Is Obama responsible for the comments Rev. Wright made? Of course not. Should Obama leave his church over them? That’s his own decision.

“God Damn America!” The words echoed throughout the nation, on cable news outlets, political websites and chain letters alike. Were these the rantings of any other preacher, the words would be seen as deplorable, but would be soon forgotten by the public with the coming of another indecency.

These words, however, came from the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, a now-retired pastor from Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) of Chicago, the church that Barack Obama calls his own. Questions of the senator’s faith began anew, only this time it wasn’t about his supposed Muslim heritage, but whether or not Obama AGREED with these assertions; and if he didn’t, why did he stand by his church despite them?

Soon, every conservative commentator – especially those on FOX News, which seemed to broadcast Wright five times every hour – jumped on this issue. Never mind that Wright had “damned” America based upon racial injustices – it was still outrageous of him to say that God was against America.

More conservative religious leaders, of course, have said much crazier things. The late Jerry Falwell had blamed gays, “abortionists,” feminists the ACLU and secularists as God’s reason to permitting the events of September 11; Westboro Baptist Church leaders use the tolerance of homosexuality as justification for protesting soldiers’ funerals; and Pat Robertson warned residents of Orlando in 1998 during a gay pride festival that they were “right in the way of some serious hurricanes” because of their tolerance of gays.

Never mind all of those religious leaders, plus some, who have made outrageous claims that have gone ignored in large part by these right-wing commentators: what Obama’s pastor said was abominable according to them, and Obama’s next move should have been leaving his church.

They couldn’t be more wrong. Leaving a church based upon a political decision is the right of any person to do; if you disagree with your pastor (or other religious leader) on who would make a better president, you can leave that church if you like. But it goes both ways: if you wanted to stay despite your disagreements, you’re welcome to do that as well.

My hometown pastor is vehemently against the Iraq war. However, I know for a fact that pro-war supporters are within the walls of my hometown church. Did they leave the church?

This comparison is not exactly the same thing as the situation with Obama’s pastor, of course; what Rev. Wright said was very offensive, and was rightly condemned by Obama. Wright was removed from his campaign and Obama said the comments did not represent his views on America. When that wasn’t enough, he gave a brilliant speech on race relations, what was needed still and how we could improve the country. In most political spheres, the speech was well received. However, for Hillary Clinton, who stayed mum during the whole ordeal, it wasn’t enough for her to say that Wright “would not have been my pastor” following the speech (a low blow from the Clinton campaign, if you ask me).

Is Obama responsible for the comments Rev. Wright made? Of course not. Should Obama leave his church over them? That’s his own decision. If the comments were enough to send him over the edge and say, “I cannot support a church that has a leader with views such as these,” he has the right to leave that church; if he can dismiss them and say, “Well, I disagree with them, but spiritually I believe in the tenets of this church, so I’m going to stay,” that’s also his right.

We shouldn’t judge candidates based upon the supporters they have, especially after they condemn statements made by those supporters. When John Hagee, a televangelist who supports Republican John McCain, said that Catholicism was a “great whore” and a “false cult system,” McCain rightly condemned the statements but continued to accept his support. When Barack Obama does the same thing, he suffers for it politically. This is a double standard and shouldn’t be acceptable.

The only judgment we should pass upon the presidential candidates should be based upon the candidates themselves: their stances, their character and their views. Our religious leaders tend to say things we all disagree with from time to time; we should try to understand that these views are not necessarily the views of the candidates themselves, even if they attend that church.

> Comments