Has ussaul people do not read the bible, many of the prophets called the nation and its leaders to repentence because of their sins. The prophets were also killed. Why is the church growing so fast in other countries, but here in America (home of the Klan) the church is phasing out. It seems to me that if the church would stand up for GOD rather than place more allegience to the Symbolism of the Country, a country that is moving God to the background people wouldnt be leaving the church. Even Jesus was critical of the church who gain, power, money and wealth by keeping the people from the true Spirit of God. What Jerimiah Wright stood up and said was the truth (just do the research). The church is so narrow in its thinking that we are only suppose to be peace loving, when we are commanded by Jesus to take the world by force. We are to be soilders detroying the work of the enemy. It is sad that we have people who will not hear the truth about America which has skeletons.
yohan
Posted: May 18, 2008 11:35 PM
You choose a baby killer when you choose obama for the president. And you let God damn America when you chose obama for the president. Believe me God will bless the country whose leader is the righteous people. Do you see obama is the righteous person when he support abortion?
Brian
Posted: May 18, 2008 1:55 PM
Brother??? Jeremiah Wright is a racist on par with Louis Farahkan, David Duke and any other Minister of hate. His liberation theology is complete perversion of the gospel. Do better research!
Walter
Posted: May 17, 2008 9:20 PM
I'm glad to see the writing of this article that does not judge the heart of someone they don't know. We shoulod criticize bad theology. Black Liberation Theology has much to criticize and is not orthodox in its essence in terms of the biblical Christ (Bad Christology). However, it is born out of some LEGITIMATE criticisms of how theology has been applied in the America. Years before there was a Barack Obama on scene, I'd heard JW preach in person on several occasions. His preaching on Salvation (Soteriologgy) and the Biblical Christ was good. Base on that theology I'd call him christian. As a christian he goes astray endorsing black theology. But as an Af Am I can understand where that come from without writing him off as an unbeliever. So too the articles author. Lastly, though they are christian in most ways, John Hagee & Rod Parsley too have some REAL theological issues. The are NOT solidly biblical. Because they endorse candidates, the comparison is a good one.
Lillian
Posted: May 17, 2008 7:37 PM
It is not for me or anyone to judge whether Rev. Wright is a christian or not; Only God knows that. The Bible says judge not lest ye be judged. From what I have heard, Rev. Wright preaches the Gospel and also discusses world issues in his sermons. People may not agree with some of the statements he makes. No one agrees with everything a person says. We all have different opinions. The one true states we should agree with Rev. Wright is the doctrine of Jesus death, burial, and resurection.
Mark
Posted: May 16, 2008 12:09 PM
Black liberation theology is nothing more then idolotry. It's founder the Rev Cone defines the movement this way, “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
God is a community all to himself. He invites man to be a part of his community through Jesus Christ and is not held hostage to any race of people. Black liberation theology is a perfect example of Golden Idol theology.
GC
Posted: May 16, 2008 9:39 AM
At what point does a "Christian" or "family member" overstep their boundries. I mean, is there a point they reach where we just scratch our heads and wonder "what's going on"? The crazy ideas spewing from this man's mouth are just outrageous and untenable. Come on Christians, use the brains God gave you and stop being pansies about the Rev. Wright. This man is not a good representative of our beloved Christ. This man is clearly a media grabbing camera hog and deserves quick anonymity. Please Christians, use your brains and not just your hearts when properly judging those who dare call themselves ministers of God's perfect and inerrant word. Remember, our Creator gave us brains as well as hearts - let's use them both - you know, Grace and Truth.
Lynne
Posted: May 15, 2008 10:54 AM
This article reflected my feelings about Jeremiah Wright exactly. I am white, but can certainly understand Wright's approach to race relations. I really didn't see what was so offensive to people about the things he said. I was somewhat upset with him for showing such little regard for Obama, considering how far Obama's election to president would help race relations.
David Adams
Posted: May 14, 2008 2:04 PM
I'm so glad that we can now look at people we do not know and determine the nature of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus would be so proud that we've put so much of the New Testament behind us and moved on.
