even if they are caucasion. After all we are talking about the president of the United States.

If someone discovers that Obama was in attendance when Rev. Wright made any of his racist or anti-American statements, Obama is political toast. His quest for the presidency will be over. I think the likelihood of that is very high. After all, Obama has been a member of that church for 20 years. All it will take is someone to connect the dots.

Barack went to the UCC because voters were there. I don't believe he cared anything about what Wright had to say at any time. Obama was there as a political icon and that's it. Same goes with his consorting with Farrakahn. He needed the votes from the district and courted the people, not Farrakahn. When it came time to politically denounce Farrakahn, he did it in no uncertain terms and must also do the same with Wright. His problem now is to make America believe him.

Larry: Jerry Falwell's son took over the ministry and McCain may be seeking his endorsement. I am not aware of his name but he could be names Jerry Falwell, Jr. I don't blame McCain for going after his endorsement. I am voting for Hillary and if she doesn't win the nomination I will vote for McCain and possibly Hillary's voters will do the same. That would give McCain a landslide. McCain is a better choice for president than Obama.