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Obama and the Church
Wednesday, 18 June 2008

by Mel Reeves

Barack Obama is rethinking his religion. Or is he repositioning religion in his campaign profile? One thing seems certain: "He doesn't want a church like Trinity United Church of Christ, which ‘comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.'" No, sir. "Trinity was too progressive and too issue-oriented and, some may say, a bit too pro-black for someone who seeks to lead the United States without a real progressive agenda for real change." It could have been worse for Obama. He might have stumbled into a church like the ones "that motivated the slaves that sought freedom by any means necessary: the Nat Turners, Denmark Vesseys, Gabriel Prossers, Harriet Tubmans, and David Walkers."

Obama and the Church

by Mel Reeves

"There have been strains of liberationist theology some know as the ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition' type of Christianity."



Black people have been too quiet about Senator Barack Obama's resignation from Trinity Church of Christ. Our collective silence exposes timidity on the part of many in Black America to criticize our new black "prince." But what the resignation showed more than anything is the fact that there is more than one Black Church, that there are several philosophies at work in what we call the Black Church. Some are leading us collectively forward and others are not leading at all, but abdicating their responsibility to the greater good with their overemphasis on pious religiosity or individual material prosperity over and against group well being..

Obama revealed himself in an interview after he quit Trinity. He said: "What I want to do in church is I want to be able to take Michelle and my girls, sit in a pew quietly, hopefully get some nice music, some good reflection, praise God, thank Him for all of the blessings He has given our family, put some money in the collection plate, maybe afterwards go out and grab some brunch, have my girls go to Sunday school. That's what I am looking for."

In other words, he doesn't want a church like Trinity, which "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable."

However during the same interview Obama said, "I don't consider Christianity a place to avoid the real problems in the world. Now, my faith tells me that we have to engage in those real problems in the world. And, you know, sometimes, when you are engaging in the real problems that are out there, there's going to be some conflict and some controversy. And I would expect that I would have a pastor who would not shy away from speaking out on those issues when he or she saw fit. Now, but I also think that it's got to be... somebody who reflects a wisdom that ultimately is about reconciliation and unifying people and expressing a spirit of mercy along with a spirit of justice, a spirit of understanding along with a sense of righteous indignation about injustice. You know, hopefully we will find something that approximates that."

"Trinity was too progressive and too issue-oriented and, some may say, a bit too pro-black for Obama."

The preaching and reflections of Dr. Jeremiah Wright and his young successor Rev. Otis Moss Jr. seem to reflect what the presidential contender, on second thought, said he wanted. So why did he leave? Because Trinity was too progressive and too issue-oriented and, some may say, a bit too pro-black for someone who seeks to lead the United States without a real progressive agenda for real change.

Ironically, the black church is, by virtue of its very existence, an issue driven and political institution. Black folks didn't choose to separate their worship, they were forced to. In fact, their early fellow Christians barely - if at all - viewed them as human. Many black churches sprang up because white churches refused blacks membership.

Dating back to the days of slavery there have been strains of a revolutionary and radical and freedom-seeking liberationist theology some know as the "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" type of Christianity.

This is the type of Christianity that motivated the slaves that sought freedom by any means necessary: the Nat Turners, Denmark Vesseys, Gabriel Prossers, Harriet Tubmans, and David Walkers. This religion motivated radical abolitionists like John Brown. They read the Bible as a revolutionary book. This is the religion of the spirituals which helped to renew the spirit of the slaves and reminded them that they were God's people while also serving notice of escape plans and impending danger.

This is the religion that buttressed the newly freed slave and helped him weather the storm of neo-slavery in the South and segregation in the North. This is the religion that led Bishop Henry McNeal Turner to declare that God is Black. It eventually gave birth to a Rev. Vernon Johns and many other lesser know preachers who stood up to white supremacy and eventually gave us MLK. It lead James Cone to articulate a Black Theology and contributed to the strain of black churches that preach a liberating gospel emphasizing personal morality and a social justice responsibility.

"This is the religion of the spirituals which helped to renew the spirit of the slaves and reminded them that they were God's people."

Today that type of Christianity is being carried out by churches all over the country to the chagrin of the US ruling class, which understands clearly that this church is inherently its enemy, especially since it seeks to eliminate the very injustices that help line the pockets of the rich.

Then there has been the accommodationist strain of Black Christianity that, Frederick Douglass was referring to when he wrote that he met, "many good religious Colored people who were under the delusion that God required them to submit to slavery and to wear their chains with meekness and humility." That strain of religion encouraged folks that a better life lay ahead in heaven. It is better known as "pie in the sky" religion.

This is the quiescent religion that preaches moral piety and allows its members to step over and drive by their poorer black brothers on their way to church. They don't smoke, they don't drink, they don't dance, they don't fornicate, they don't support abortion, they don't like homosexuals and they don't love anybody.

These folks get caught up trying to parrot right wing Evangelicalism. Some may be more familiar with the expression "Moral Majority types." They identify with the right wing religious pro-lifers, but do little to help the black life that stares back at them every day. They don't spend their time making black life better by fighting for quality public education for our children, fair sentencing laws, full employment, livable wages for the working poor, the right to organize and belong to a union or an end to police brutality. No, they are too busy legislating morality. And the irony is that the consequences of institutional racism and the unequal distribution of the wealth in our society, is threatening the very existence of our community.

