If I were a Christian, I’d belong to the UCC
Mar 21, 2008 Feminism/Politics, Race
I admit the “God damn America” bit was a rhetorical step too far. But what I believe Pastor Wright was trying to say, as I have heard him say in many sermons over the years, is that blind patriotism is an offense. It is ahistorical. And it is dangerous. America, great though it is, has plenty of blood on its hands. It has, in many cases, wielded its power unskillfully and to the detriment of powerless people all over the world. To ignore that is abhorrent, unhelpful and it weakens us. It is better to call out your country’s wrongs and work to correct them as Pastor Wright does, than to preach “my country right or wrong,” which is the greater danger to the republic. Pastor Wright speaks truth to power, unfiltered, from a leftist point of view.
Some folks balk at that. I embrace it. Trinity is the first church where I saw women in the pulpit and among the leadership, not relegated to the pews and the kitchen. It is the first church where I heard a male pastor correct the idea, often attributed to the Bible, that women are secondary to men. It is the first church where I heard a pastor preach that everyone doesn’t need to marry or have children. It is the first church I have attended where the pastor refused to castigate gays, even if it meant the loss of membership. It is the first church I have attended that encourages its members to use their faith for strength against racism, but also to help all marginalized people.
It is interesting that we are quite comfortable with radical rightwing preachers. Pat Robertson can blame Hurricane Katrina on homosexuals and still be called for interviews by the mainstream news and embraced by presidents. Bob Jones University, a Christian college visited by George Bush, can ban “unGodly”dalliances between black and white students. John McCain can “welcome”support from Rev. John Hagee, who wants a Biblically prophesied invasion of Iran. But a radical leftist minister is just too, too much.
from What Tami Said
Possibly related posts
Tags: christianity, Erica, obama, pastor wright, ucc, united church of christ