I really hate the whole idea of making faith some sort of badge you have to wear to get elected, but the more I look at this "story," the more it looks less like religion and more of a "let's make people afraid of the scary black preacher" kind of thing. My state's about to have its primary, and a large number of people are disinclined to vote for O'Bama because these fear tactics have worked, and they actually DO cite "fear of Wright" as a factor in their choice. There is a real gap in the way people approach faith in this country, and it often plays out along racial lines, but it seems intrinsically sinful to use these divisions to gain a political agenda, rather than as markers for things about which we need further dialog and understanding.
Stephen Sharp
Posted: May 14, 2008 9:53 AM
Well, I got a third of the way through the article before deciding I couldn't stomach any more of this article. Then I checked to see who wrote it. Oh, I thought, someone from the Leftwing Christian Century. That explains this pile of garbage. Wright a "brother?" Not on your life. Any resemblence between Wright and traditional, New Testament Christianity is accidental/unintentional. He practices Black Liberation Theology. If you want to know more about this, pick up the newest issue of National Review. In my personal Bible reading I am reading through the book of Jeremiah - no resemblance to Wright except that God slams (damns?) the false prophets with which Jeremiah had to contend. Why on earth did CT decide to run Byassee's nonsense?
Thomas
Posted: May 14, 2008 9:03 AM
I have seen Rev. Wright preach and he is a brilliant and powerful preacher. I didn't agree 100 percent with what he said but I don't agree with everything the Apostle Paul wrote, either. I am not a theologian, seminarian or a preacher, but simply a Christian man-on-the-street. If we want to nit-pic, and God gave us brains to do so, I can't even say I agree with everything that has been red-lettered to Jesus in the New Testament. But I continue to read The Word, wrestle with its stories and try to love others and Jesus loved me. I try, try, try.
Shannon
Posted: May 14, 2008 3:10 AM
Cry me a river. Evangelicals made the decision to ally themselves with the political right and now they're going to share their fate. Suck it.
Joe
Posted: May 13, 2008 10:55 PM
It's amazing to me how far TRUTH can fall in a free society. That is always the case when EMOTION is in the drivers seat and not TRUTH. Emotion can "twist" the truth and make it feel good to it's believers.
I cannot believe that the writer of this article really believes what he's writtern (he just wants to believe it so badly it must be true). Wright is NOT a brother in Christ. Jesus Christ would not back him at all. He is using the church (his church) to advance a false theory about a "black diaspora" when the ONLY diaspora in the Bible is the about the JEWS. He uses his church to promote a RACE of people--not a biblical truth (ALL PEOPLE are Sinners and need to be born-again (John 3:7). The LORD JESUS never supported a race over a NEED (you must be born-gain). Once a person is SAVED (born-again) he or she belongs to the FAMILY of GOD and race has no significance at all any more. Wright also tries to make Christ a thief by TAKING goods and giving them to others. LIAR
dorothy
Posted: May 13, 2008 10:29 PM
Let's face it.......Rev. Wright cares about Rev. Wright. The show it put on at the press club is so far from what a dedicated follower of Christ whould do.............black or white.
Larry
Posted: May 13, 2008 6:07 PM
I enjoyed your article...it is a breath of fresh air! I do not say "amen" to everything Rev. Wright has preached through the years. But I do believe he has been slandered by people who do not know what they are talking about. YOU are courageous to write such an aricle as this! I applaud you!!
Terry
Posted: May 13, 2008 2:21 PM
I find it grossly offensive that both Mr. Wright and Mr. Byassee would say that I am a member of a "Slavery religion" - does that mean that I am responsible for the actions of my ancestors who held slaves? The only problem is that all of my ancestors were wearing blue and two lost their lives to free the slaves. More worked within the context of the church to free them, in the sixties, the Civil Rights era, they were beaten for opposing Jim Crow laws. I am sorry but both of you reveal your rank political agenda which you appear to be imposing upon scripture and believers alike. Those who abandon the gospel must always move to straw man arguments as you have done here - gross generalizations and stereotyping - the very thing that Mr. Wright accuses all who oppose him of doing. It is amazing to me that he sees himself as above criticism - are there no "Bereans" at Trinity who check to see if what he says is in keeping with scripture? Return to the gospel first.
bob
Posted: May 13, 2008 1:54 PM
THis article deserves someone"s endorsement.. Like it or not, some of our emergent friends also point out that christian religion is not american religion, if done correctly. Pastor Wright said some wildly ignorant inappropriate things (eg, AIDS is a government plot against blacks), but if he is truly Christ honoring, we should criticize the words, not the man. The same would apply from the christian right wing which eagerly wants to see the middle stoked up to fullfill their false dispensational theology , which is a nineteenth century invention.
