:: in.a.mirror.dimly :: A theology and culture blog with the Bible in one tab and a news feed in the other.

I’ve become involved in supporting a group known as Shevet Achim, a Christian organization dedicated to bringing reconciliation to the Middle East and sharing the love and peace of the Gospel through their work of bringing Arab children to Israeli hospitals for life-saving surgery. It is a powerful testimony for the Gospel and a wonderful way to bring reconciliation to the Middle East.

With funding drying up, times are tight. There are many children in need of support for their surgeries, be they one-time or on-going gifts. Even if you aren’t in a place to help out financially, please take a moment to read the following note from the director and join us in praying for their ministry. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not out to bash Sarah Palin. So before I type any further, let’s just talk about the VP for John McCain and the overal Republican strategy. I’m more interested in what the Republican leaders are thinking than anything else, particularly in their thinking about a VP.

I’ll begin with the assumption that John McCain and his associates are not stupid or rash. They wouldn’t simply jump into a VP choice without doing the research. Most of the “scandalous” stuff about the VP pick has been available online. So even if John McCain is computer illiterate, he surely has people who looked up everything for him.

Now, assuming that McCain and Co. are not stupid, are not too rash, and are committed to winning this election, why would they choose such a candidate for VP?

For one thing, the VP undercuts one of McCain’s strongest avenues of attack on Obama: his lack of experience. McCain’s VP choice has even less experience than Obama–even if Republicans claim their VP has executive experience, their argument is still weakened.

In addition, McCain wants to paint his VP choice as a maverick such as himself. I heard that over and over again in the speeches Republican convention. The trouble is her claims as a reformer and independent have been called into question. So that can’t exactly be the reason for choosing this VP.

Remember, Biden unquestionably shores up a breach in Obama’s campaign: national security. So what could McCain be looking for? The answer lies in Evangelical Christians and other religious conservatives.

When Palin ran for Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the NY Times notes: “Anti-abortion fliers circulated. Ms. Palin played up her church work and her membership in the National Rifle Association.”

In other words, McCain is willing to give up a strong line of attack against Obama in return for bringing a pro-life Christian on the ticket to rally the Republican base. In fact, that’s exactly what Republicans claim is happening. This may in fact alienate independents, but it seems McCain needs a strong advocate for the segment of the party that voted for Bush and puts abortion above all other issues.

When I look back on 2000 and 2004, the Republicans played the same game with Bush. It worked for me, and he got my vote because I don’t support abortion. However, since then I’ve realized that abortion is one issue among many in the broad spectrum of “pro-life.”. As a Christian who reads the Bible and sees God’s condemnation of nations when they take advantage of the poor, I can’t help but question this plan to reduce Christian Republicans to one issue. The Bush presidency has a poor record in upholding justice and making peace. The number of children killed in our two wars is every bit as troubling as the number of children lost to abortion. Democrats who call for an end to the war are every bit as pro-life as Republicans who want to end abortion.

The frustrating part about the pro-life lobby is it can’t see the forest for the trees by focusing on legislation to end abortion. Many believe that abortion will never be repealed through legislation, and we have to ask the Republicans what exactly they did about abortion in the past 8 years. So even if they would theoretically like to end abortion, do they have the will or ability to do anything about it? Are we really saving lives by voting for Republicans who would repeal abortion in a theoretical world?

So my question is, have Evangelicals succumbed to this one issue? Are the Republicans just waiting for us to say, “Well, say what you will about the VP, all that matters is she’s pro-life.” Then the Republicans can pander to the wealthy, neglect the poor, leave global warming off their platform (which they did by the way), and thus contribute to the degrading of God’s creation and neglecting the very people God cares about. Democrats are not “the answer,” but I think Republicans need a wake up call. Evangelicals should not be bought so easily.

There’s nothing wrong with being pro-life and voting for candidates who want to end abortion, but there are plenty other moral issues that we should consider. Republicans have made the grievous error of reducing moral issues to abortion and sometimes homosexuality. They sprinkle gun rights in there for good measure, and assume they have a winning package to shore up their Evangelical base. As an Evangelical, I know we can do better, I know we can ask for more, and I know if we can show Republicans that our vote cannot be won through one issue, we may in fact make life better for a lot of people, perhaps even saving some lives.

