Jeremiah Wright, In His Words (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
Rev. Jeremiah Wright is on sabbatical from his position as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ but he used a congregant’s eulogy to share his views on America and its Founding Fathers:
“The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., former pastor of Barack Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ, has kept a low profile since some of his sermons landed him in the middle of a political firestorm.
But on Saturday Wright made his first extensive public remarks since the controversy began as he paid tribute to his friend, former appellate judge R. Eugene Pincham, a congregant at Trinity since 1987.
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And while Wright made no mention of terrorism, he did revisit the topic of America’s mistreatment of blacks, saying America’s founding fathers “planted slavery and white supremacy in the DNA of this republic,” and adding that Thomas Jefferson wrote, “‘God would punish America for the sin of slavery.’ I guess that makes Thomas Jefferson unpatriotic,” he said to the cheers of the congregation.”
Jeremiah Wright could be channeling Fred Phelps when he claims God will punish America for its sins. Still, I guess now we know that Wright believes bigotry (and, by extension, affirmative action) will never end. After all, if racism is in America’s DNA, it must be here to stay.
In addition, Wright also had a few choice words for Fox News and its broadcasters:
“Escalating into full-preaching mode, Wright thundered, “Fox News can’t understand that. [Bill] O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe. [Pincham’s] faith was a faith in a God who loved the whole world not just one country or one creed.”
At that point, congregants nearly drowned Wright out with a booming standing ovation.
Wright also referred to Fox News as “Fix News.”
You can listen to the audio at the Chicago Sun-Times website.
UPDATE – Fox News adds:
“Rev. Jeremiah Wright told a congregation in Norfolk, Va., on Sunday that reporters sneaked into a private funeral service a day before, in which he blasted America’s founding fathers for slavery and white supremacy and received standing ovations for attacking FOX News for covering his anti-American sermons.
Barack Obama’s retiring pastor delivered a sermon at Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church, where his late uncle had been the pastor, about overcoming trouble. The public appearance was his first since news broke that the Democratic presidential candidate’s pastor frequently rails on the United States.
“Some troubles that come up in your life come up out of nowhere,” Wright said. At the end of the two-hour-plus service, about two dozen ministers gathered around Wright and his daughter to pray for them. One of the ministers asked God to give Wright courage as “the world tries to demonize him.”
Wright reportedly also said that Thomas Jefferson partook in “pedophilia.”
— DRJ