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Rev. Wright Defends Sermons, Self in First Interview
April 24, 2008 1:42 PM
Tomorrow on PBS, Bill Moyers will interview Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright in his first interview since the controversy erupted about some of his inflammatory remarks.
Wright insists there was nothing wrong with his sermons.
"The persons who have heard the entire sermon understand the communication perfectly," he tells Moyers, according to excerpts released by Moyers' show.
[For the full context of Rev. Wright's sermons click HERE.]
"When something is taken like a sound bite for a political purpose and put constantly over and over again, looped in the face of the public," Wright says, "that's not a failure to communicate. Those who are doing that are communicating exactly what they want to do, which is to paint me as some sort of fanatic or as the learned journalist from the New York Times called me, a 'wackadoodle.'
"It's to paint me as something: 'Something's wrong with me. There's nothing wrong with this country…for its policies. We're perfect. Our hands are free. Our hands have no blood on them,'" Wright says. "That's not a failure to communicate. The message that is being communicated by the sound bites is exactly what those pushing those sound bites want to communicate."
And what does Wright think "they" wanted to communicate?
"That I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ," Wright says. "And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint? That's what they wanted to communicate. They know nothing about the church. They know nothing about our prison ministry. They know nothing about our food sharing ministry. They know nothing about our senior citizens home. They know nothing about all we try to do as a church and have tried to do, and still continue to do as a church that believes what Martin Marty said, that the two worlds have to be together. And that the gospel of Jesus Christ has to speak to those worlds, not only in terms of the preached message on a Sunday morning but in terms of the lived-out ministry throughout the week.
Moyers asks Wright what he thought when he began to see the sound bites circulating.
"I felt it was unfair," he says, "I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt for those who were doing that, were doing it for some very devious reasons….The blowup and the blowing up of sermons preached 15, seven, six years ago and now becoming a media event, not the full sermon, but the snippets from the sermon and sound bite having made me the target of hatred, yes, that is something very new and something very, very unsettling."
Wright is also asked how it went down after Obama criticized Wright?
"It went down very simply," Wright responds. "He's a politician, I'm a pastor. We speak to two different audiences. And he says what he has to say as a politician. I say what I have to say as a pastor. But they're two different worlds. I do what I do. He does what politicians do. So that what happened in Philadelphia where he had to respond to the sound bytes, he responded as a politician."
Wright adds that he's "absolutely" never heard Obama repeat any of Wright's controversial statements as his own. "I don't talk to him about politics," Wright says. "And so he had a political event, he goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician. I continue to be a pastor who speaks to the people of God about the things of God."
- jpt
April 24, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (515)
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WOW Dems can really be intolerant.
Posted by: CHAOS | Apr 25, 2008 1:50:11 PM
There are a LOT of questions about Obama that still remain to be answered. He likes to ride "the fence" with no substance. He's just an "empty suit. "
Posted by: david from texas | Apr 25, 2008 1:26:25 PM
any excuse will do
Posted by: Teeo | Apr 25, 2008 1:24:14 PM
Hey Clyburn..Why don't you say something about Wright's and Obama's lying bizzarre. Why because they are African Americans. You are bizarre. Grow up.
You are the one who is bizzare and a disgrace. Racial discrimination against African American has been overused and misused. Actually you are now beginning to be racial. To get away with bad comments and bad behavior you will always use the racial issue as an EXCUSE. Shut up.
Beware North Carolinians and Indianians….Obama lied and just a Politician.
Posted by: Alfredo | Apr 25, 2008 1:00:57 PM
this reminds me of my teacher, my parents and some mentors who were concerned about me growing up in the world.They often seemed angry by the words they used in order to get me inline. But I didn't concentrate on the anger part, because I knew that what they said was out of love and the were speaking the truth no matter the words they used.
I listened and changed my ways.
Its simple...He's right and as a young white person I can Look beyond the anger in order to receive the direction the people who love you give, you should to America.
So those of us who would rather feel offended and emotional instead of dealing with the facts of our history, you are the ones who slow down America's healing from our nasty past...
I'm not in denial! are you?
Posted by: c | Apr 25, 2008 12:57:43 PM
Chicago University of the communiy college for affirmative action people with black skin don't make a law professor. Hell, you could hardly call 'em legal aids.
Posted by: liveoakgap | Apr 25, 2008 12:49:41 PM
Barack was NOT a professor as he claims. Spoken like a true politician.
