Posted on 01/25/2007 3:22:51 PM PST by Chi-townChief
January 25, 2007 To Fran Eaton:
Optimistically, perhaps we can simply agree to disagree. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had a dream. He dreamed about what should be, as opposed to what was reality. I agree that racial division should not be one of the challenges facing America in the next decade. That is the dream but the reality has not caught up with the dream. Yes, some laws have changed; however the aftereffects of more than 200 years of socially engineered slavery and racial discrimination by European-Americans are not so easy to address, redress and rectify. That is what keeps us divided. History repeats itself because we do not make the effort to do the tedious research to keep history alive and understand how it has influenced the here and now. To make the dream a reality those tedious "should not be" steps have to be lived and countered and built upon. Optimistically, you just don't get it.
You have never been told nor has it been implied that you are not worthy of my best effort. You have never had your neighbors move en masse from your neighborhood. You have never had community businesses move en masse taking their wealth with them.
Supremacy teaches and spews forth hatred and attempts to build fear to control and establish dominance. As we have learned from our Jewish brethren and which you have so adeptly stated in your column, each and every single one of us has been chosen by God to be here. There is nothing that you have stated in your column about him that suggests that Jeremiah Wright advocates anything more than that for African-Americans. African-Americans deserve to be on the same level playing field that you and I as European-Americans take for granted.
I am truly disappointed by your attempt to equate the Rev. Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ with "white" or "black" supremacy. I can no longer attribute it to the "I" word, ignorance, but rather to design, placing political party above the politics of Christ.
You say you believe in a creator. I believe in God, "the creator." There is the rub, God places a great deal of meaning to skin color and God loves all skin colors equally. Do you?
Your attempt to undermine Sen. Obama through divisive religious means is well noted. The Salem witch trials and the Inquisition are also noted. We each must do that which we believe is "right" and God will take care of the rest.
James B. Glover, South Holland
Not worshipping the same way
January 25, 2007 There were several comments or observations in Fran Eaton's Dec. 31 column that I found problematic. I do mean problematic because I think they are indicative of attitudes that have lead to institutionalized racism in our country. She apparently did not feel comfortable because she saw no other Caucasians in the congregation at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. I have been to Trinity a few times and suspect that she just missed seeing her compatriots. There have been Caucasians present most times that I've visited Trinity. I can recall feeling uncomfortable in situations where I was the only African-American present but never in a church. I would suspect that Eaton was the source of her own discomfort, not the church.
She seemed to feel it inappropriate that African heritage clothing was worn by many members and service participants. Why should this be a problem? While I am not a spokesperson for the United Church of Christ, I do know that this denomination encourages the recognition, study and preservation of cultural heritage. I am African-American. Contact with and knowledge of our cultural heritage is something that was violently stripped away from most African-Americans as we arrived on slave ships. UCC encourages preservation of cultural heritage not only for African-American congregations but also for Philippine, Native American and East Indian congregations, among others.
I belong to an integrated congregation, St. Mark UCC in Chicago Heights. For about 10 years we presented an annual concert that brought together musical presentations from diverse cultural backgrounds and traditions. These concerts were inspirational, entertaining and educational. We know that being one with God does not mean that we all have to look alike, think alike, act alike or worship alike. Such thinking causes enormous societal problems that are not easily eradicated. Such thinking is limited. The simple fact is that God is not limited.
I have another issue with Eaton. In my opinion, she went to church for the wrong reason. I have heard many ministers, including the Rev. Wright at Trinity, speak on this subject. It might have been better if she had bothered to do a little research on the Internet or read one of Sen. Obama's books. She might have found the answers to her questions and not have been so uncomfortable. Once there she could have approached one of the deacons or a member. I suspect they could have supplied her with literature that would have answered her questions and even put to rest her apparent fears. It's not too late, even now.
Sandra Tucker, Glenwood
Why question styles of worship?
January 18, 2007 I've been pondering Ms. Eaton's Dec. 31 column about her visit to Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. It did not sit well with me but I was afraid that was because of my gut reaction to a column called "Always Right." Was I just reacting to her rather smug "suburbanism?"
Chestine Allen from South Holland clarified the issue for me Jan. 11. In this land of the free, there's something a bit off about investigating a potential candidate's religious beliefs. Ms. Eaton went to Trinity not to share worship with a congregation but to investigate and to find negative information about a man who has supplied very little ammunition.
Barack Obama deserves better. I hope Ms. Eaton is not a racist but her intolerance for an unfamiliar style of worship, to say nothing about her lack of basic fact-checking, leads me to believe she was in a hurry to get something that could be perceived as negative into the paper. She's addressing the wrong audience. The South Suburbs are blessedly diverse. She'll have to find something other than his style of worship to trash this honorable man. In just about every town in this area there are churches that have similar worship styles.
I wonder how Ms. Eaton would take it if someone were to do an investigation of George W. Bush's religious beliefs and write a column about them? It's because of those beliefs that we are being led to Armageddon.
Martha Burke Tressler, Park Forest
Visiting Obama's church
January 11, 2007
This is a response to the Fran Eaton's "Always Right" column "Questions raised by visit to Obama's church," in The Star Dec. 31.
As a senior, black female I was immediately dismayed by the inflammatory language, the incorrect name given for the pastor and the politically divisive tone of the article describing Ms. Eaton's visit to Sen. Barack Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ. The children's singing in a choir was described as "boisterous." "Lively" would be a more appropriate word. The pastor's last name is "Moss" and the article said "Potts." She speaks of a scant number of Caucasians in the congregation. Who does she expect to see in a black community church? It is well-known that Chicago is one of the most racially divided cities in the nation and that includes the suburbs where this newspaper is distributed.