The New York Times recently published an article highlighting the difficult time that comedians are having with Obama. He doesn’t mangle words, resort to catch phrases, or make silly gestures. He’s the straight man to W’s antics who rarely makes a joke or anything that would feed into a solid joke.

The writer’s for the Daily Show have experimented with the idea that Obama is so wrapped up in the historicity of his campaign that his goal is to have his image engraved on a coin. That’s kind of funny, but it seems that the guys at Jib Jab may have succeeded in at least finding one weak spot for humor, even if his one funny segment in the video pales to the shots taken at McCain and Clinton. I think the flying unicorn and bouncing rabbits are a nice touch. Have a look for yourself…

I have wonderful news for you. I have recently learned that all of our news for the next four months can be easily summarized into a brief series of points that can be easily read and remembered, thereby alleviating the need to read the papers or watch the news in the evening.

The Economy

The economy will continue to be terrible. The White House will deny there’s a problem and Congress will debate endlessly while passing a few symbolic measures that do little to help.

Health Care

If you aren’t receiving health care through a full-time job, don’t hold your breath. You won’t be able to afford a trip to the emergency room if you pass out.

The Election

Obama and McCain will continue to run a tight race. Obama will raise more money and will win a squeaker of an election. Hillary will not get the VP nod.

The War on Terror

Iraqis will continue to gradually take responsibility for their government and security. Some America troops in Iraq will be attacked by insurgents. Afghanistan will continue to plunge into chaos since our strategy didn’t go much further than dropping bombs and electing a government. It will take years to restore the economies and infrastructures of many Afghan villages.

World News

Dictators and other corrupt governments will continue to do cruel things to their people. The UN members will pout while a few resource rich nations such as Russia and China will continue their stalemating measures. Good things will happen all over the world–far more good than evil in fact–but we’ll hear very little about it since tragedies make better news. Driving fear into the hearts of listeners ensures high ratings.

Why I’m Doing This

Of course this is just a silly exercise, but I realized the other day that all of the news is generally the same day in and day out. Dictators, corruption, war, a sagging economy, and a close election: news outlets have to keep these same topics interesting even if they generally know things aren’t going to change all that much. There’s a constant quest for a new angle on these issues and a search to drive a little fear and unease into us so we’ll keep listening.

I heard one commentator say that the 24-hour news cycle demands that we constantly dig up topics for public consumption. It’s as if we need to manufacture stories.

However, I still listen to NPR every day. I still read the news online. I’m not saying we should be ignorant. I’m just trying to point out how very little of our “news” is actually “new.”

A few days ago I began an experiment that aimed to look at the reasons an Evangelical may vote for McCain or Obama, I’ll still add the qualifier that I’m merely offering my own justifications and reasoning, which means I don’t speak for all Evangelicals. I’m merely presenting scenarios in which an Evangelical could feasibly vote for either of them. You’re welcome to play along in the comments. I’m having a go at Obama today.

So if I, an Evangelical Christian, was going to vote for Obama…

Health Care

Obama’s plan to provide health care for everyone who needs it is very appealing, even if paying for it makes many nervous. I’ve gone without health care before, and it can be expensive when something happens and you simply need a doctor. While the poorest of the poor at least have a health care option, our nation thrives on cheap labor, but doesn’t necessarily take care of these, the working poor. It smacks of injustice to rely so heavily on cheap labor, but promoting a health care system that doesn’t have any provisions for those unable to find insurance through their work. The poor come up very often in the Bible, and those who neglect them often end up in the dog house.

Economy

Our economy is a bit of a mess at the present time, and I have to ask if part of the problem is lax regulation, allowing greedy investors to make terrible decisions in places such as the housing market and mortgage lenders to drop all semblance or order when approving loans. I think Obama is enough of a pragmatist to seek rules and oversight. However, as a Christian I’m more concerned about the just distribution of wealth among all segments of society. While McCain’s hands off approach may favor the growth of business, Obama has some appealing ways to help those with lower incomes and the middle class who may be struggling with his tax rebates and cuts for their income brackets, while increasing taxes for those in the top income tiers.

Energy
While Obama is no Al Gore, his commitment to the Democratic platform to cut carbon emissions, boost energy efficiency, and seek alternative energy are the kind of dramatic steps we need in order to be good stewards of creation.

Taxes
As stated in the economy section, Obama’s tax plan will ease the burden of those struggling to get by, while not giving any breaks to those in the upper income tier. While no plan is perfect, this may be the more just plan of the two.

