Good Side To Rev. Wright?

[kujo]

[quote name='notardillacid' post='1514857' date='Apr 30 2008, 04:09 AM']Do you believe that who your friends are defines who you are?[/quote]

No.

[kamiller42]

[quote name='kujo' post='1514820' date='Apr 30 2008, 01:29 AM']First off, if I need a "better understanding" of this idiot's influence, why not provide it instead of throwing a condescending remark out there like a 12 year old.[/quote]
Condescention not intended. I thought what I was said was better than the alternative, and it was too late in the night for me to go do the leg work for you. Here are a couple of pieces of influence...

He was just in Dallas to honor the 25th anniversary of Rev. Frederick Haynes III at Friendship-West Baptist Church. Wright spoke; the audience gave a lengthy standing ovation. Dr Haynes calls Wright a "prophet of the highest order." [url="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-wright_28met.ART0.State.Edition1.4667e21html"]Source[/url].

His preaching has attracted the attention of heavy hitters like Oprah and Farrakhan. Why not? He is helping sustaining the black liberation theology of the 60s/70s. Of course, Oprah had the sense to step out. Maybe she should run for president. ;o)

His influence is not limited to protestants. Father Pfleger, pastor at Saint Sabina Catholic Church, called Wright [url="http://www.saintsabina.org/"]"a friend, mentor and hero of mine and because he is someone for whom I have great respect" and "one of the great biblical scholars of our country and the best of preachers in the prophetic tradition."[/url] I feel sorry for you Father.

[praying4carmel]

I still do not understand why the UCC has remained silent on this issue, when they are such a peace and justice church ready to defend anyone..gays, blacks, etc.

[CatherineM]

The UCC has tried to stay in business as a denomination by trying to be everything to everyone. They originally broke away from the Disciples of Christ (or visa versa) a hundred years ago over using organs in church. The UCC didn't want them, and the DoC's did. A lot has changed since then in their being willing to stand up against any issue or ism or group.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='kujo' post='1515027' date='Apr 30 2008, 11:21 AM']No.[/quote]
So you don't think the people you chose to surround yourself with, have any influence on you and your decisions?

[kujo]

[quote name='MissScripture' post='1515355' date='Apr 30 2008, 06:48 PM']So you don't think the people you chose to surround yourself with, have any influence on you and your decisions?[/quote]

Hmmm....is that what I said?

Anyway, I think that you can be friends with people who have TOTALLY opposite views than you and it does not necessarily adversely-affect you. I have friends from all walks of life--atheists, Buddhists, Jews, lesbians, Democrats, Republicans, Catholics, Baptists, pastafarians, Matrixists-- and I value all of their friendships. I disagree with much of their worldviews, but I don't think their friendship makes me any less moral or any less Catholic. In fact, conversations with them have made me stronger in my faith because they've challenged me to think about what I believe, articulate my views, and answer questions that I didn't know.

I'm not saying this is the case with Obama. But I'm telling you that being friends with people doesn't harm you.

[CatherineM]

I'm betting the people from other faiths you hang with, may not share your faith, but I'd bet they share a lot of your values, or you'd tire of hanging with them. The first thing that came to my mind is professional athletes who go back and hang with their friends, and get into trouble.

[kujo]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1515378' date='Apr 30 2008, 07:18 PM']I'm betting the people from other faiths you hang with, may not share your faith, but I'd bet they share a lot of your values, or you'd tire of hanging with them. The first thing that came to my mind is professional athletes who go back and hang with their friends, and get into trouble.[/quote]

The "values" we share are a desire to be happy, to be successful, and to feel fulfilled. Beyond that, we have a very different perspectives on how to get to those things. Those are basic human desires.

[Justin86]

I don't think being friends with someone automatically makes you like them, however Rev Wright was more than just a friend to Barrack Obama. He was his pastor. For 20 years Obama and his family sat in the pews and heard him spew his hate (don't hate, appreciate)-filled ideology that he calls a sermon. You can't tell me that didn't have some impact on what he thinks about America. Why would a Protestant stay with such a church? It's not like they have any real sense of church loyalty like us Catholics.

[kujo]

[quote name='Justin86' post='1515705' date='May 1 2008, 04:12 AM']I don't think being friends with someone automatically makes you like them, however Rev Wright was more than just a friend to Barrack Obama. He was his pastor. For 20 years Obama and his family sat in the pews and heard him spew his hate (don't hate, appreciate) (don't hate (don't hate, appreciate), appreciate)-filled ideology that he calls a sermon. You can't tell me that didn't have some impact on what he thinks about America. Why would a Protestant stay with such a church? It's not like they have any real sense of church loyalty like us Catholics.[/quote]

Okay, I think you put your foot in your mouth with that last part. Protestants don't real loyal to their congregation because they're not Catholic? Really? Can you substantiate this, or is this yet another example of Protestant-smacking on Phatmass?

Anyway, I have listened to my mom tell me that beer tastes like elderberries since I was little. It all started when I was 6, when I went into the garage, got a cold Budweiser from our fridge and snuck it up to my room. My mom bursted in, as if she had spidey-sense, catching me in the act. Since then, I have been told 1000 times that beer is gross, beer is nasty, beer is bad; however, I don't believe her and I disagree with her completely, as will a lot of people on this thread.

