I am concerned about the mission statement -- this is the person who wants to be president of the United States and if a white person, who was also in office, went to a church that said that about white families than he or she would be blasted as a racist.

Oprah goes to this same church (my husband and I were discussing / debating this last night, he hates Oprah) and I don't have an issue with her. She's not attempting to be president of the U.S. Though according to my husband she may have more power than the president! He might be right there!

I don't know how many, if any, other churches have or don't have mission statements. This one does and maybe Obama wasn't even aware of it but he probably should have had checked it out before running for the highest level of our government.

I'm not completely judging Obama on this issue but I do think it should have been brought out long before now. Like I said, we first about this mission statement last year -- why is it just hitting the mainstream media right now? And if he is elected president where does this put this pastor? I'm assuming that he will continue being Obama spirtual advisor, wouldn't he? They have a 20 year relationship.

Obama made a very respectable speech last night. But the issue of his distancing himself from his preacher is a big problem. I don't agree with many things my pastor says, however, he is not a major contributor of a book I wrote and is not a significant part of my personal life. He is not infused in my life, as this seems to be the case with Obama. Big difference here, a lot of people are just saying "his past minister", but they were more than that. Also, Obama mentioned all the good work the Rev did, well my first question was, was it only good work for black people? I'm sure he did do a lot of good work, most ministers and reverends do, but is it just for one group of people...all these charities he helped...my goodness, if Geraldine Ferraro makes (in my opinion a very mild statement) and gets raked over the coals, why isn't this minister in making these very huge horrible accusations? I think Obama has a way with words, which is why he sounded fine last night, but he didn't answer all the questions that remain. He may make a great motivational speaker, but for which group, and can he back it up?

Does anyone actually have a transcript or full video link of what the pastor was ranting on? The major newspaper in my town says that the YouTube clips are just that - clips - and you have to hear what was before and after in order to place them in the proper context. Having seen that sort of thing with candidates on both sides, I can understand that, but I can't seem to find anything that shows more than just a clip.

To answer terrisirig, I guess Geraldine Ferraro gets raked over for her comments because she is a public figure (I wsa not disturbed by her comments). I don't think a church pastor is normally a public figure unless you're one of those mega-ministers who are on TV all the time. I've no idea if this guy is one of those, if he qualifies as a "public figure" like, say Al Sharpton.

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First of all this is a free country, therefore, everyone has the right to choose the church and religion of their choice. If I attended a church in which I did not believe the sermons that the pastor was teaching, I would find one that I did. According to what I have read, Obama has been attending this Church since the mid 1980s with the same pastor all these years. Why do you think he attended and listened to this pastor all this time? I find it hard to believe that he would continue to attend a church,for almost 30 years, in which he did not agree to some extent with what the pastor was teaching.

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ALABAMA MOM

This is something I don't understand that happens in some churches. Why incite anger and get people all riled up? I don't like the God d@$n America comments and all that. Maybe I think to simply...if you don't like this country THEN LEAVE. You think you would have a better life elsewhere...then go. You think you would have better education for your children elsewhere...then go. I understand this country is not perfect, but people get plenty to opportunities they have here that they wouldn't have elsewhere. Shouldn't you be positive in trying to help your parish instead of instilling more anger in people that already feel like they have been stepped on. I don't understand how this speaking is productive in helping people. Instead of speaking ill about the country that gives you the right to speak freely, why don't you talk about how kids need to do their school work more, about how parents can be better parents, about how people addicted to drugs/alcohol can get help, etc. If I'm talked to in a positive manner than I feel better about what I'm hearing. If I were to hear anger then I would just become angry about my way of life, instead of being positive and trying to change it.

Interesting how you should say this...I'm getting totally off topic, but I found this interesting. Yesterday while searching for more info about all the minister has said, I found an interesting piece about the difference in "personalities" I guess you could say of black churches. It was by a black minister. It said that MANY black churches still preach about the idea that blacks are held down by others than themselves. He said that that was because it was what the people WANTED to hear and they wouldn't come to church if the minister was going to be telling them to stop having illegitimate children with different fathers, or stop dropping out of school, or stop selling drugs or stop shooting each other. However this minister said he thought that was wrong for the church to continue to tell people it was other people's fault if they werent' doing well (like the rich white folks comment). He said he believed in motivating people to do better and try harder instead of getting them whipped into anger. Anyway...off topic but I found the article interesting. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

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Sorry for the hijack (you just like using that pirate blinkie). I didn't know where else to put my comment. Sorry.

Oops...I reworded my response because after I read it I realized it sounded like I was saying YOU hijacked when I was trying to say that I was hijacking. Unfortunately you must have read it before I got it edited. Shame on you for reading so quickly. But no....I was hijacking. Oh, and by the way, this is a different pirate blinkie. I just love ALL pirate blinkies.

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I saw on Youtube an interview the pastor did on Hannity & Colmes (?) and immediately the pastor was on the offensive. He looked/acted just like he did in all those crazy clips we've been seeing of him at his church. He could calmly answered questions so that people understoo instead he began attacking... To me, it just inbedded the opinion many people have of him even more.

Yes, I know that it could have been edited but I've become a decent judge of edits as well as Wright was ranting and it would've been hard to edit it with the video AND audio.

Anyway....

This thread is complete -- if for no other reason than the use of the pirate blinkie!

Aliadam -- did you ever find that article that you were mentioning?