Posted on 12/15/2008 7:28:35 PM PST by TornadoAlley3
As people headed inside St. Paul AME Church in East Macon to hear controversial the Rev. Jeremiah Wright deliver a revival sermon today, a band of nearly 20 people, led by a local radio talk show host, protested the visit.
Wright silently entered the sanctuary during a choir anthem along with other ministers.
He knelt at the altar to pray while the choir finished singing.
Outside of the church, protestors shouted, “Not G.D. America, God Bless America” and “Jeremiah Wright is wrong.”
They tried to warn people going to hear the sermon that Wright preaches hate, not love.
Wright, speaking to about 350 people, delivered a traditional revival sermon based on the story of Jesus healing a blind beggar on his way to Jerico.
It should come as no surprise that Wright also expressed opinions about politics and current events.
Shouting into the microphone, Wright criticized President George W. Bush, the United States’ declaration of war against Iraq and the media.
“American boys and girls are still dying,” Wright said.
He questioned why the military hasn’t been able to find Osama Bin Ladin and the truthfulness of the media and government regarding the war.
“Wake up and smell the oil,” he said.
Wright, a Chicago minister, was President Elect Barack Obama’s preacher before snippets of some of his sermons — including one where he says “God Damn America” for its treatment of black people — became an Internet and national news media sensation.
“He’s harvesting souls for hate. Hate is not of the Lord,” 940 AM morning talk show host Chris Krok shouted through a bullhorn.
On his program, Krok has blasted Wright for some of the preacher’s remarks, which came to light during the past presidential campaign.
Between Wright’s visit and Krok’s protest, there was a heavy police presence outside the church. At one point there were at least 10 official vehicles there, including police, sheriffs and emergency management agency cars. Macon police officers kept watch over the protest, which was peaceful.
Many of the attendees inside the church were members, but there were several visitors who were drawn by a desire to hear Wright speak.
Mayor Robert Reichert and city councilmembers Larry Schlesinger and Elaine Lucas sat in a group near the front.
Harold C. Johnson said he wanted to experience the inspiration Wright has provided for Obama and Reichert.
“(I wanted) to hear a dynamite sermon by Rev. Wright,” said Johnson, seated near the back of the sanctuary. “I want to take some of that back with me.”
Janis Horne, a Macon woman who was the first to arrive for Krok’s protest, said she “felt good” about the event.
“We did it because we are Christians,” she said. “And Christians have stood down too long. ... I was hoping for hundreds.”
I wanted some of that "hate whitey" stuff to bring home...
Here is the truth. These people are not worshiping God. They are worshipping thir culture. Nothing more. The former will hear one day well done good and faithful servant. The latter will hear depart from me I never knew you. Rev. Wright is totally about the worship of his own culture.
Not to worry. Barry'll do it. Or else:
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright delivered a rousing sermon Monday to open a three-day revival at St. Paul AME Church in Macon.
Wright, the former pastor of President-elect Barack Obama, found himself embroiled in controversy early this year for making what some called derogatory comments about the United States government’s handling of blacks, Indians and other minority groups.
At St. Paul Monday night, Wright had the congregation shouting, singing, shuffling and laughing as he delivered a rousing opening sermon to a nearly packed sanctuary.
And Wright stuck mostly to the scriptures and the story of Jesus restoring the blind man’s sight in Jericho. That happened, Wright said, because the man had faith and called on Jesus for help.
But Wright did take a couple of shots at his favorite targets, the media and President George Bush. Wright said the President started a war with Iraq, a country that didn’t have anything to do with 9-11the terrorists attacks on the United States.
Bush triggered the war alleging Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. But Wright pointed out that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq.
“The media is lying. The economy is dying and Bush ain’t even trying,” Wright said.
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert and a few members of council, including Elaine Lucas and Rabbi Larry Schlesinger, attended the services. During singing, Reichert and Schlesinger shuffled and clapped along with the congregation. Reichert appeared to be singing, although not loud.
During his introduction of Wright, the Rev. Ronald Slaughter, senior pastor at St. Paul, cautioned the congregation that recording devices and cameras were not permitted during Wright’s sermon.
“This is not a political rally,” Slaughter said. “Some folks came to hear the word of the Lord.”
Later, Wright himself picked up on that, saying the media and others have said unflattering things about Wright.
“But you didn’t come here for the gossip, you came for the gospel,” Wright said.
He also cautioned the congregation about being envious or jealous of their neighbors. The Lord may have blessed the neighbors, Wright said, and the blessings could spill over to you.
“If the Lord has blessed your neighbor, that means he’s in the neighborhood,” Wright said.
Outside St. Paul’s on Shurling Drive, a handful of protesters carried signs that read “Wright is Wrong.” They also chanted, “God Bless America”, apparently turning around a sound bite from a Wright sermon in which Wright said, “God damn America.”
During the presidential campaign, that sound bite was used to link Wright with President-elect Obama. Critics used the comments to question Obama’s patriotism for being a member of a church where the pastor blasted the country.
The revival resumes at 7 p.m. Tuesday when Wright delivers his second sermon of the week. The revival is scheduled to run through Wednesday night.
Only in Wright's version, once the beggar saw that Jesus was white, he gouged his own eyes out rather than have been healed by a White Man.
The MSM would NOT be charmed if someone threw their shoes at Rev. Wright...
Politics makes strange bedfellows, very strange indeed. Perhaps McCain should have mentioned this dubious individual on the campaign trail.
It still staggers the imagination that a Barack could be elected with a Wright association. It really has gone beyond the traditional political struggle between Republicans and Democrats, but sanity versus insanity.
Anyone calling such a man a “spiritual guide” or “mentor” (MENTOR!!!!!!!) (SPIRITUAL GUIDE!!!!!!!) being elected to the highest office in the world, has me bolting awake with a frightened gasp.
I transpose some of the crazy reverend Wright’s ideas to my country. It helps to understand how crazy they are. “The Lombards invented Aids to kill the Sicilians!” from a pulpit!!! And the local equivalent of Barack Obama, Barccolo Obamini even brings his bambini (his children) to hear that stuff... and even donates his Lire (50 million Old Lire)... and then when caught, denies he ever heard anything inappropriate.
Just an observation, but I have noticed that my mostly white Church is attracting many more black members these days. Given what I have seen and heard, not just with Wright and his black liberation theology crowd, but with what other blacks have told me about how morally deficient most black pastors are, and what I personally have seen of the black Church, it is little wonder that blacks are seeking out other places to worship. I believe that black Christians who are genuinely seeking Christ are not finding what they are looking for in black “churches” where the minister and leadership are spewing hatred and twisting the Gospel to fit their world view, while getting rich from the offerings of the congregation, and having the sex life of a rabbit and talking filth when not in the pulpit. Since they can’t find true Christianity in a black church, they go looking for it somewhere else.
My general observation is that many of the black churches are into what is sometimes called the prosperity gospel. Many black believers are probably not into that and they might seek a Bible believing church. For example I’ve been to Charles Stanley’s church in Atlanta and there are many black people there.
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