Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Here's Frank Schaeffer's take on the controversy over Obama's minister:
When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father -- Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.
He continues:
Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my father's footsteps) rail against America's sins from tens of thousands of pulpits. They tell us that America is complicit in the "murder of the unborn," has become "Sodom" by coddling gays, and that our public schools are sinful places full of evolutionists and sex educators hell-bent on corrupting children. They say, as my dad often did, that we are, "under the judgment of God." They call America evil and warn of immanent destruction. By comparison Obama's minister's shouted "controversial" comments were mild. All he said was that God should damn America for our racism and violence and that no one had ever used the N-word about Hillary Clinton.
Now, this does not mean that Jeremiah Wright hasn't said some ridiculous things. For instance, when he claims, as he has, that the American government invented AIDS to wipe out people of color around the world, he is simply out of his mind. That is the kind of idiotic rhetoric that should embarrass anyone associated with him. Obama is correct to distance himself from Wright now, and he should have done it much sooner.
But he's also right about a few things. When he talks about the destructive effects the war on drugs has had on the black community, he is absolutely right. When he points out that the same American government that condemns genocide by its enemies has also supported and excused genocide by its allies (and sometimes both reactions are to the very same people, as in the case of Saddam Hussein) and says that Americans as a group don't bat an eye at that fact, he is absolutely right.
But the point that Schaeffer is making is that right wing preachers say things like this all the time as well, and rather than being an albatross around the neck of conservative politicians who solicit and embrace their support, those men are routinely invited to the White House and cited in the media. It is unimaginable that Jeremiah Wright could ever be the kind of power broker in the Democratic party that Falwell, Robertson and others have long been in the Republican party. So while we rightly condemn some of the crazy statements Wright has made, let's keep this in some context as well. Schaeffer nails this when he writes of his father:
Was any conservative political leader associated with Dad running for cover? Far from it. Dad was a frequent guest of the Kemps, had lunch with the Fords, stayed in the White House as their guest, he met with Reagan, helped Dr. C. Everett Koop become Surgeon General. (I went on the 700 Club several times to generate support for Koop).Dad became a hero to the evangelical community and a leading political instigator. When Dad died in 1984 everyone from Reagan to Kemp to Billy Graham lamented his passing publicly as the loss of a great American. Not one Republican leader was ever asked to denounce my dad or distanced himself from Dad's statements.
Take Dad's words and put them in the mouth of Obama's preacher (or in the mouth of any black American preacher) and people would be accusing that preacher of treason. Yet when we of the white Religious Right denounced America white conservative Americans and top political leaders, called our words "godly" and "prophetic" and a "call to repentance."
Bingo.
Comments
Outstanding catch and post. Unfortunately, Hannity, O'Reilly and Mathews will not say one word about it.
Posted by: J-Dog | March 19, 2008 10:06 AM
Frank Schaeffer has a good point, and considering who his father is, I suspect there are some on the Christian right who are pretty annoyed to hear this from him. (Though of course this isn't the first thing they've heard from Frankie Schaeffer that has annoyed them.)
I am amazed by the assumption that one will agree with everything said by one's friends. I have friends ranging from conservative Republicans to liberal Democrats, and amongst these are a representative scattering of pastors. I wouldn't refuse to sit in any one of their churches and listen, and I wouldn't hesitate to announce that I disagreed with any one of them either, though usually I'd do it directly to them.
I'm especially unimpressed with the repeated note that Dr. Wright baptized Obama's children. Obviously one agrees with every word said by the person who puts a little water on one's baby [/sarc]
Posted by: Henry Neufeld | March 19, 2008 11:34 AM
It is unimaginable that Jeremiah Wright could ever be the kind of power broker in the Democratic party that Falwell, Robertson and others have long been in the Republican party.
Perhaps I'm too cynical, but I suspect it's only because he doesn't control (or isn't perceived as controlling) enough votes.
Posted by: Sinbad | March 19, 2008 11:44 AM
Henry Neufeld said; "I'm especially unimpressed with the repeated note that Dr. Wright baptized Obama's children. Obviously one agrees with every word said by the person who puts a little water on one's baby [/sarc] "
Great , now someone will accuse Rev. Wright of trying to drown people.
Posted by: Vic Vanity | March 19, 2008 11:50 AM
Sometimes the right even sing songs about God damning America:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/09/the-blame-ameri.html
Guess where that catchy tune was sung.
Posted by: mgordon | March 19, 2008 12:04 PM
Republicans don't have to deal with a media stopping "scandal" over their association with Rush Limbaugh, either. And he's previously expressed sympathy for the potential overthrow of the U.S. govt' (when Clinton was president.)