Nancy
Posted: May 13, 2008 12:41 PM
What evidence is there that Jeremiah Wright is an evangelical, a "born-again" Christian?
He is preaching hate and divisiveness. What happened to love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you and pray for them who despitefully use you, for then you will be
children of your Father in Heaven? I haven't heard anything of him preaching the Gospel,
the good news of salvation through Christ's blood. I haven't heard any of that. I've just
heard his vituperative hatred of America.
Steve
Posted: May 13, 2008 9:48 AM
I am in shock. I have respectfully disagreed with CT articles before, but this is astonishing. Mr. Byassee demonstrates a nearly complete ignorance of Cone's liberation theology and the presuppositions that guide his descendants, like Wright. Did he do any research beyond looking for Obama one Sunday morning? How a reporter from CT (is this still an evangelical magazine?) could conclude that Wright is "family" is beyond me. This is an especially low moment for your editorial staff, you guys have been caught sleeping on the job.
Frank
Posted: May 13, 2008 3:22 AM
If you investigate historically certain actions of the US Government and not its people you will understand what Rev. Wright is talking about. Example is the Vietnam War......The US government aligned with the west as Vietnam was a French colony. The US government was designed not to have colonies but we have territories. Ho Chin Ming ask the US for help in fighting the French and liberating them from colonialism but President Eisenhower sided with the French and we eventually were in a war with Vietnam. The US bombed Vietnam and Millions of Vietnamise were killed. acknowledge the wrong in the past we have done. Its the government that fails the people and the people should look towards God and not Government for salvation.
If you look and a dictionary at damnation Wright is correct, but its his presentation that has many people upset since sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. I don't think Wright hates America but hates America's response to cetain situations.
Bill
Posted: May 12, 2008 6:31 PM
It is difficult to imagine any definition of Christian broad enough to include JW. Is the Koran a Christian document since it venerates Jesus as a great prophet from God?
barbara
Posted: May 12, 2008 5:56 PM
Another Wright apologist has written words designed to excuse the actions of one of the biggest racists to ever hurt the cause of racial reconciliation in America.
Jay
Posted: May 12, 2008 1:46 PM
He is not one of us! He is divisive and racist. This is the second time in the last month that you have printed something I think is controversial. You are off my Google page.
romero
Posted: May 12, 2008 1:03 PM
If we study the old testment of the Bible, we find that most if not all of God's prophets were persecuted and murdered for exposing the trueth of the king's and nation's misdeeds. If you were to research our history, you will come to the conclusion that we as a nation have committed sins that have consequences. Keep in mind that by exposing these sins does not make me or Rev. Wright any less of an American. It just makes me an American who realizes that we are as a Nation have sins, and some are being repeated. Sins do have the consequence. The problem is that many Americans preferr to be kept in the dark. If you are one of these Americans, you are just as quilty of the sin as those that know of it and keep silent.
Truth just, just as sun light can not be covered up. I love this country, and because of this I love, I want to save it from the consequents of sin. All nations of the world are committing sins, but its citizens are forced to silence. Thank God for freedom!
Mike
Posted: May 12, 2008 8:57 AM
So the writer thinks Jeremiah Wright is a "serious Christian" that we should pay attention to. I think that is laugh out loud ridiculous. The writer can think, wish and pray for what he wants, but the simple reality is that JW is being dismissed as a crank and rightly so. I disagree that the fact that he is a Christian provides any reason to go easy on him. All the less so, in fact. Liberation theology is a perversion of Christ's message. Maybe it goes over well at the cocktail parties and such, but it is a sad excuse for the simplicity of the gospel.
You are free to give him all the free passes to that poor, oppressed millionaire all you want, but I think most people are tired of the he’s-a-victim-of-racism-so-we-need-to-understand-him mantra.
Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.
If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.
RSS Feeds
Audio
Twitter
E-mail
Print
Post
Subscribe to Christianity Today magazine today!
