By now, virtually every American not on an expedition to Antarctica has heard about Rev. Jesse Jackson's crude and offensive remarks picked up by a live mic in a Fox News studio last Sunday.
Rev. Jackson expressed his extreme displeasure about Sen. Obama supposedly "speaking down to black people." Most observers believe the specific remarks that triggered Rev. Jackson's outburst were uttered by Sen. Obama in a Father's Day speech at a black church in which the senator admonished absent black fathers by saying, "We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child--it's the courage to raise one."
Rev. Jackson's son, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., issued a blistering repudiation of his father's comments saying that while he would always "love his father," he did "thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric." Rev. Jackson has apologized to Sen. Obama for his comments.
One point that I have not heard made in the barrage of criticism directed at Rev. Jackson is the extreme vulgarity of his comments. Some have talked about his "crude" language, but as far as I know, no one has pointed out that Rev. Jackson's comments are particularly beyond the pale for a man of the cloth.
As a minister myself, I am even more shocked that Rev. Jackson would state that he--how shall I put it?--wanted to remove Sen. Obama's procreative abilities. Am I suggesting that ordained ministers should be held to an even higher standard of conduct than non-ordained people? Yes, I am.
The New Testament is quite clear that people who would be pastors or ministers are held to a higher standard than other Christians (1 Tim. 3:1-7) and even other church officers such as "deacons" (1 Tim. 3:8-13). I, for one, do hold ministers, including myself, to a higher standard of conduct and that includes both not harboring such hostile and vicious thoughts toward others and not verbalizing them in such vulgar and crude language.
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Diana Butler Bass is a religion scholar and author of Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. She blogs at 
Tony Campolo is Professor Emeritus at Eastern University and author of The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice, with Mary Darling. He blogs at 
Rod Dreher is a columnist for The Dallas Morning News and author of Crunchy Cons: The New Conservative Counterculture and Its Return to Roots. He blogs at 
Bruce Feiler is the author of seven books, including Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses. He blogs at 
Dan Gilgoff is Politics Editor at Beliefnet and author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War. He blogs at 
David Kuo served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and is the author of Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction. He blogs at 
Dr. Richard Land is president of The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and author of The Divided States of America? What Liberals AND Conservatives are missing in the God-and-country shouting match!
Michele McGinty is a mom and a student at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She blogs at 
Brian McLaren is a pastor, musician, and author of Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope. He blogs at 
Steven Waldman is co-founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of Beliefnet. His book Founding Faith will be published in March, and he can be reached through 
Jim Wallis is executive director of Sojourners/Call to Renewal and author of God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It. He blogs at
I don't understand why everyone is so upset over Jackson's remarks. He's always been a hypocrite and liar. Martin Luther King Jr would roll over in his grave if he could hear Jackson. It's hard to believe Jackson was one of Kings men given his total disregard for King's teachings. Giving Jackson the respect to call him "Reverend" totally disrepects the church. I on the otherhand am an athiest so that doesnt suprize me either.
There was a piece on the Today Show this morning confirming that Jackson also used the n-word to describe the African-Americans Obama was supposedly guilty of talking down to... hypocrite indeed. He issued a statement from Spain asking for the forgiveness of the Obamas and of the American people.
If he really wants public forgiveness, he should retire and keep his mouth shut.
I am appalled that a clergyman would use offensive language. Is this a wolf in sheep's clothing? What church does he represent? Are all the members of his faith like him??
Jesse,
The one thing you don't realize is that your purpose in life was to pave the way for an viable Black canidate (Obama), you did that, now shut up please your services are no longer needed. You should be ashamed for using God's name in vain. You should be ashamed for hiding overseas in the midst of your firestorm. You should be ostracized as Don Imus, for you are both cut from the same cloth. And to think you wanted the news media , the general public and society as a whole bury Nigger or Ebonics because it is offensive to whom? Blacks say they have a born given right to call each other that, just don't let other races say it. That shows me all of your civil right movements efforts were in fact in vain. Now we are killing ourselves, drugging our families, Not educating our children, having babies out of wedlock ( oops the man of supposed cloth did it) thanks for your marches, Whites can't publicly kill us; we're doing a damn good job ourselves. Jesse where are you in the community as our babies are being gunned down, where are you when are kids are failing in school, and were are you, when the fathers of our kids keep going to jail and leaving the babies? You need to be ashamed, pretending you care about Black People; you care about the dollars opening your big Mouth generates. Yes I said it.
I totally agree with Lisa'a comments and would like to add that Obama upstaged Jesse at the one game that Jesse has always really been playing - the political one.
Jesse thought he or his son would be the next black president. His animosity toward Obama is fueled by his frustration at the being the second most powerful political family in Chicago (Daleys #1) that now has no shot in the near term of the presago others idency.
The "Rev" has never really been a reverend and only wears the mantle when he wants assume the Morgan Freeman like role of elder, wiser religous guru or the Samuel L Jackson like fiery prophet. You know - he almost gets paid as much as they do. Maybe if he went into acting he would be more believable.
As the son of a South side Chicago teacher who taught in the projects and did voter regisration drives in the summer - her church was PUSH rallies - I'm disappointed in Jesse not just for this but for not bowing out gracefully and passing the torch a few years ago.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.