Jeremiah Wright does not hate America
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: News/Features
Jermiah Wright does not hate America
Despite all the condemnation in the media for supposedly "anti-American" comments made by Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright, Orbis staffers could not find one single comment by Wright that warranted such a reaction. For this special edition of News Briefs (we've included a few of the usual sort on page 12), we would like to compare some of Rev. Wright's comments with those of right-wing religious leaders, including Rev. John Hagee (of whom McCain has said he is "proud to have [his] support"), Rev. Ron Parsley (whom McCain once said was his "spiritual guide"), and Rev. Pat Robertson (whom McCain previously denounced as an "agent of intolerance," but recently has been courting for an endorsement). You may conclude that Wright's sin was not in criticizing America, but rather, it was in not criticizing our country in the "Right" way.
Rev. Wright, on God's judgment (2003): "God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
vs.
Rev. Hagee, on God's judgment (2006): "I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."
Rev. Wright, on 9/11:
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye...Because the stuff we have done overseas has now brought right back into our own front yards. America's
chickens are coming home to roost."
vs.
Pat Robertson, on God's judgment and 9/11 (2006): The 9/11 attacks were "divine retribution against America" for tolerating "gays, feminists and the ACLU." Also, Ariel Sharon's stroke was "God's punishment for giving up Gaza."
Rev. Wright, on America: "In a democracy we need to learn how to disagree without breaking up our house and getting a divorce. We need to learn how to be unified in terms of nobody should go to bed hungry, nobody should die unnecessarily." Also: "Which country do you think poses the greatest threat to global peace: Iraq or the U.S.?"
vs.
Rev. Parsley, on America: "I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed."
Rev. Wright, in supposedly anti-semitic remarks: "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic." Wright also said that Palestinians have faced "injustice" and "racism" for years because of Zionism.
vs.
Rev. Hagee, in remarks against the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine: "If America does not stop pressuring Israel to give up land, God will bring this nation into judgment...he will release the terrorists let in by our ridiculous immigration policy, and this nation will go through a bloodbath."
Despite all the condemnation in the media for supposedly "anti-American" comments made by Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright, Orbis staffers could not find one single comment by Wright that warranted such a reaction. For this special edition of News Briefs (we've included a few of the usual sort on page 12), we would like to compare some of Rev. Wright's comments with those of right-wing religious leaders, including Rev. John Hagee (of whom McCain has said he is "proud to have [his] support"), Rev. Ron Parsley (whom McCain once said was his "spiritual guide"), and Rev. Pat Robertson (whom McCain previously denounced as an "agent of intolerance," but recently has been courting for an endorsement). You may conclude that Wright's sin was not in criticizing America, but rather, it was in not criticizing our country in the "Right" way.
Rev. Wright, on God's judgment (2003): "God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
vs.
Rev. Hagee, on God's judgment (2006): "I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."
Rev. Wright, on 9/11:
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye...Because the stuff we have done overseas has now brought right back into our own front yards. America's
chickens are coming home to roost."
vs.
Pat Robertson, on God's judgment and 9/11 (2006): The 9/11 attacks were "divine retribution against America" for tolerating "gays, feminists and the ACLU." Also, Ariel Sharon's stroke was "God's punishment for giving up Gaza."
Rev. Wright, on America: "In a democracy we need to learn how to disagree without breaking up our house and getting a divorce. We need to learn how to be unified in terms of nobody should go to bed hungry, nobody should die unnecessarily." Also: "Which country do you think poses the greatest threat to global peace: Iraq or the U.S.?"
vs.
Rev. Parsley, on America: "I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed."
Rev. Wright, in supposedly anti-semitic remarks: "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic." Wright also said that Palestinians have faced "injustice" and "racism" for years because of Zionism.
vs.
Rev. Hagee, in remarks against the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine: "If America does not stop pressuring Israel to give up land, God will bring this nation into judgment...he will release the terrorists let in by our ridiculous immigration policy, and this nation will go through a bloodbath."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jeff
posted 3/28/08 @ 12:26 AM CST
I don't care what anybody says... Nobody says "GD America" around me!
No spiritual leader should say GD anyway. Who is this Wright guy to pass judgement on anybody. (Continued…)
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