"Unequal distribution of the wealth in our society, is threatening the very existence of our community."

Then there is the more pernicious brand of black Christianity which raps itself in the flag of prosperity. Some know it by the name "prosperity gospel." It encourages folks to see God and the church as just "good business." It encourages financial and material prosperity and presupposes that the unblessed (the poor, homeless, unemployed, etc) are in their condition because of a lack of divine favor, while at the same time conveniently overlooking the systemic causes. They too drive by their lesser brothers in their finer cars, clothes and cribs while pretending that racism doesn't exist and poverty is a state of mind. They flaunt their wealth and make believe that God wants its leaders to drive around in Rolls Royce's and on private jets because God has blessed them because they have blessed other so they deserve such opulence.

Obama's decision to leave his church was an acknowledgement that there is still a strain of that liberationist black church alive and well in the US. Since, "no man can serve two masters," because, "he will either hate the one and love the other," Obama was forced to side with those who as Malcolm X once put it, want to "continue the system of oppression and exploitation."

Mel Reeves is an activist living in Miami.

Truth is undoubtedly the sort of error that cannot be refuted because it was hardened into an unalterable form in the long baking process of history... Michel Foucault

Hope begets many children illegitimately and prematurely. Allie M. Frazier

Beware the terrible simplifiers... Jacob Burckhardt

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Great Article
written by Akil , June 18, 2008

Obama has been stripped
"culturaly naked" and brought to the table ready to be re-clothed in the garments of white supremacy.

Any man that will sell out his church for political gain, is a man that cannot be trusted.

Obama understands and accepts the terms of white folk. No president representing whites can attend a church with a black liberation theology.If Obama is to attend an all-black church, it must be a "negro church" that focuses on scriptures and not social ills. In other words it must be a church that focuses on the "word" and not the world.

Be for Real
written by OneForAll , June 18, 2008

"Reclothed in the garments of white supremacy"???? Are you trippin'? You really don't want to give the brother any credibility at all and hence the majority has us right where they want us; divided and conquered....again! All they have to do is sit back and wait for us to kill each other off. They don't have to lift a finger. How about "clothed in an apparel for all people"? Or, "clothed in the apparel of the people that he will be obligated to represent as President of this nation"? Whatever apparel the man NECESSARILY wears to obtain office does not change who he is or where his historically demonstrated heart lies. Obama's heart is inclusive of Black Folk but not exclusive to Black Folk. The exclusive, pro-Black, progressive posture has its place...but not in the office of President; that just isn't going to happen....never! So let the activists behind the pulpits and in the community be pistons in an engine of change. No problem! But if we want this engine to hum using every possible cylinder, having a complementary piston in the White House is a good thing!

Know Them That Labor Among You
written by knowyourself , June 18, 2008

Everybody your color is not your kind! We don't need a black president. We need a president who will take racial inequality seriously and help do something about, no matter the color of that president.
We have no indication that Obama cares anything about the liberation of black people, or any one of any race for that matter.
If he's just playing the game in order to get into office, as some argue, then he isn't a person of integrity. Furthermore, he'll be held accountable to white people for this friendly, non-threatening image. If he's being sincere in his racist attacks on the Trinity community, his scathing and narrow-minded critique of black parenting, and his "post-racial" message then he's the same as most politicians.

why did Pretty Brotha speak at that particular church?
written by another left sista thats left , June 18, 2008

I think is it quite interesting that Pretty Brotha left Trinity UCC, threw Rev. Wright (and his White grandmother) under the bus and waved bye-bye as the zionists and the Wall Street types drove over.

Now he speaks at an Apostolic Church of God on Father's Day. DO YOU KNOW WHO THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH IS? One of the most, if not the most conservative of Black Churches in our community. They and the Pentecostals are the "fundamentalists" of our community.

THEY DON'T EVEN ORDAIN AND LICENSE WOMEN TO BECOME PREACHERS!

Pretty Brotha can't be trusted . . . at all!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kresge,

Truth is undoubtedly the sort of error that cannot be refuted because it was hardened into an unalterable form in the long baking process of history... Michel Foucault

Hope begets many children illegitimately and prematurely. Allie M. Frazier

Beware the terrible simplifiers... Jacob Burckhardt

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Originally posted by urbansun:

My question Wiz is this...why is it that folks think an individual should conform to a church doctrine instead of finding a church that conforms to the persons personal goals?

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Originally posted by urbansun:
I would argue the "liberationist" strain in the black church is a fairly small strain nation wide.

The problem that I find is twofold Kresge:

1. Blacks are looking for a Messiah as opposed to a President.
2. Many black folks think there is only one way to progress, and that way happens to be their way.

Truth is undoubtedly the sort of error that cannot be refuted because it was hardened into an unalterable form in the long baking process of history... Michel Foucault

Hope begets many children illegitimately and prematurely. Allie M. Frazier

Beware the terrible simplifiers... Jacob Burckhardt

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Originally posted by kresge:

I would also agree with your assessment that black folk are looking for a Messiah as opposed to a President, and Obama wants to be the latter, not the former.