Barack Obama’s friends of the cloth seem to constantly make things complicated for him. We all know that ministers are not supposed to preach politics from the pulpit. One might, by extension, argue that they shouldn’t involve themselves in public politics – in any way. Obama can’t be responsible for every goofy thing a minister says. No more responsible, anyway, than John McCain can be responsible for what Rev. Hagee says, yes? What’s good for the goose…
In my opinion, which doesn’t count for much, good, well intentioned men, ministers, friends of Obama, who mean to help, just keep hurting him more than they’re helping. Perhaps it’s the innate tendency of ministers to assert themselves into the forefront.
I don’t believe that Fr. Pfleger and Rev. Wright are bad men. Fr. Pfleger, like Rev. Wright, has done a tremendous amount of good work with the poor in Chicago. Any enemy of Jerry Springer’s is a friend of mine. Pfleger does tend toward the dramatic. He has often employed unconventional methods to make his point. Still, his recent antics in church bordered on goofy. Way over the top.
Fr. Pfleger and Rev. Wright should just stop talking about, stop preaching about, stop in any way insinuating themselves into this election. It’s not their place. Again, my opinion. By the way, Archbishop Francis George has apparently given Fr. Pfleger the not-so-subtle “quiet down” sign. No more of that, he told him. When the Archbishop speaks, people listen. Trust me. Good for him. I’d be very surprised if we hear another peep from the good Father. Again, I’m not picking on him. He’s done too much good work for that. I’m pretty confident that the archbishop is not going to have one of his own making a national scene in this election. Here’s a link to an informative piece by the AP.
Peace
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_PFLEGER?SITE=MALOW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
1 response so far ↓
4wrdthnkndad // May 31, 2008 at 10:10 am
Having heard Fr. Pfleger speak at his church, St. Sabinas, I wasn’t shocked by his presentation. He is a dynamic Catholic priest, which is not easy to be. Moreover he has actively supported and engaged his community. Quite honestly, I am more concerned with the evolution of Barack Obama. While I support him and believe he is the best candidate, I have grown discouraged by his increasing willingness to abandon the very people he so depended on as a community organizer on the South Side. Why can’t he go for his goal of being president and also stand by these men that stood by him. Minimally, he could continue a mission to educate those unfamiliar with the expectations and culture of African American churches. More and more he is reminding me of Robert Redford’s charactor in the movie, the Candidate. Lastly, I understand why he doesn’t want to link himself to these men at this time. And I get that it feels more important to win the nomination. I am simply disappointed that he doesn’t see how he can win the nomination without disavowing the men that helped him get to where he is.
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