I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL, WHICH I THINK REASONABLY EXPLAINS SEN. OBAMA'S 'SEEMINGLY' INACTION. WOULD YOU WANT A LEADER THAT IS WILLING TO DISACOSSIATE HIMSELF FROM YOU AT THE SMALLEST SUGGESTION OF CONTROVERSY, EVEN AT THE RISK OF LEAVING A GREAT ORGANIZATION?
If you're talking to someone who's a churchgoer, a way of articulating
Obama's choice is that he's "not a church-shopper." If someone is using
religion for social and political purposes rather than committing themselves
to a religious community through thick and thin, it's going to be very easy
for them to jump from one church to another when a pastor says something
that "offends" them (or might offend voters).
Ironically in this situation, the willingness to stick around a church with
a controversial pastor and not just move is actually a pretty conservative
move to make as a Christian. A conservative churchgoer takes pride in being
loyal to the church and the pastor; it's analogous to patriotism.
Many people, particularly in the white bourgeois church world that I'm a
part of, see church as being like any other product that you can shop for.
So they "church-shop" and do their own little mini-Consumer-Reports
comparison between the churches based on their social programming, their
music, and the length of their sermons, etc. It's something which people who
are committed believers view as pretty disgusting.
If you're really committed, you're going to join a church community and stay
there for life or at least until you move rather than church-shop around
when the pastor's sermons "are no longer satisfying your needs."
Barrack has said that his commitment to Trinity is to the church community
that he chose to be a part of, not to the pastor. Part of being loyal to a
church family is not letting a pastor's egotism or controversial statements
cause you to stay home. If it's easy for you to stay home or just hop over
to another church, it means you have a very shallow relationship to the
people in your church and your religion doesn't mean a whole lot to you.
Anyway, I just thought I would try to give some context since I'm training
to be a pastor. Obama is the first politician I've encountered who actually
embodies my values as a Christian; up to now I've been doubly disgusted by
the mockery that supposedly "religious" politicians like Dubya make of not
only our country but my religion at the same time.
Peace be with you,
Morgan
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Hazlett <[EMAIL="pshazlett@msn.com"]
pshazlett@msn.com[/EMAIL]>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:45:19
To

urham County for Obama <[EMAIL="DurhamCountyforObama@groups.barackobama.com"]
DurhamCountyforObama@groups.barackobama.com[/EMAIL]>
Subject: [DurhamCountyforObama] one answer to the Wright Controversy
Hi folks,
I was making calls at the Durham Obama headquarters today, and a supporter
asked, "What are ya'll going to do about Wright?"
Here's what I believe (and what I said to him):
I am voting for Barack Obama because he stays in relationship with people he
disagrees with. That's his great gift and that is what our country needs.
We need a leader who can listen to and work with people he does not agree
with--effectively and respectfully, for the good of our country and the good
of our world. This is a crucial, essential skill for the President of these
United States--and Senator Obama has proven time and time again that he is
outstanding at this. It's part of being a leader.
Yes we can!
Susan Hazlett
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