Religion & Law

A Double Standard on Damning America?

By Rob Vischer

Is it more politically acceptable for pastors to "damn" America for abortion than it is for racism?  We haven't yet discussed the interesting mix of faith, race, and politics underlying the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  Frank Schaefer, son of Religious Right pioneer Francis Schaefer, offers this intriguing perspective:

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.

Full post as published by Mirror of Justice on March 19, 2008 (boomark / email).