Do white pastors receive preferable treatment?
Posted on March 19th, 2008 by catalyst into the Politics categoryIn a blog on the Huffington Post, Frank Schaeffer wonders why it is offensive for a black pastor to criticize America, but it is acceptable when a white pastor does it. Frank shares quotes from his own father, Francis Schaeffer, where his own father justifies the overthrow of the U.S. government.
Frank concludes:
The hypocrisy of the right denouncing Obama, because of his minister's words, is staggering. They are the same people who argue for the right to "bear arms" as "insurance" to limit government power. They are the same people that in the early 1980s roared and cheered when I called down damnation on America as "fallen away from God" at their national meetings where I was keynote speaker, including the annual meeting of the ultraconservative Southern Baptist convention, and the religious broadcasters that I addressed.
Christians love to lament the fall of America, and they speak glowingly of the 1950's: back when it was okay to pray in school, keep homosexuals in the closet and treat blacks as second class citizens. To many fundamental Christians, our founders were Godly Christian men who knew that the Bible belonged in Government and blacks belonged in the field picking cotton.
For once, I'd like to hear a white Christian Evangelical praise America for how much we have improved in our treatment of minorities. And I'd love to hear a white Evangelical preacher ask forgiveness for how America has treated it's black people. But that won't happen, because to white Evangelicals, slavery was just an unfortunate incident but "gays getting married" is the worst abomination known to man.
America isn't perfect. And it's acceptable to say this. But we're still a lot better country than we were fifty years ago. I'm proud of how this country has developed. And when we vote in Barack Hussein Obama as our next President, it will be another step in showing the world, that we are the greatest country in the world.
RSS feed for posts
March 19th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Cat, I wonder if the word you are looking for is preferential?
Anyway, I’m not sure about white “pastors” getting a pass, but whites like Tom Brookshier, Kelly Tilghman, Steve Lyons, Al Campanis, Mel Gibson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Michael Richards…this is getting old, do I really need to go on?…ok, just one more…Don Imus…sure didn’t get any.
On the other hand, I do know several black activists that sure do seem to have gotten passes o’ plenty. Just Google “Louis Farrakhan,” “Jesse Jackson,” or “Al Sharpton” together with the words “racist statements” and you’ll see for yourself.
Last time I checked, those gentlemen have suffered little, if any, ill effects for their racist sentiments.
OK, so, did you Google that?…Well, hurry up then…(waiting)…(waiting)…(still waiting)…Got it? OK, good!
So…now what?
We gonna have a thread on “Is The Nation Of Islam’s Farrakhan Really Qualified To Be Called A Reverend?” How about “Do The Whites In Jesse Jackson’s Home Church Feel Marginalized?”
Wake up man! Everybody — as well as most every Christian, deep in their psyche — is a racist to one degree or another. Which is really nothing noteworthy, inasmuch as most of us have also lied, stolen, cheated, fornicated, gotten drunk, disobeyed our parents, hated, etc.
Yes, we all are sinners.
Once you see that, you may — along with me — start to wonder why this topic of racism is so singularly fascinating, and continues to get so much ink around here. Especially in view of the fact that no one on this blog is ignorant of the injustices that have been perpetrated upon minorities.
Now, if I’m mistaken in this, those of you who have never heard of the plight of the Negro in American history, please signify by raising your hand…Anyone?
Unless of course the reason you do this is for pure demogoguery, which, living in D.C., would make sense.
-joebib
March 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Wow.. very gracefully executed. I had to read it twice; I couldn’t believe mine eyes.
While I in no way, shape, or form support NOI’s Farrakhan or any leader of the “religion of peace” (which, incidentally, is the cause of more deaths in one day than all other religions combine for in a year’s time), I have a hard time really worrying or caring whether or not whites in Jesse Jackson’s church feel “marginalized.” You see, the difference is that if a white person is marginalized or exposed to racism, the fact of the matter is that his people still rule the majority of the free world.
Aww, poor little white guy rejected by black society? Well, he can always “clean up” and move up in white society (the ruling society). For a black man, or someone of any colored race to move up in society, they have to be accepted by the white society that surrounds them. They have to choose between their culture or making a better life for themselves. And THAT is the systematic racism of our culture, not some zealous black minister that lambasts white American culture.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Thanks for bringing Schaeffer to my attention. It’s an excellent response to the overblown Obama’s pastor controversy. The rhetoric of Obama’s pastor may sound outrageous, but isn’t that the point of preaching? Shouldn’t we have a president who is challenged by his or her pastor? Lord knows the current and prior presidents could greatly benefit from challenging sermons and pastors willing to say how things are and not hide behind safe, non-controversial sermons.
Schaeffer makes an excellent point. The preaching of Obama’s pastor is mild and tame compared to what I’ve heard from white evangelical/fundamentalist pastors. I’ve heard white pastors call from the the downfall of the nation and end times judgment — especially during the Bill Clinton presidency.
Catalyst said:
Amen! The silence of white evangelical/fundamentalist churches about the gender and racial civil rights movement seems to loudly proclaim their stance on the issue. I’ve always been troubled that the predominantly white church of grandparents’ generation seemed to be oddly silent about the civil rights movement of the 1960s. And even today, politically conservative churches tend to avoid recognizing the sin of prodigious.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Uh, I was employing the literary device known as sarcasm, which was done to show the universality of racism, not only by those in the minority which I referenced, but also by those in the majority about whom the OP was trying to make a case out of.
-joe
March 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
So you’re saying that if the IC — the same IC that is the seeming author of all that is evil in Christianity today, and that thing which everyone around here seems to gleefully despise — drops to its collective knees and asks forgiveness for their real or imagined part in past racism, that that will somehow magically cause it to disappear?
(Maybe they would do it at that if they thought it would make us “giving units” flock back to their microphones, side-singers, jumbotrons, tithing plates, and coffeeshops.)
Sorry, but I just don’t buy that.
Furthermore, maybe you’re different, but as for myself, every time I have, against my better judgment ever given in to my flesh’s desire to go back and remember, recollect, and regurgitate hurts from the past — even when I recently related, on this very blog, my own past in experiencing racism — all it has done is resurrect something that I have to again relive. I’d rather follow the advice of Paul, and apply the principle of Philippians 3:8-13 (KJV) and— if you’ll excuse the expression — forget that dung.
-joe
March 20th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I love it, a blog set up to criticize a pastor now criticizing those who criticize a pastor…
You can’t make this stuff up.
I remember white evangelicals that said similar things about 9/11 and they were lambasted. Some say America is evil because of homosexuality and some because of slavery…I don’t see much difference. The church is to be a place of healing where there is no Greek, Jew, slave, free…if we don’t all get along with other Christians of all type and love our enemies and bless those who curse us (including our country), are we really part of the Kingdom of God? We will not find this healing in the world government…otherwise why did Jesus come?
If we can’t find this healing in the church…what hope do we have? There is no racial tension in the Kingdom of God, only in the flesh. I think american churches are luke warm in the mouth of Jesus and about to be spit out. Where is that spotless bride Jesus is looking for? Man, the more I look the less I think she is here…
Many, many churches of america have prostituted themselves out to both political parties…used as a pawn to give the appearance of piety for political gain. It makes me sick.
These churches seems to look to the kingdoms of this world for their saviour…both democrats and republicans.
Obama, Clinton, McCain…who cares. I already have my King, and He holds the nations in the palm of His hand! I will pray for whoever is elected, but more importantly I pray for a spotless bride for my King. He is worthy.