In the wake of the Jeremiah Wright flap, the United Church of Christ ran this full-page ad in yesterday’s New York Times. Because it was prompted by Barack Obama’s longtime minister, the ad could affect him as much as it does the UCC.
The last paragraph of the text-heavy ad reads:
Our unity is not dependent upon uniform agreement, but in our shared
allegiance to Jesus Christ. Ours is a risk-taking church, because ours is a
risk-taking God.
God is still speaking, ®
God-o-Meter suspects that this ad will serve Obama well in the eyes of voters for the same reason that his speech on race did: as opposed to shrinking from a debate about a touchy subject, which would allow Obama’s and Trinity’s critics and enemies to define the them, the Church is embracing the controversy as a “teachable moment” to educate outsiders about itself. The church might not overcome the negative sentiment generated toward it and toward Obama by the Wright controversy. But at least the UCC can mitigate the damage by getting its story out.
Like Woody Allen says, 80-percent of success is showing up.
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posted April 3, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Who is to say Reverand Wright is Wrong with everything that he has said or done? Only G-d is the judge of that and only a court of law and witnesses can prove him wrong. Many people believe similar content of his speaches. He did not say anything new. Perhaps the Pulput was not the best place to speak on the issues and perhaps G-d’s words should come from the pulput. Should we be mealy mouthed and not speak our thoughts or should we be open and have thoughts of controversy run among us so that we can think about what might be happening in our midst. Is there is something to fear more than fear itself. Will we be sent to prison for speaking out because of some Patriot Act or some government who wants to keep us from thinking or our from our basic freedoms and a government who wants to bug us because we are Americans and fears that we may be something else. Do we and have Rights or am I Wrong?