Posted by: liveoakgap | Apr 25, 2008 12:37:29 PM
Apparently, Barack never heard of the trouble "tapes" caused Nixon. Equally apparent, passing American history is not required when you go to Harvard based on the color of your skin.
Barack's Ivy league education is about as shallow as a saucer of spit.
Posted by: livegap | Apr 25, 2008 12:33:44 PM
What truth the man speaks!..A real friend always gives criticism and an immature person will ignore it although it is there to empower them by exposing there faults before someone else takes advantage of them... face the truth.
White people its hard to hear the truth but the truth sets you free as cliche as it sounds.
Grow up America and except your faults and sins in order to conquer them.
Martin Luther king gave a sermon about America too that doesn't seem much different than Mr wrights during the Civil Rights movement. Many church leaders gave the same sermon who were white to condemning slavery and they to were un popular with the majority of Americans who embraced slavery...and were they right? No!
White people have to own up to what they have done to the world and what we have done to our own citizens out of fear and economic gain and plain ole distain for human life, just because they look different.
A good councilor and often the best is the one who was once the junkie.
Separate yourselves from the bad ones and show the world you are no longer willing to have a country built on the back of fear and denial.
I'm white and hate my history as most of my peers do to, but that doesn't mean we cant write a new book, one that our generation excepts our wrongs instead of getting emotional and denying what we have done, when someone tells us how we really were...key word ' Were.
Shame is hard to deal with but don't kill the messenger! His message is key to us not repeating the nasty things we have done in the name of God.
C
Posted by: c | Apr 25, 2008 12:32:43 PM
Senator Obama has run his campaign as the candidate of change. To sweep this problem under the rug by making the Reverend disappear would be politics as usual and exactly what I would expect from every other candidate. The fact that Jeremiah Wright is sitting for a nationally televised interview to the surprise of every pundit is an example of how said pundits believe the american public needs to be talked down to and how different this campaign is for refusing to do so.
Posted by: larry | Apr 25, 2008 12:26:19 PM
Every opposition candidate from city secretary to Gov. will be playing those tapes if the Dems go with Barack. Won't be a democratic dog catcher or so called democratic super delegate left in this country.
Barack sat there for 20 years and said nothing.
Nobody should be expected to put up with that kind of bullshit out of a President
Posted by: livegap | Apr 25, 2008 12:23:17 PM
Just like Obama! It is everyone's fault but his! Rev Wright slammed Whites, eurochristianity (catholics and Eoropean desendent Christians/Protestents) Italians, Jews and anyobody else he wanted too. And of course, America. His own country! And while he is slamming this country and making excuses as to why he did this, he is building a 10,000 plus square foot home for his family! He lives in a life of luxury! yeah, Rev. Wright, this country has been really bad to you! And of course, to your 20 year follower, Obama, who wants to be the AMERICAN President! Yes Sen. Obama, words do matter! So now hear ours...We are not voting for Obama!
Posted by: Core Democrat | Apr 25, 2008 12:19:06 PM
275,000,000 people on this country and we end up with 3 idiots to choose from.
Posted by: CHAOS | Apr 25, 2008 12:16:52 PM
Does Wright expect us to rush out and buy his videos so we can view them in their proper context? No thank you. Truth is, he meant every word he said-all the way to the bank.
Posted by: livegap | Apr 25, 2008 12:13:09 PM
Raleigh voter......excellent post! I totally agree with you! Hillary 08 !
Posted by: david from texas | Apr 25, 2008 12:10:21 PM
This is not about being responsible for what someone else says. I cannot believe that people believe that is the point of the Wright controversy. It is about Obama being a follower of his for many years, it is about certain statements in his books and it is about his lies. Obama proclaims that he is So different and is the man to elect for change...what kind of change? How will the change occur? Just utter BS
Posted by: Raleigh voter | Apr 25, 2008 12:08:48 PM
BRANDY; You have missed the whole point.
Posted by: CHAOS | Apr 25, 2008 12:01:50 PM
Did the Republicans pay Wright to go public now? BIG mistake for Obama's campaign.
Posted by: Raleigh Voter | Apr 25, 2008 12:01:05 PM
Yes and Obama is being judged by his actions, or inactions, of not leaving that church 20 years ago.
Posted by: Mack | Apr 25, 2008 12:01:00 PM
Senator Obama can not win, not because he is black, but because he is to liberal for America. Rarely has he been asked any of the tough question which a constitutional republic requires. I am not even sure he believes the Constitution is even necessary anymore.
Posted by: Pierre C. LeMaster | Apr 25, 2008 12:00:46 PM
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