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Race, Religion, and Politics, Oh My!!

I’ve tried to leave this alone. I was sure that this would blow over and become non-news. But the events of the last week have been too ridiculous for me to ignore any longer. Thus, I’m forced to get out my old soap box and posit my proverbial two cents.

Let me start with a personal story. When I first moved to Colorado Springs (in 1997), I attended a “non-denominational” church a half mile from the college campus. It was great. Just the right kind of teaching and worship. Just the right kind of college group. I met several life-long friends there. I attended the church for several years. But one Sunday, something happened. The head pastor turned the pulpit over to a guy I had not heard of before, but learned much about later. This guy was one of the world’s leading Christian evolutionists. He taught both Sunday morning services, did a Q&A at the Sunday night service, and was “available for discussion” at the Wednesday night service. It was clear that the church leadership were all evolutionists. I was shocked and extremely disappointed. The pastor who’d been teaching me, guiding me through God’s word, entrusted with my relationship with God, had “come out” with a personal belief that I found completely unbiblical.

As I’ve said before, I’m a strict creationist. I don’t mean to say that this evolutionist pastor was going to burn in hell for his beliefs. However, it did mean that we had serious theological differences and I had a choice to make. I chose to leave the church. It was not a form of protest. It was not an emotional “I’ll show him.” It was a careful and prayerful decision. I could not continue to be shepherded by a man who had such a fundamentally different view of scripture.

With that said, let’s look at the current political mess. Bronco Bomber spent about 20 years attending a church led by a man who has made his views abundantly clear. I believe the good Reverend Wright would agree with the following list of, shall we say, derisive statements:

  • Black Americans in the 21st century remain economically and politically enslaved to White America.1
  • There is a real possibility that AIDS was created and introduced into the black population by either a conspiracy of white Americans or the U.S. government as a tool to reduce and marginalize the black population in American.2
  • The United States government has and continues to support terrorism through its support of the nation if Israel and other regimes.3
  • Based on the statements above, white America and the U.S. government deserve any poor treatment that comes their way, including high taxation, “affirmative action” (a.k.a. reverse racism), and even the attacks of 9/11.4

Pastor Wrong has been attacked for these statements, but he insists these attacks are not personal. Instead they are attacks against the entire “black church”5. (Although, the black church seems to disagree.)

Now you would think that any intelligent person sitting in church listening to their pastor spew this kind of rebarbative poo would make the prayerful and careful decision to get the heck out of there and never come back.

The MSM, while keeping the story afloat, has handled it with kid gloves. You may, as I have, wonder why this hasn’t been a death blow to the Obama campaign, as an affiliation with the Klan would be the end of a white candidate’s campaign. Well, just listen to the first minute of this video, in which Rev. Wrong receives a standing ovation from the National Press Club. The press has not crucified Obama over this because the majority of the MSM agrees with Rev. Wrong. Heck, they love him!!

So why should Bronco Bomber be held liable for the vitriol of his pastor? It was not the Bomber up in that pulpit. Just because his pastor said it doesn’t mean that Bronco believes it. Or does it?

If you grew up in a church; if you, as an adult, have remained in a church for any length of time; you know how your pastor’s views become (if they weren’t already) your own. You can’t sit in the pews year after year under the tutelage of a pastor if you disagree with him on a deep level and certainly not if you find his teachings “appalling,” if they leave you “outraged” and “saddened.” You might give a pastor “the benefit of the doubt” for one or two sermons, but not for 20 years.

Your pastor is not an acquaintance, not an associate, not even an old friend. Your pastor is your shepherd, your teacher, your mentor, the person who shapes your beliefs, who guides your understanding of both your spiritual and physical worlds. (Even the good Rev. Wrong acknowledges this truth.6) Your pastor plays a major role in building your character and as we know (and as the MSM continues to deny) character matters.

That is why this story won’t die. And that is why, after months of hem-hawing around, the Bronco Bomber has officially filed for divorce from his pastor. This is political posturing at its worst. (Rev. Wrong called it for exactly what it was.7) I say it’s too little and 20 years too late.

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In these YouTube references, you can skip to the time referenced by clicking the “pause” button and dragging the little disk left and right until the correct time displays in the counter on the right.
1- Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.3 (2:15-2:50, 3:35-5:14) (Notice all this is in the present tense.), Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.4 (5:05-5:35) (So who, Mr. Wright, is your enemy? Who put you in chains?)
2 – Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.5 (2:25-3:44)
3 – Obama’s Pastor: God Damn America – US To Blame For 9-11 (2:08-2:50)
4 – Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.4 (1:00-1:30, 6:55-9:15)
5 – Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.1 (6:10-6:30)
6 – Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.3 (3:14-3:33)
7 – Reverend Jeremiah Wright National Press Club pt.4 (5:42-6:45)

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