An 'SGL Ally': In Praise of Jeremiah Wright

[denem]

One gay black man's experience of Trinity Church Chicago:

I was first introduced to the ministry of Dr. Jeremiah Wright back when I lived briefly in Chicago in 1995....and I have been hooked ever since.....and have stayed connected to this ministry over the years. Along with being a well educated theological scholar, a compassionate pastor, and a profilic preacher of the gospel....what I have found most inspiring is his committment to social justice....for EVERYONE....including gays and lesbians.

While Dr. Peter Gomes was the first black openly gay preacher I've ever had the privilege of having as a pastor while a student at Harvard, Dr. Jeremiah Wright is the first straight black preacher I've ever come across who has repeatedly denounced homophobia....particularly in the black community....from his pulpit and in sermons. Over the years Wright has fought to make Trinity United Church of Christ a welcoming place for his gay parishioners....and for that he earns my utmost respect.

Now he will be quick to tell you that he hasn't always felt that way. But after losing members and close friends who he knew well and whom he knew were just as if not more so faith filled as many of his heterosexual members...and after careful re-examination of Bible texts...how could he in good conscious condemn any of God's children. Soon after his own personal revelation he began the hard task of convincing his own congregation. Considering the time in which this took place....late 80's and early 90's....this man was way ahead of his time in making such declarations....especially using his capacity as pastor and voice in the pulpit to do it. Of course he faced much opposition....from his parishioners....from his ministerial colleagues....but he did not waver in his beliefs that God has unconditional love for all of His children....and gays and lesbians are included in that. Trinity not only has an HIV/AIDS ministry, but they also have a very active gay and lesbian ministry within the church...

The retirement of Dr. Jeremiah Wright...while well deserved and earned... is bittersweet. There are already few men of God like him who has made their church a place of acceptance for its gay members and who has used his platform to publicly denounce homophobia. It is a cause of great concern to me as I ponder where are the ministers who gonna take up that mantle and continue to spread the messages of love and acceptance to a community in dire need of it.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-czB75Io1eqqXs8uqNdYUuP1Q?l=6&u=10&mx=296&lmt=5

Title edited for clarity

[mattclearing]

1. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what the big deal is.

Everything he said would be considered tame by DU standards.

I can understand the media and the Hillary campaign getting their knickers in a twist over it because it has the taste of something juicy, even if it doesn't really have a whole hell of a lot to do with Obama's personal feelings.

What I don't understand is why people on DU give a shit when the reverend's most condemned comments, God Damn America for bombing people to death, and terrorism is the logical response to our imperial foreign policy, are things that are perfectly in sync with most of the sentiments here.

I mean, if people want to get upset about something he said, then I can see his praise of Farrakahn or something being controversial here. But what he said was basically nothing that Bill Maher hasn't been praised for here umpteen times.

[leftofcool]

3. The problem is

most mainstream Dems will indeed have problems with what he said. I agree with Wright on some things and not others but the sentiments here do not reflect what most of the country will think. I just hope it blows over

[mattclearing]

4. Most of the country is often wrong.

And no one scrutinizes the crazies on the right. If having a crazy pastor was a disqualification for office, there would be no Republican elected officials.

[leftofcool]

9. "Most of the country is often wrong."

whether most of the country is right or wrong doesn't solve the problem. Most people vote on the basis of what they see on TV, not right or wrong

[mattclearing]

11. What they see on TV is Obama repudiating dude's remarks.

This is such a non-scandal, and people tend to treat these media-trumped-up scandals as the nonsense they are. Obama won't be hurt by this in the long run.

[leftofcool]

14. I hope you are right

[Usrename]

20. It's obviously not a real big deal to Obama. None of this crap is.

So I don't think it will be any more important than that to his supporters. I think MORE money will flow in.

[SunsetDreams]

15. No kidding especially due to Article VI Of U.S. Constitution...

Article. VI. - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths
All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States

[mattclearing]

19. You think the people knocking Obama give a shit about the Constitution?

Hillary wanted to back a flag-burning amendment in direct violation of the First Amendment, and no one even cares.

[chelsea0011]

7. I don't get it either. The last time I spent in the Catholic church, the

priest sermoned that the Jews turned in Christ to die. I thought that type of sermon stopped years ago. I guess not. That was my last trip to mass. We have a hard core RW fundie President who doesn't even go to church. Isn't that a bigger deal than having a church with a minister who can say some stupid things once in a while? And what does it matter about Obama religion and where he worships? Bush shows up at Bob Jones University to strengthen the base and gets a little naughty naughty from the media but Bush gets what he came for without any outrage that Obama seems to be getting from the words of others.You are right. I don't get it either.

