Many readers here and millions of citizens are asking why Sen. Barack Obama’s close friend and pastor of 20 years and his church get away with preaching politics “from the alter?”
The answer: there’s a double standard at work,
The commenters here know that.
But they’re taking the action of commenting regarding Wright's and other of Obama’s political allies/preachers abuse of the pulpit in order to call our attention to those abuses.
As a gesture of support for the commenters, I offer the following, which I first published Oct. 24, 2007 with the title: Obama and MSM’s double standard:
An editorial note in the Nov. 5 National Review (print, not available online) begins with a reference to Sen. Barack Obama, and then highlights one aspect of MSM’s double standard when covering Ds and Rs.
Here’s NR’s note in full after which I make a few comments:On the campaign trail, Obama told an enthusiastic audience that he hoped to be “an instrument of God.”NR could have said a lot more.
Fine and dandy. So should we all. But can you imagine if a conservative Republican had said that? Can you hear the cries of “Theocracy!”?
There are different roles for different parties. Speaking before the Democratic convention, Jesse Jackson can say, “God is not finished with me yet.” (He can also compare Dan Quayle to Herod – one of the lowest blows in recent political history.)
President Bill Clinton can wave his big, fat Bible at the cameras, as he enters and exits the Foundry United Methodist Church, the Rev. J. Phillip Wogeman, presiding.
But a conservative Republican had better keep his head down. There is separation of church and state in this country, you know. (emphasis NR’s)
Democrats hold political rallies in churches and that’s just fine with most MSM. But if a group supporting a Republican candidate hands out campaign literature to people leaving a church, we get editorials suggesting the church may have jeopardized its tax-exempt status.
The MSM’s overwhelmingly Democratic bias is easily seen in its double standard treatment of Ds and Rs concerning religion and just about everything else.
8 comments:
And some commenters here are blind to the fact that "certain" churches are held to a lower standard than are others. The real shame is this: if anyone openly criticizes this state of affairs, he is labeled a "racist." My eyes have, indeed, been opened, but what I see is that Blacks get away with dang near whatever they want, while Whites are bound by the leftwing politican correctness that rules our brave new world.
Tarheel Hawkeye
John,
The Black church has been a place for preaching on politics and social issues for a long time. History and tradition support this. If America wants to challenge this they will have to do so in a whole lot of churches, not just Trinity.
You can call it a double standard if you want but I hope that there is not an attempt to take the discussion of politics out of the HBC. Just a big can of worms. It is what it is. In my opinion it is not so much a democract vs republican double standard. The fact is most Black churches are made up of democrats and the discussion from the alter of politics is the norm.
Rougemont: Would you care to explain why "it is what it is" is any different from the old segregationist refrain "we've always done it like that?"
This double standard flies in the face of every principle this nation was founded upon. What would be your reaction to a White racist rant from the pulpit of a church? Would you feel that was harmless and supported by "history and tradition?" I'll wait while you think this one over.
Tarheel Hawkeye
To RM,
I sign on to what TH has just said.
In the next day or so I'll post your 7:14 comment and TH's 3:02 comment on the main page.
I think what you've posted is representative of many but should not be accepted in America.
John
Tarhell hawkeye,
I never said that preaching a "white racist rant" from the alter is the norm. I was talking politics being preached from the alter as well as social issues. Nothing in my post suggests a "white racist rant" from the alter as the "norm". We were discussing tax exempt status and politics in the church.
I can remember watching Jerry Falwell, a white preacher who had his own version of politics from the alter. Though not as many, in my opinion, as Black Churches, where the preaching on politics is traditional, there are many 'white' churches that would come under some scrutiny as well.
I don't believe that the separation of church and state, or an application of tax exempt status or not, should interfere or limit free speech.
The other issue raised was a double standard between democrats and republicans on this issue. I believe my point is that it is more an issue of the Black church being made up of more democrats and the fact that such discussion is what it is in the Black church.
John,
I am ever so grateful when you publish my comments on your main blog. I hope you are not advocating taking away tax exempt status for all churches, black or white, that preach politics from the pulpit. I can just imagine big brother, big government having hidden cameras and mikes in a church, just waiting for that gotcha moment. Unlike the segragationist refrain that TH so inappropriately mentioned, this is one tradition that is worth keeping. Just my opinion.
RM: No, you didn't say White racist rant is "normal." You did say that Black racist rant was "traditional and historical." If you can't see the hypocrisy in this, then there's no sense in continuing. For my part, I want everyone in my nation treated the same; and as long as HBCs (I assume this is your shorthand for Historic Black Churches) are allowed to open their pulpits only to leftwing political candidates and as long as demogogues like Wright and Pfleger are accepted moral guides, there is not real equality.
Tarheel Hawkeye
Tarheel Hawkeye,
I did not say anything about Black racist rants being traditional and historical. I was talking politics, you were focused on racist rants. I believe the subject was politics in the Church.
RM: The racist rants of Mr. Obama's associates were what caused this thread to develop. If you want to limit your discussion to routine politicking from the pulpit, then please explain why it is that every election, the Democrat candidates always manage to be invited to speak at the HBCs and nobody bats an eye. If a non HBC (read: lily-White houses of worship) church is the site of leafleting or political statements, the great leftwing outrage machine rumbles into action and the mainstream media gets out their separation-of church-and-state arguments, and the White church is flayed, pilloried, and otherwise publicly ridiculed. Tell me that's equal treatment. We don't need secret listening devices to know that HBC are flagrantly abusing their tax-exempt status.
Tarheel Hawkeye
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