Iraq
Obama is in a tough spot with Iraq. He’s not in the briefing room with the generals, receiving detailed reports about the conflict, however, he has opposed this war from the start, which was the proper moral judgment. Blessed are the peacemakers… He recognizes the importance of giving Iraq back to the Iraqis and alleviating their suspicion that we hope to make Iraq a kind of colony or to at least exploit it for oil.

Moral Values
Obama’s major sticking point for Evangelicals is abortion, since he supports this procedure. The only way to move past this issue as an Evangelical is to recognize that other issues may very well relate to preserving human lives and are just as worthy of consideration. In addition, simply banning abortion will not stop many from having the procedure. Avoiding war through diplomacy, combating climate change before scarcity of water and food lead to additional conflicts, and helping the poor through better health care are moral issues in their own right worthy of consideration. We’ll never know how many Iraqi lives have been lost (not to mention the lives lost in Afghanistan), nor how many more could be lost if the Republicans continue to push the war on terror forward. War, the economy, and the climate are all moral issues that affect millions upon millions of lives. While abortion is tragic, there are ways to curb it beyond voting Republican.

Illegal immigration
Many analysts can’t tell Obama and McCain apart on this issue. So I’ll say ditto to what I said for McCain!

Terrorism

As a follower of Jesus who said blessed are the peacemakers, Obama is very appealing because of his commitment to diplomacy. In addition, Obama is very popular in Africa and Indonesia, two important regions where the US will want to stop the spread of Islamic extremism. If peace is our goal, then Obama is the clear choice.

So there you have it: my reasons why an Evangelical may vote for Obama. Whoever Evangelicals vote for, there will be red flags to watch out for: McCain’s bellicose policies and lack of experience in economic matters vs. Obama’s lack of overall experience and support for abortion. For me, it all comes down to the way you do two things:

1. Weigh the importance of issues.

2. Deal with those issues.

Whoever tackles the issues most important to you in a way that you believe to be effective will most likely win your vote. There isn’t one candidate here who is the clear choice for Evangelicals, nor should there necessarily be one.

According to NPR, conservative religious leader James Dobson has critiqued Barack Obama’s take on theology as playing favorites with the text in order to advance his own agenda. He said on his popular radio show:

“I think he’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology,”

Now let me first take a sip of wine… there, that’s better. I always enjoy blogging about conservatives with a little wine in the system. It’s good for the stomach Timothy!

Now that my tummy is settled, I’d like to dig into this statement that Obama is playing favorites with the Bible for his own purposes. I’d like to start by saying that theologically I’m probably closer to Dobson, as Obama is a theological liberal. I have a lot of respect for where liberals are coming from, learn from them, learn from their cousins the Neo-Orthodox, and think we should not dismiss them out of hand, but when it comes to my view of scripture and such, I’m probably closer to Dobson if you put a gun to my head. I know it’s fashionable for moderate bloggers to kick Dobson to the curb, so I’ll do my best to behave.

So Dobson’s flap concerns some statements Obama made about the Bible. Obama stated,

“Would we go with James Dobson’s (interpretation) or Al Sharpton’s?” Obama asked the cheering crowd, referring to the two widely different religious leaders. “Which passages of Scripture would guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus which says that slavery is OK but eating shell fish is an abomination… Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount — a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application?”

Does that sound like distortion, or an acknowledgement of complexity? Is Obama dumbing the issue down or raising more questions? Is he discrediting the Bible or asking us to look at it more closely?

Time for a big gulp of wine.

It’s a classic attack style in theology to reduce your opponents views to a self-serving interpretation. The implication being that you are the defender of the truth. I have to admit that conservatives love this. We snap up books about defending the truth and such from people who want to distort the clear, literal, easily interpreted truth of the Bible. Sadly enough it seems the truth is being distorted plenty when we think we have the only valid view.

So the irony here is that I agree with Dobson in the broadest of terms. He probably wouldn’t accept me where I’m at, but I’m cool with him even if I wouldn’t say things exactly as he says them. And that is the problem. The Evangelical hierarchy spend way too much time trying to determine who’s in and who’s out, rather than seeking truth, building truth, and learning from the truth in the views of others, even if we think our way is best at the end of the day.

Curiously a group of pastor’s started a site called James Dobson Doesn’t Speak for Me. They dig into some of the specific statements in depth.