The point is this--you can disagree with someone you love, respect and look up to. Perhaps this guy has a great theological mind, one that touched Obama deeply. His social and political views are bat-crud crazy, but maybe those didn't come out as much as has been assumed. I don't know. And, to be frank, I don't care. I think this whole "controversy" is a load and I would say that if it were ANY of the candidates.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='kujo' post='1515361' date='Apr 30 2008, 05:54 PM']Hmmm....is that what I said?

Anyway, I think that you can be friends with people who have TOTALLY opposite views than you and it does not necessarily adversely-affect you. I have friends from all walks of life--atheists, Buddhists, Jews, lesbians, Democrats, Republicans, Catholics, Baptists, pastafarians, Matrixists-- and I value all of their friendships. I disagree with much of their worldviews, but I don't think their friendship makes me any less moral or any less Catholic. In fact, conversations with them have made me stronger in my faith because they've challenged me to think about what I believe, articulate my views, and answer questions that I didn't know.

I'm not saying this is the case with Obama. But I'm telling you that being friends with people doesn't harm you.[/quote]
I'm telling you that's a load of hooey. You cannot not be affected by the people you choose to spend time with and are friends with. I have friends that I do not agree with on everything, either, because we're human, and we're not going to agree on everything. They respect my beliefs and I respect theirs. We're not friends because of our religious or political affiliations, but because we enjoy each other's company and share some common interests. I'm sure you also don't have the same degree of friendship with everyone, so they're going to affect you less.

But being friends with people CAN harm you A LOT. I guess you've just been REALLY lucky to never have had a harmful friendship, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

[kujo]

[quote name='MissScripture' post='1515979' date='May 1 2008, 02:55 PM']I'm telling you that's a load of hooey. You cannot not be affected by the people you choose to spend time with and are friends with. I have friends that I do not agree with on everything, either, because we're human, and we're not going to agree on everything. They respect my beliefs and I respect theirs. We're not friends because of our religious or political affiliations, but because we enjoy each other's company and share some common interests. I'm sure you also don't have the same degree of friendship with everyone, so they're going to affect you less.

But being friends with people CAN harm you A LOT. I guess you've just been REALLY lucky to never have had a harmful friendship, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.[/quote]

Absolutely. We can agree on almost all of your response there, Miss-S. Friendships with people that hold antithetical beliefs than you "can" be harmful, but not always. If you are strong enough in your views and in your faith, you may be less susceptible to the onslaught of moral relativism. Now, the only person who can tell whether or not you're affected by the friendships you have is [i]you.[/i] We can't crawl inside Obama's head and see what effect (if any) Rev. Wright has had on his ideals. It's unfair to assume that Obama is anything other than a faithful Christian whose moral conscience needs to be reformed.

[Alycin]

C'mon, Kujo, let's call it what it is.

Some people are going to do everything in their power to dog on Obama and Clinton because... let's face it. It's not like there's lots of positive things to be said about the conservative in this race, so the only tactic available is to take every little negative news snippet about the democrats and RUN with it as long as they can.

That's all this is... period.

[kujo]

[quote name='Alycin' post='1516286' date='May 1 2008, 08:26 PM']C'mon, Kujo, let's call it what it is.

Some people are going to do everything in their power to dog on Obama and Clinton because... let's face it. It's not like there's lots of positive things to be said about the conservative in this race, so the only tactic available is to take every little negative news snippet about the democrats and RUN with it as long as they can.

That's all this is... period.[/quote]

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Alycin' post='1516286' date='May 1 2008, 06:26 PM']C'mon, Kujo, let's call it what it is.

Some people are going to do everything in their power to dog on Obama and Clinton because... let's face it. It's not like there's lots of positive things to be said about the conservative in this race, so the only tactic available is to take every little negative news snippet about the democrats and RUN with it as long as they can.

That's all this is... period.[/quote]

I'd rather have a half bass conservative president than a wicked, evil and full fledge servant of Satan because they support butchering 50,000,000 children.

Edited May 2, 2008 by KnightofChrist

[ardillacid]

A very interesting clip related to the subject

[url="http://youtube.com/watch?v=Md2bf9DNVB4&feature=related"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Md2bf9DNVB4&feature=related[/url]

[kujo]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1516406' date='May 1 2008, 11:47 PM']I'd rather have a half bass conservative president than a wicked, evil and full fledge servant of Satan because they support butchering 50,000,000 children.[/quote]

Haha. I just LOLed, for real. Your hyperbole was incredibly entertaining...

[KnightofChrist]

It is no exaggeration, to support the mass murder of 50,000,000 babies is very wicked and evil. Thus anyone who supports such wickedness has the devil as their father.

John 8:44 - The words of Christ

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."

[KnightofChrist]

50,000,000 is actully and understatement when we consider the numbers of aborted babies world wide.

Number of abortions [b]per year[/b]: Approximately [b]46 Million[/b]
Number of abortions [b]per day[/b]: Approximately [b]126,000[/b]

[url="http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html"]source[/url]

[kujo]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1516500' date='May 2 2008, 02:06 AM']It is no exaggeration, to support the mass murder of 50,000,000 babies is very wicked and evil. Thus anyone who supports such wickedness has the devil as their father.

John 8:44 - The words of Christ

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof."[/quote]

You don't think there's some wiggle room there? You don't think perhaps people who support abortion are good people seeking the best for the woman while suffering from the effects of an ill-formed conscience? I agree with your principle but think your rhetoric is dangerous and does more harm than good.