It's not often that you will see an explicit content warning on a sermon, but with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, that is the case. Wright, the Pastor of Barack Hussein Obama's church is at the center of a firestorm of controversy because of his sometimes offensive sermons and his relationship with the would-be presidential candidate.

The story broke on Thursday, when ABC News, followed by Fox News, ran video of some of Wright's more offensive sermons and spoke of the pastor's relationship with Obama. Of course, many of us have been well aware of Wright and his relationship to Obama and have been wondering just when is this going to break into the Mainstream Media. In August 2007, I read a story on newsmax.com that discusses Wright and Obama, and contains information on the church of which Wright has been pastor and Obama has attended for many years, the Trinity United Church of Christ. A poster on FreeRepublic.com raised the issue even earlier, in January 2007.

The Trinity United Church of Christ

Just what kind of Church is the Trinity United Church of Christ? This is from their website:

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

That's a pretty straightforward description of a church working to help improve lives in the black community, but upon deeper examination, many are finding out that the church has a somewhat racist ideology. The Newsmax article mentioned above was titled "Cauldron of Division." That probably is a more accurate description of the church. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Wright says its doctrine reflects black liberation theology, which views the Bible in part as a record of the struggles of "people of color" against oppression.

A skilled and fiery orator, Wright's interpretation of the Scriptures has been described as "Afrocentric."

When referring to the Romans, for example, he refers to "European oppression" — not addressing the fact that the Egyptians, who were also a slave society, were people of Africa.

The Trinity United Web site tells of a "commitment to the black community, commitment to the black family, adherence to the black work ethic, pledge to make all the fruits of developing acquired skills available to the black community."

It is interesting to note that the last bit of text that was quoted from the church's website has since been removed from the website. That still does not change the fact that the church, for most, if not all, of its existence has been a racially divisive force in the black community. While many fine accomplishments for the black community and for people in Africa may be credited to the church, these cannot obscure or cancel out the subtle, and at time not-so-subtle racism that is being preached there.

Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

The man at the center of the Trinity United Church of Christ is Reverend Wright. Although he has recently retired, he was the founder, principal pastor, and guiding spiritual force for the church throughout its existence. It was he that brought Barack Hussein Obama into his flock and it was he that was Obama's religious guide for two decades, performing the marriage between Obama and his wife, baptizing Obama's daughters, and praying with Obama time and time again.

Wright's Racist Hits

Click on the images below to see Reverend Wright in all his hateful glory.

What kind of man is Reverend Wright? By now, you've no doubt seen the video clips that have been played on news programs on ABC, Fox, and even CNN. While many may call him a passionate, fiery, orator who loves Jesus and loves his religion, it is pretty clear that he is also a racist who does not love America. This morning I heard Charles Krauthammer call him a "raving bigot," without anyone batting an eye. MSNBC's Tucker Carlson has called him a "total hater." If you read the text of a few of his sermons, it's easy to tell why:

"Hillary does not know what it is like to be black man living in a culture that is controlled by rich white people... Hillary ain't never been called a n----r."

"Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain't! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty..."

"God bless America? God d--n America!"

Of course, apologists will say that these quotes are "out of context" as they are presented here. Other apologists claim that they are just a few isolated incidents cherry-picked from the thousands of otherwise benign and respectful sermons the Reverend has given in his career. Obama himself has stated that these this not the message he was hearing. Regardless of these apologists, what context could there be that could make these statements appropriate? I am providing some video links so that a more complete context can be given, but I think you'll find that what Krauthammer and Carlson said is true. Reverend Wright is a racist pastor of a racist church. And the church happens to have a long time member who is running for President of the United States, one Barack Hussein Obama.

Obama and Wright

Obama has been a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ since "1992 or 1993." His relationship with Reverend Wright goes back further, and Obama credits Wright for drawing him into Christianity. The New York Times has reported, in statement by Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton, that "Senator Obama is proud of his pastor and his church."

Obama has made statements disavowing the racist talk and ideology apparent in Wright's more fiery sermons. In an interview with Fox News' Major Garrett, Obama said this:

None of these statements were ones that I had heard myself personally in the pews.... I reject them completely. They are not ones that reflect my values or my ideals or Michelle's. And that, had I heard them, had I been sitting in the church at the time that they were spoken, I would have been absolutely clear to Reverend Wright that I didn't find those acceptable.

His official statement was posted on Huffington Post:

The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation... All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.

The problem with these statements is that Obama is lying.

In the Newsmax article from August 2007, the author clearly states that Obama was present on the day he visited the church and describes several racist and reprehensible statements from the pastor. And states that Obama "nodded in apparent agreement..."

Wright's strong sentiments were echoed in the Sunday morning service attended by NewsMax. Wright laced into America's establishment, blaming the "white arrogance" of America's Caucasian majority for the woes of the world, especially the oppression suffered by blacks. To underscore the point he refers to the country as the "United States of White America." Many in the congregation, including Obama, nodded in apparent agreement as these statements were made. (emph. added)

In addition to this particular Sunday sermon, Obama himself has made several inadvertant admissions that he knew Wright was a racist and a hater. In a 2007 New York Times interview, Obama dismissed a criticism of a Wright sermon by stating "It sounds like (Wright) was trying to be provocative." And in March 2007, Obama "disinvited" Wright to deliver a public invocation at the official announcement of his presidential campaign.

The Importance Of Obama's Association

So, the big question is, why is this important? Many liberal apologists have been commenting on blogs over the last few days, stating that this is a "non-issue." Since Obama has publicly decried the remarks and removed Wright from his association with the Obama campaign, they would like this to be put in the past so we can focus on some "real issues."

This is important for several reasons. For starters, it gives us a glimpse into the insight and judgement of Obama. This man is running for the highest office in our country, and insight and judgement are precisely the qualities we look at when choosing who to vote for. If he can sit in this man's pew for almost two decades, yet somehow miss the fact that this guy is a "raving bigot," what else is going to misjudge? In what other areas will his insight fail? In addition, this is the church he takes his children to. How many times have his children been exposed to such fiery racial rhetoric? What does this say about his judgement?

Second, Reverend Wright hates America and wants the Lord to damn it to hell. He has called the United States the United States of "White" America, the "US of KKKA," and other offensive slurs. The question of whether Obama also feels this way is an honest question and needs to be addressed. I think most people would agree that we should not elect a President who secretly or subliminally hates his country. The Newsmax article states that Obama was nodding his head in apparent agreement as Wright made some of these statements. That is a particularly disturbing fact, and one that may well ruin the candidate's chances for victory.

Obama can make all the statements he wants disavowing such speech, but you can't unring a bell. He has sat in this man's church for many years, and the stain of Wright's racism cannot be washed off.