At the end of the day I hope Evangelicals can keep some of their wonderful gains in theology and service, but drop this combative stance to other perspectives. We really don’t need to make more enemies. That doesn’t mean we wallow in a postmodern relativism, but simply learn how to listen and evaluate, even if we hold on to our views when the smoke clears.

And if you’re looking for some comic relief here, Dobson didn’t let us down. Dobson actually said that Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law and president of the Harvard Law Review, made a “fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution.” Now it’s one thing to critique Obama’s theology, which Dobson is more than qualified to do provided he plays fair when presenting his opponent’s views, but does he really think he can take on Obama on the Constitution?  I laughed out loud at that one.

That about does it for now, and it’s just as well–I’m thirsty again. I think there’s still enough wine left in the fridge for another glass. For more info see link, Obama’s faith, and yahoo.

Blogger’s Note: I wrote the following in response to a conversation I overheard the other day.

I have a secret about the end times that you may not have heard from those concerned with the current events today and the various signs that point so clearly toward the imminent return of Christ. There is a secret underneath all of the different theories abounding amidst the fears that the UN, the rise of Russia, the promulgation of national “unions,” and all of the other “signs of the times” such as earthquakes and floods signaling our world is done for.

Are you ready for the secret? You’ll be blown away by this.

Here it is: Every generation since the time of Christ has thought “Jesus is coming back very, very soon!”

Have you read the New Testament epistles? Paul is absolutely convinced that Jesus is coming back any day now.

During the persecution of the early church people thought God would show up soon to deliver them.

During the rise of Constantine people thought that God would return now that the empire was on the turnaround.

Barbarian invasions, Muslim attacks, the crusades, comets, and anything else you can cook up over the years served as signs that God was returning to earth very, very soon.

Yawn. So much for all that.

Uptight Christians eager to see God return have been freaking out their children with tales of the world ending for ages. And still some persist that the events of today are unique, that all of the scriptures are being fulfilled right before our eyes, and that the news headlines fit with scripture like the perfect puzzle deciphered by skilled Bible scholars.

And guess what, the odds are that we’ll probably be wrong and have gotten all worked up over nothing.

Having said that, keep in mind that the Bible tells us to always be ready, that the Lord will come as a thief in the night when we’re not ready, and that we should not mock the thought of Jesus returning. Rest assured that Jesus is returning. We should think about it, we should be prepared, and we should be aware that he may well return soon.

Can we just drop the rhetoric and stress levels a bit? I’m thinking we need to stop trying to figure out the ways the news and the Biblical prophecies fit together. Chances are most Christians have absolutely no idea how to interpret a prophetic oracle, let alone that the prophets wrote “oracles” in the first place.

So let’s relax a little, love God and one another, and keep in mind that Jesus will return sometime in the near future. We just don’t know when or how it will happen. Being ready for the return of Christ means living a holy life, not fretting over the news headlines.

I read the headlines last night and nearly fell out of my chair:

BBC: Clinton will quit and back Obama

NYT: Clinton Ready to End Bid and Endorse Obama

And then I heard a report on NPR that threw me for a loop this morning. All Things Considered reported that Clinton did not technically quit. She did not technically endorse Obama. She did not let go of her superdelegates.

What is she doing then???

She’s suspending her campaign as of Friday, “supporting” Obama for the sake of party unity, and holding onto her superdelegates to keep all of her “options” open for the fall.

I’m thinking of Jesus saying, “Let your no be no and your yes be yes.” Is she quitting? Kind of. Is she still holding on to her bid? Kind of. Is she confusing us and giving Democrats an ulcer? Well, that’s the only thing that’s certain.

Technorati Tags: politics - election - Hillary - Clinton - Obama

Speeches are lovely things. There may be no greater orator in America than Barack Obama at this point, and he can sure deliver a fine speech. While listening to his address last night in Minnesota, I kept thinking of that scene in Braveheart where William Wallace has just delivered his masterful speech that will propel his rag tag troops into battle against England’s northern army. He returns back to the ranks and his slightly insane partner from Ireland says, “Fine speech. Now what do we do?”

It was kind of a deflating moment. Amidst all of the chanting, cheering, and brandishing of weapons, the fact remains that Wallace only delivered a “fine speech.” He hadn’t won anything or accomplished much. He had merely gotten his men in the mood to die for their country. Nothing to sneeze at no doubt, but still… it was just a speech.