"The second violent American revolution is just about - I got my fingers about a fourth of an inch apart - is just about that far away. Because these people are sick and tired of a bunch of beuracrats in Washington driving into town and telling them what they can and can't do"
And he's very recently made digusting remarks like this
LIMBAUGH: It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble.
CALLER: Yes. Yes. The black population.
LIMBAUGH: Right. So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing.
Nevermind all the Republicans who casually describe the EPA, IRS, and OSHA as Gestapo agencies.
Posted by: Hume's Ghost | March 19, 2008 12:21 PM
Shaffer is right on here. I went to a church that was in the stream that would get up and preach on the coming judgement with almost a glee. If it is true, that judgement is coming, it should bring us to tears. The prophets recorded in the Bible were in tears when the bad stuff came. Look at Jeremiah who cried for the same leaders who threw him in a cistern.
This "Jesus Camp" line of teaching of many in the Religious Right also completely overshadows all the good America has done and is doing in the world. Their are some references to why Sodom was judged: Lack of caring for the poor. Read Malachi the religious leaders were the ones who were blamed. Jesus himself nailed the Pharisees time and time again while having compassion on the adulterer and woman with 5 husbands.
This is dangerous and does scare me. Jeremiah Wright is much more mild and to be honest it is actually good to here a different take on what is deserving of judgement if it is coming. There is hypocrisy here no doubt about it. I get the willies even talking about these "fire and brimstone" guys.
Posted by: King of Ireland | March 19, 2008 2:08 PM
To be honest, the religious right is a large part of the reason I am not a Republican. So I am not so upset that Obama has had to distance himself from this type of preaching. However, I would prefer if we just followed Article VI.
Posted by: BC | March 19, 2008 3:06 PM
Worse. Drowning babies!
Posted by: James Hanley | March 19, 2008 6:50 PM
It's ok. They're not white babies.
Posted by: kehrsam | March 19, 2008 8:55 PM
kersam said:
"It's ok. They're not white babies."
Or unborn babies (whatever that may mean).
Posted by: BaldApe | March 19, 2008 9:18 PM
BaldApe: Those would be foetuses on the wrong side of the River Jordan that is the birth canal. ;-)
Posted by: kehrsam | March 19, 2008 9:33 PM
I'm sure he'll get right on that.
Posted by: Skemono | March 19, 2008 10:54 PM
Pat Robertson actually addressed the 1992 Republican Convention just one year after writing a book called The New World Order, in which he said that a Pat Robertson presidency (shudder) would only employ Jews and Christians. Republicans have never been burned by embracing (figuratively and often literally) radicals like Roberston and they probably never will be.
Posted by: daniel rotter | March 20, 2008 1:40 AM
The problem is that conservatives don't find anything wrong with what Francis Schaeffer said, so of course they won't have any problem associating with him or others like him. Many politicians have said things along similar lines. If Wright had said them, I don't think any of them would would have noticed.
Posted by: Heretic | March 20, 2008 3:21 AM
At the end of The Facot last night (I punched the wrong channel numbers trying to find an Animal Planet show about elephants for my son), O'Reilly read a letter that expressed essentially this same concern. The letter writer said that with all the furor about Rev.. Wright, he didn't recall O'Reilly complained when Robertson and Falwell blamed 9/11 on the atheists and gays. O'Reilly looked smugly at the camera and said, "Then you haven't been paying attention, my friend." That was it. I'd like to call shenanigans, but how do we get O'Reilly to show the tapes where he criticized Robertson? He certainly won't do it willingly.
Posted by: chris | March 20, 2008 1:50 PM
At the end of The Facot last night (I punched the wrong channel numbers trying to find an Animal Planet show about elephants for my son), O'Reilly read a letter that expressed essentially this same concern. The letter writer said that with all the furor about Rev.. Wright, he didn't recall O'Reilly complained when Robertson and Falwell blamed 9/11 on the atheists and gays. O'Reilly looked smugly at the camera and said, "Then you haven't been paying attention, my friend." That was it. I'd like to call shenanigans, but how do we get O'Reilly to show the tapes where he criticized Robertson? He certainly won't do it willingly.
Posted by: chris | March 20, 2008 1:50 PM
Chris, how about this?
You haven't been paying attention. That's not the way we do things on this show.
Posted by: Abby Normal | March 20, 2008 5:26 PM
Is Frankie Schaeffer still living at L'Abri in Switzerland? I was just editing an audio clip of Edith Schaeffer and her eulogy of Mary Crowley after the Concert on the infamous baby grand piano in New York City. Just wondering if contact could be made...
Walt Rice
formerly Dallas, TX
Posted by: WALT | June 20, 2008 3:49 PM