There are many reasons why someone attends a particular church. What the pastor says is often not at the top of the list.

“That said, I do think that the key question for Obama is not whether he agrees with Wright’s most famous statements (obviously he doesn’t) but why he decided to stay in the church.”
Coming from Chicago, and familiar with Pastor Wright, I can say with assurance that these messages Hannity has played to death are not the only messages the pastor preached. Furthermore, Pastor Wright has done more to build his community than any of his detractors. So, I can clearly understand why Obama did not move his membership to somewhere more ‘politically correct.’
For the record, African American Christians do no attend church to be politically correct. We forsake not the assembly of ourselves together to praise and worship God in the beauty of holiness and to serve our communities as the only Jesus our people will ever see. We hail from an existence where our membership has not been welcomed everywhere, even in European households of faith. Alas, America, after all this time, is still most segregated between 9am and 1 pm every Sunday. So, when we African Americans find a place of Christian refuge wherein we can know heavenly comfort and peace, we tend to stay there for generations.
Now, if we were electing an American Pope, I could better appreciate this beating of the dead religious horse. But, we’re a nation whose foundation is predicated on FREEDOM OF RELIGION, as in freedom to worship and serve whatever however we want within the confines of the law. I fail to see where Obama’s lifelong membership with Jeremiah Wright has any bearing on his Presidency. I fail to see why Obama should be held accountable for a sermon preached by his pastor on a Sunday when he was not even seated in the pews. Bill Kristol lied when he led the nation to believe Obama was there supportively agreeing with Pastor Wright’s damnation of the nation he felt damns him every day as a matter of routine. This whole steaming pile of greivous silliness is horse manure meant to draw our attention away from 4000 servicemen dead in Iraq, the recession, domestic spying, and everything else McCain stands to perpetuate, if he’s President.
The numbers are against Hillary, who has run out of favors and markers to call in to game the DNC another step further. And, McCain knows he can’t take Obama in a fight in November. It’s time to stop drinking the RethugniCon Flav-r-ade every time Murdock’s progandist minions pour it up on Faux Noise. Senator Barack Hussein Obama is going to be the 44th President of the United States of America!

“could better appreciate this beating of the dead religious horse”
Speaking of dead horses, Obama has repeatedly put forth the idea that words matter. Well, he’s right, they do matter, and that includes the very questionable words of Rev. Wright.
I know he tried to explain away much of it by saying Wright comes from a different generation, an earlier generation that experienced racism on a level not as often seen in this day and age.
But you know what? So did Martin Luther King, Jr., and he never said anything as hateful as Wright has.

“But you know what? So did Martin Luther King, Jr., and he never said anything as hateful as Wright has.”
Sure MLK did! All of his speeches did not glorify patriotism and grant malicious bigorty, global agression, and social hegemony impunity. Check out his speeches on America in Viet Nam.
For the record, go on UCC’s webpage to hear the entire sermon. Pastor Wright was not being vendictive and hateful for the sake of offending white patriots. Had Bush listened to Pastor Wright’s post 9/11 sermon and prayer, maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to become the lysing sack of crap who lead America mindlessly off to invading a nation who had nothing to do the attacks on our soil, who did nothing to provoke an occupation and destruction of their sovereign nation. Pastor Wright actually implored America to think before we strike out and destroy another nation needlessly the way we have in the past to perpetuate American colonial EMPIRE!
Yeah, I know it sucks to hear the truth about the land and the history of that land that you so love and call home. But, it’s no less the TRUTH and our certain reality! Things have not NEVER been equal and just for African Americans in America at ANY TIME. That has always been the American Way! And, where better to hear that truth than over the pulpit from a man named for the Prophet notorious for telling the truth to his own unreceptive sinful nation? All we tend to want to hear are the good tidings when soliciting a Word from the Lord! Grow Up! When a nation has lived the way America has, lead by corrupt dogs like the Bush 43 Administration who gallfully presumes to claim the name of Christ, America is already blessed to have not suffered worse than 9/11. Pastor Jeremiah Wright told the truth, no matter how bitter and offensive that truth was.
European Americans, if anything, have just had the epiphany man Isrealites experienced when hearing their damnation from God for their sins from the prophets delivering the news from GOD during their day. I bet it’s clear now why they so wanted to stone their prophets and eventually sawed the Prophet Isaiah in half. These courageous souls all told the unadulterated truth NO ONE wanted to hear.
GOD Bless Pastor Jeremiah Wright!