Is she aware that there are churches and communities all over the Chicago area that meet in ethnic groups and speak their native language and work together for the good of that group? Why are you selecting blacks to investigate? Yes, reparations for black Americans in the form of better educational opportunities are overdue. We would not have the problems we have in America now if the dominant group had not discriminated for generations against black Americans. You may say your comments are political, I believe they represent that insidious racism that abounds in our society.
Chestine Allen, South Holland
starnews@starnewspapers.com
Pastor’s teachings shouldn’t widen racial divide (OBAMARAMA CONTINUES UNABATED)
Quite frankly, I was skeptical at the time as to whether attacking Barack Hussein's religion would be productive but I'm pretty surprised with what is uncovered about him almost daily. Ms. Eaton was right and I was wrong.
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/barack-obamas-church-ultra-left-and-afrocentric
Trinity United Church of Christ
About Us
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.
Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:
1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.
The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:
1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.
More at the site.
I don't know...... all this black, black, black.
Imagine if a church emphasized white, white, white.
It appears this church is at the liberal end of one of the most liberal mainstream denominations. Way, way out there.
CHICAGOLAND PING
People who base everything in their lives on race are calling other people racist. Hypocricy thy name is Liberalism. Liberalism is a disorder best treated by daily use of Thorazine suppositories followed by a Draino enema.
The question is "Why should we put Obama in office to find out what he is really going to do" and I suspect that won't be pretty.
Same goes for Hitlery and we all pretty well know what she is going to do and that really isn't pretty.
The after effects of slavery do exist. But they are minimal compared to the current effects of the welfare state that has destroyed the Black family and weakened the Black church.
Prior to the war on poverty, the Black church was the major institution of social control in the community. It was the way people found jobs. It provided the motivation to get educated ... so you could read the Bible for yourself. It was the safety net, taking care of those who needed help.
The Black church was replaced by government programs that promised to find people jobs and educate them and be their safety net. That is dominant factor #1.
Dominant factor #2 is the racism of the white liberal. The white conservative says "The Black person should take care of himself."
The white liberal says The Black person is incapable of taking care of himself and needs us white liberals and our Black suck-ups to do for them what they are too stupid to do for themselves. In short, the white liberal says that the Black person is inferior.
Those are the main obstacles. The after effects of slavery do exist. Other problems do exist. A small amount of conservative racism does exist. But it is small compared to the impact of white liberal racism.
"In short, the white liberal says that the Black person is inferior."
Yup, but the race pimps like Rev. Jesse and Rev. Al are in charge of the plantation.
When I was a kid in the late forties, I visted my grand mother in town to skate on the sidewalks as none were available in the country, we often went to the quarters to black owned stores run by wifes of black busines men, that had busines as plumbers or electricians, etc.. Black church leaders/ govt intervention destroyed this beginnings of midle class people. Small southern town.
Since it's UCC, you can't even guarantee any coherent theology of any kind. Certainly it's not a priority according to the website.
Church is the most segregated place in America.
Spanalot's got a point there. The real story here might not be Obama's closet "Muslim" background (If Obama is really a Muslim in disguise, he sure isn't following Islam's teachings on homosexuality), but the kind of "Christian" church Obama goes to.
Simply replace the racial words in the "welcome page" on Obama's "church", so that "black" is rewritten as "white" and "African" becomes "European" and so on, and here's what you get:
About Us
We are a congregation which is Unashamedly WHITE and Unapologetically CHRISTIAN… Our roots in the WHITE religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an ARYAN people, and remain "true to our native land" -- EUROPEAN blood, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of white flight, the days of racial mixing, and the long nights of "black power". 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 WHITE WORSHIP SERVICE and ministries which address the WHITE COMMUNITY.
Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the ANGLO Value System written by the Milford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vale Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These WHITE ETHICS must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever WHITE PEOPLE are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:
1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the WHITE Community
3. Commitment to the WHITE Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the WHITE Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the WHITE Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting WHITE INSTITUTIONS
11. Pledge allegiance to all WHITE leaders who espouse and embrace a CAUCAUSIAN VALUE SYSTEM
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the CAUCAUSIAN VALUE SYSTEM
The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:
1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO EUROPEAN HERITAGE.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF ARYAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.
Is it just me, or does that sound like a bunch of swastika- saluting skinheads?
It seems Obama's "Christian values" church is dangerously close to parroting militant racist "values".
If they changed BLACK to neighborhood, I would agree wholeheartedly.
Local Churches are supposed to take care of members first. It only makes sense that the make up of the neighborhood determines the people who attend, so it is natural to see a mostly black church in a mostly black neighborhood! :)
I also wonder what they would do if visitors showed up in mukluks because they had Eskimo blood or wooden shoes because they were Dutch decendents....Would they still be so defending of "Cultural" heritage?
It is amazing to see how people over-react to genuinely wrong historical events that affected their ancestors. Making sure it is a 'NEVER AGAIN' philosophy, I dont see as wrong, but somewhere there has to be taught forgiveness, especially to those who never had any part in those previous wrongs and would have objected to it.
That church is ridiculous. What a load.
This is NOT a Christian Church.
They do NOT worship Christ.
They worship a different trinity.
1) Civil Rights
2) Liberal Socialism
3) Race
If this is his home church, Obama is really screwed up. A sermon was published at the church site and again on the other FR thread. Not once was ther a quote from the Bible, nor the mention of God or Jesus.
Obama shouldn't be running for POTUS if there's going to be endless guilt, hatred and demagoguing of race. He has to stand up and take criticism like anyone else.
2.) So far, I see no racial element from conservatives, conservatives who were practically begging Colin Powell to make the run back in '99, many of them right here on FR.
Powell turned out to be a phony and so will Obama.
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