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When all of this Rev. Wright stuff came out, I thought: ummm...why are people surprised by this? The church advertises itself as embracing black liberation theology. What exactly did people think that meant? Nothing about Wright should have been surprising. It may have been surprising that Obama wasn't better prepared to deal with the blowback, but Wright himself didn't do anything that couldn't have been completely foreseen. Actually, he was completely consistent with his express theological viewpoints...despite the fact that it was "good" for Obama. It was Obama that would have to change, to garner mainstream acceptance.
I figured, Obama will eventually disown the theology he apparently embraced (by going to the church for 20 years), because he has to, to not completely alienate whites--most of whom don't view themselves as oppressors. There's no way to say, "Yep, I believe in black liberation theology, and I also would like to be the candidate 'beyond race'." That's oxymoronic.
Early on, I figured that he could distance himself from his church and its theology by playing dumb: "Oh, I didn't realize that it meant THAT. That wasn't my personal experience..." People who liked him will accept that, as if it's completely logical (oh, yeah, he never witnessed the rants...), and people who are fence-sitters could be won over, reasoning that, "Oh, what a man believes in terms of religion really shouldn't be used to judge his politics" (as if there's no intersection). In the end, I figured it wouldn't matter much, because very few people will learn about liberation theology, to allow them to really think about how going to such a church for so long might influence a man's thinking about the world. And some people would simply see the question "invasive" on a personal level, arguing that he's entitled to privacy on the issue of how his spiritual beliefs effect his political thoughts.
Does anyone think that the Wright/church thing might have a real impact? I am beginning to change my mind. Now, Obama's got another problem...another of his three "top" spiritual advisors--this Father Pfleger guy--has become a point of controversy...anybody see the pulpit rant from last Sunday? This seems like it could present Obama with a problem: there's no real way to say, "Oh, I didn't subscribe to this...I didn't know it was going on"... The more that stuff like this comes to the surface, the bigger problem he's going to have.
I figured, Obama will eventually disown the theology he apparently embraced (by going to the church for 20 years), because he has to, to not completely alienate whites--most of whom don't view themselves as oppressors. There's no way to say, "Yep, I believe in black liberation theology, and I also would like to be the candidate 'beyond race'." That's oxymoronic.
Early on, I figured that he could distance himself from his church and its theology by playing dumb: "Oh, I didn't realize that it meant THAT. That wasn't my personal experience..." People who liked him will accept that, as if it's completely logical (oh, yeah, he never witnessed the rants...), and people who are fence-sitters could be won over, reasoning that, "Oh, what a man believes in terms of religion really shouldn't be used to judge his politics" (as if there's no intersection). In the end, I figured it wouldn't matter much, because very few people will learn about liberation theology, to allow them to really think about how going to such a church for so long might influence a man's thinking about the world. And some people would simply see the question "invasive" on a personal level, arguing that he's entitled to privacy on the issue of how his spiritual beliefs effect his political thoughts.
Does anyone think that the Wright/church thing might have a real impact? I am beginning to change my mind. Now, Obama's got another problem...another of his three "top" spiritual advisors--this Father Pfleger guy--has become a point of controversy...anybody see the pulpit rant from last Sunday? This seems like it could present Obama with a problem: there's no real way to say, "Oh, I didn't subscribe to this...I didn't know it was going on"... The more that stuff like this comes to the surface, the bigger problem he's going to have.
Pun intended though lager is the culprit. 
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