This is a continuation of yesterday’s article entitled “Separation of Religion and Politics” and Part I of a two part minister wrap-up.
I have had the honor of running for public office in my previous life. More than five hundred of my neighbors in my rural county trusted me enough to get things done in order to cast their vote for me. I have also had the joy of serving in a capacity, as I am now comfortable in introducing myself, as an ordained minister. With that, and my aforementioned status as an political and religious anarchist, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that I will err on the side of the minister in most of the cases of high-profile ministers in the recent political news. As part of my vain attempt at providing innovative, cutting-edge journalism and commentary (which so many others do so much better), I would like to offer a brief review of the take-aways from each of the major party’s candidates problem ministers:
Barack Obama’s Problem Ministers (Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Fr. Mike Pfleger):
The most important takeaway from Obama’s problem ministers was provided by Jeremiah Wright’s explanation of why what he was saying was different than what Obama was saying. It is completely true that ministers and politicians have different goals and different core audiences. Politicians are accountable to the people, both in terms of doing their business and in seeking to obtain their vote for political office. Ministers are accountable to whatever they conceive Divinity to be and to those whom they provide spiritual services. As a minister myself, I would like to be your friend, but even in the cold lonely evenings I know I will say things that might not get your vote, but what I understand to be the Gospel truth, so to speak. Ministers (as opposed to politicians) generally don’t get paid to lie, so it is in their best interest to speak truth and do things which are good for their souls and the souls of others. It is the minister’s duty and moral requirement to stand against someone, even a former friend or parishioner, if that person has been corrupted by evil and is in a position to spread this evil. If only George W. Bush’s spiritual advisers held to this belief during the last eight years.
In the case of Father Pfleger, he was also right in regard to the fact that there are are a number of angry black people in this country that want to do better. Don’t believe me? Find a black person to ask ten or one hundred other black people. You’ll get a more accurate picture than by asking as a white person. But more to the point, he was right in regard to the Clinton machine’s sense of entitlement to political power. Like the lower class entitlement to government-provided social services and the middle-classes complaints of minorities, immigrants, and foreigners, taking “our jobs”, such a sense can easily extend to those who have enjoyed political power, wealth, and fame for so long.
Tomorrow, we will address the plethora of preachers causing problems for John McCain and the Republicans.
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