[mattclearing]

8. I went to Catholic school, and it is amazing the kinds of things that get said without challenge.

This is the biggest nothing scandal ever. Obama should demand an apology on Jeremiah Wright's behalf, because that man has done more good than hundreds of other pastors combined.

[JoFerret]

10. Not acceptable to this member of DU

There are others with different levels of tolerance for hate rants, twisted religiosity and obsession with sex and sin.

[mattclearing]

13. Where exactly is the hate rant though?

The twisted religiosity, the obsession with sex and sin? I don't see those things in Wright's sermons that are being pulled out.

I do see some strongly worded questioning of conventional wisdom in America, the conventional wisdom that says we can blow up people at the push of a button anywhere in the world and expect no consequences.

I agree with that. I'm sure there are things Wright has said that I don't agree with, but the stuff that he's saying bothers people because it's true, and that says more about the people who are upset by it than it does about him.

[golddigger]

17. I guess you missed the one where he was Humping the Podium

and saying Hillary is F@#$ing America like Bill was F@#$ing monica. And the shot of the congregation where their was children in the audience. What kind of people would take their children to see this kind of pastor?

[mattclearing]

18. The kind that care more about people's lives than people's sex lives.

Heaven forbid the children find out about sex, when we are bombing people every day.

Give me a fucking break.

[Catherina]

25. Black people. That's what kind of people. Get over it.

Black people who've never buried their heads in the sand about the realities of life.


We shake our asses when we dance too.

[golddigger]

27. WTF has this got to do about black people? When you have a preacher

humping the podium be it white, black, asian it is disgusting.

[cooolandrew]

2. Very intresting there is a side they dont broadcast...

[denem]

6. To use the Obama must have known argument

Obviously Wrights views on LGBT rights were not a deal breaker either. I continue to be disappointed by Barack's tepid embrace of LGBT rights (to put it charitably).

[FedoraLV]

5. Yes :)

That's the UCC - highly tolerant, very welcoming, condemning injustice and prejudice.

Obama's values are exactly in line with the UCC's -- look them up if you think religion is always a force for intolerance and oppression.

-FedoraLV

[JoFerret]

12. I have liked Peter Gomes

I would like to hear more from him on this topic. I don't mean welcoming and "deliering" gays but his take on the race and politics rants.

There are sane ways to express those views although the distortions of truth are harder to express and come across as reasonable.

[dcindian]

16. I wonder how many real progressives the Clinton supporters

are chasing away with their mob mentality lynching of a progressive pastor. I honestly think they are in it for the loss not sure why but sure does seem that all they do is attack democratic values and protect conservative ones.

[JoFerret]

22. Nothing to do with Hillary.

Go away with your divide and try to conquer tactic

Obama btw is not progressive.
Nor is Hillary.

Buth both are vastly better for the well-being of this country and world than another GOP president of any type.

[Laughing Mirror]

21. It is always with joy we receive testimonials from our LGBT brothers & sisters in black churches

Everybody reading this would be further enlightened by clicking on the link and reading the whole thing.

Thank you Brother FIRSTCLAZZ (the blogger) for being there and telling us about it.

And thank you so much for posting this, lamprey!

[denem]

23. You're welcome!

:hi:

[Catherina]

24. Marriage Equality Supporters

Marriage Equality Supporters


Carol Moseley Braun, Ambassador

Michael Eric Dyson, Author and Professor

Joycelyn Elders, Former Surgeon General

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University Professor

Rev. Peter Gomes, Harvard University Chaplain

Coretta Scott King, Civil Rights Leader

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

Rev. Joseph Lowery, Civil Rights Leader

Clarence Page, Columnist

Rev. Al Sharpton, Presidential Candidate

Rev. William Sinkford, President, Unitarian Universalist Church

Julian Bond, Civil Rights Leader

Dr. Randall Bailey, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Atlanta

The Honorable Willie Brown, Former Mayor of San Francisco

Kecia Cunningham, Decatur City Commissioner, Decatur, GA

The Rev. James Forbes, Minister, Riverside Church, Harlem

Whoopi Goldberg, Actor/Producer, New York

Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe Columnist

Ron Oden, Mayor of Palm Springs, CA

Ken Reeves, City Council, Cambridge, MA

Byron Rushing, State Representative, Boston, MA

Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, South Africa

Herb Wesson, California State Assembly Speaker-Emeritus

The Rev. Cecil Williams, Minister, Glide Memorial, San Francisco

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

Charles Barkley, Former NBA Player and Sports Commentator

http://www.nbjcoalition.org/about/supporters.html

[Laughing Mirror]

26. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

Uh-oh!

Just so readers didn't get through all the black type down to the red type, I put it in my subject line.

Thanks for the National Black Justice Coalition list, Catherina. I would add to it the name of Mildred Loving, of Loving vs. Virginia, the landmark case that put an end to states laws against inter-racial marriage in 1967.