Obama made a lot of great points last night. Points that I agree with such as:

“What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon - that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize.”

That makes me want to shout hallelujah. Death to the exploitation of religion for political gain, I say. In one sentence he condemned the fear mongering used to pass the Patriot Act and to sell the Iraq war, while also vowing to avoid the shameful exploitation of religion so popular under Bush. McCain is already using the terrorist threat as a major reason why people should vote for him, but Obama claims he’ll keep away from this.

We’ll see. Fine speech Mr. Obama. Fine speech.

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“Well it’s about time” is all I have to say.

The gatekeepers in the world of politics who tell us what we should care about have decided of late that political candidates should be held responsible for the statements of others in the communities and organizations to which they belong. If Jeremiah Wright said something, then some in the media have assumed that we can just drop the sound clip right in front of a picture of Obama with a photoshopped Jib-Jabbing mouth.

Now a guest speaker at Trinity Church, Obama’s home church, made some disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton. Obama swiftly replied to the remarks:

“As I have traveled this country, I’ve been impressed by not what divides us, but by all that that unites us,” Mr. Obama said. “That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger’s divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn’t reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause.” And to make things even better, the guest speaker apologized.

Of course camp Clinton said they were looking for something a little stronger from Obama. Yawn. And then Obama responded by actually renouncing his membership at Trinity. Happy now?

All of this tells me that, and brace yourself for this, America deserves George W. Bush. I don’t care whether or not we approve of his job, our system has guaranteed that a character like Bush can rise to the top political office. The Bush presidency has been shrouded in secrecy, expanded executive power, and viciously worked to topple all who stand in the way. If you listened to Scott McClellan on Fresh Air yesterday, you know that our president willfully keeps opposing viewpoints and perspectives away from his tightly knit womb of advisors. He has cut himself off from accountability to the greater community, especially the Evangelicals he palled around with at election time.

The word for George W. Bush is isolated. That is exactly where we are driving Obama, a man who stands a good shot at becoming our next president. By attacking his former pastor and now his very own congregation, we are alienating him from a network of support and criticism that is needed by any president. Instead we hound him for remarks made by people he not even working within his campaign.

This does not apply to everyone in the media and in the world of politics, but for the majority I have this to say:

We focus on stupid issues. Our stupidity paints our leaders into corners where they must cut off ties from valuable friends and communities. We scrutinize too deeply into trifling details such as flag lapel pins, associations with a pastor, etc. There are times when we should be critical of associations our leaders make such as McCain’s leap of faith behind Hagee, but when we force our leaders to renounce membership in church just because a guest speaker made fun of Hillary Clinton, we are surely asking for trouble. 

We just watched God Grew Tired of Us, a documentary about the lost boys of Sudan and the new life that several of them began in America. It’s a startling look at the conflict that raged in southern Sudan and the ways America is helping and not helping. I came away with a couple of thoughts:

• Sudan is a beautiful place to these young men. In America it’s easy to think of Sudan as this devastated war zone, but these men are now eager to return and rebuild their lives along the lush banks of the Nile where food is plentiful.
• The lost boys of Sudan endured horrible conditions on their various marches to escape the Northern Sudanese army. All of them have seen horrors that we cannot imagine. They are to be admired for their perseverance.
• The boys in America were shocked by Christmas. They said, “In Sudan we just celebrate the birth of Jesus. Where do Santa Claus and the trees come from.”
• America is rampant with individualism, loneliness, and isolation (see Scott’s review of Bowling Alone). The boys had a really hard time adjusting to the loneliness of America.
• America is still in the grip of racism. The Sudanese boys repeatedly ran into suspicion during their time in America, especially when a group of four walked around together on the weekend. Though they often didn’t realize how private people can be in America, the police were often called upon simply because of their race.
• Despite the pressure on the Sudanese boys, churches and other groups helped them succeed by driving them to work, helping them enlist in college, and learn other essential skills. Many of the Sudanese boys felt pressure from friends and family back in Sudan to send back money, and they generously sent every extra dollar while working two or three jobs. Though some cracked under the intense pressure to make it, the key boys covered in the documentary did fairly well.
• The people in southern Sudan still need our help to get their lives started again. Britain left a royal mess in Sudan when they united two previously separate countries into one. With vast natural resources in the border region, it ensured that North and South would be engaged in a deadly struggle for control. The United States still has a lot of work to do in ensuring this region stays stable, even as we confront the genocide in Darfur.
Technorati tags: Sudan, darfur, lost+boys, Africa

In the midst of his negotiations in the Middle East for an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, Tony Blair made the following comment regarding his dealings with religious extremists: “These people say that they’re doing it in the name of God, so we can’t say that it doesn’t matter.”

Blair’s aid followed with a similar line of thinking:

“You can’t hope to understand what’s happening in the world if you don’t know that religion is a very important force in people’s lives,” says Ruth Turner, 37, formerly a top aide to Blair in 10 Downing Street… “You can’t make the world work properly unless you understand that, while not everyone will believe in God or have a spiritual life, a lot of people will.”

Similar points have been made about the centrality of religion in the future of our world by Douglas Johnson on a recent episode of Speaking on Faith. Johnston is president and founder of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. He’s also the co-editor of Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft. If we want to keep weapons of mass destruction away from religious extremists, Johnson advocates engaging religious leaders, especially in countries where religious leaders wield political power.

Each of these examples show that religion and people of faith have a key place in our future. Many of our problems come when religious extremism is mixed with nationalism: a radical love of one’s nation and subsequent xenophobia mixed with the belief that God grants his wholehearted support can make for huge problems. There is a need for moderating religious leaders to deflate some of this tension, to build dialogue and understanding, and to ensure that no one’s religion or rights are trampled in the process.

You may have heard that Dunkin’ Donuts recently pulled a commercial with Rachel Ray, Rachel Ray of all people, because she was wearing a “scarf” that some conservative bloggers linked with support of religious extremism. It is this kind of disrespect and misunderstanding that cripples our politics, policy, and potentially our future.

As a person of religious faith I would never want all Christians to be equated with the crusaders, just as Muslims would never want to be equated with terrorists and other extremists. It is my hope that moderating religious voices can help diffuse the misinformation and misunderstandings that drive unnecessary wedges of fear between people who aren’t all that different since we all want the same thing: freedom to worship God as we see fit in our respective nations in peace.

The following is a press release from Not for Sale, an anti-trafficking agency:

Today in Myanmar, 2.5 million people cling to survival after the disaster that hit two weeks ago. The latest state television update in former Burma has declared the death toll after the May 2nd cyclone to be 77,738 people. Another 55,917 are still reported missing.* Thousands swarm the roadsides of a country void of the foreign aid it so desperately needs. Children, destitute and orphaned, are picked up by vicious traffickers prowling the disaster area.

This week, David Batstone travels to Myanmar to approach the crisis situation.

Last Fall, Not For Sale partnered with Thai Abolitonist Kru Nam to build a shelter for 125 kids rescued out of the sex trade industry. Today, she implores us to intervene again as Burmese children trafficked into Thailand are being rampantly sold.It’s time to build a shelter, and it’s time to act fast.

Not For Sale, this week, has partnered with a foundation that will match EVERY DOLLAR we donate, up to $25,000. Our goal is to raise $50k in the next two weeks. The shelter will be on the border between former Burma and Thailand, and will provide the critical care necessary to rescue Burmese orphans out of slavery. Kru Nam’s village, as is, cannot support one of the growing needs in this crisis. But together, we believe we can raise enough money that can.

DONATE now. Every dollar you give is worth two. Join the call to action in this crisis.

* Statistics obtained from www.nationalpost.com

With all of the flap over Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama in the news lately, we really have a perfect storm of sorts as far as stories go. It’s a mix of politics, race, and religion. I still believe that the media is completely ruining this story in many ways and Obama and Wright are in extremely difficult situations. I’d like to try and cut through some of the hype and misinformation out there.

First of all, it is essential to either read or listen to Rev. Wright himself on Bill Moyers or his speech at the National Press Club. I don’t agree with everything Wright has to say, but I agree with a lot of it. Even if he’s wrong on some points, he presents clear arguments for his views. Like them or not, he’s entitled to them.

Here’s the problem. Obama isn’t really fighting Wright. He’s fighting sound bits and public perception of Wright. Wright isn’t really fighting Obama. He’s fighting a very real hostility toward the black church and the injustices that he sees in the world. He’s fighting the media and the those who twist his words.

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