If our religious leaders are not damning America for enabling these moral failings, why not? We all should.

EXACTLY

I am an Atheist so I think you must use reason but the religious aren’t limited and can go nuts. But if they use the good parts of dogma to be on the right side of issues I am happy to agree with them.

This is pre-emptive strategy, when Obama is the candidate, how do you suppose they will address the inevitable racism it will spawn?

By pointing back at these stories, all conveniently categorized into perfect little soundbites of selective rhetoric.

This is nothing more or less than part of the wingnut strategy, they are changing the way the pieces are moved on the chessboard, while the rest of us are still learning how to play chess.

This has been entirely predictable and Obama has pretty well secured the nomination, so for them to release this information they could have talked about a year ago just shows they hate Democrats and are not objective arbiters of fact. No wonder their audiences are shrinking and the Internet news sources are growing.

It’s been obvious for a long time too that the Republicans are using race and the immigration (faux race) to stir voters. You can imagine the SwiftBoating and other kinds of awful ads they’ll use.

How do we Dems react?

We put racism in the past where it belongs and shame anyone who promotes it today.

Naturally, it’s a hot-button issue and many people respond automatically when they hear something they don’t like. I hope Dems don’t get too caught up in Republican trap discussions. We need to outclass them and represent the true ideals of America. Let McCain go to Philadelphia, Mississippi and talk in hushed tones, but let our candidate go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and talk about Liberty and Equality for All!

i am not doubting that your views are shared by others, even many people that you have known. but i am saying you don’t know what other people here are thinking – at least not as well as each of us knows our own thought and views. let each of us speak for ourselves. please.

I am hoping that everyone has had a chance to read the post at fair.org (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) entitled “Media Hold McCain, Obama to Different Standards”. It should be required reading for all of the media outlets.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3316

I’ll also remind you that if most of you had seen a church describing itself as “unashamedly white”, you’d have been suspicious of that, as well.

I’ve heard this line of reasoning a lot over the years, and I think it misses a key difference between the “white” and “black” experiences.

Identity is the key. One side of my family is from Germany and the other from Sweden. I feel “connected” when in those countries. I was raised in America where our customs dominate the culture. Even though I come from a long line of factory workers and farmers, I still feel pretty at ease in American society. The most common images of Jesus and “doG” look like me. The Holidaze we celebrate dominate the society. Hey, all weekend it was St. Patty’s Day and today the kids went to school wearing green and learning about Irish heritage. “White” culture is institutionalized. We do not need to label any church “white.” It’s all around us, all the time.

Black people in America for the most part do not have this. Obama actually talks in detail about this exact issue in his “Dreams…” book, when he’s visiting Kenya for the first time, and how Rev. Wright encouraged him to visit “his home.” (when they first met) Obama discusses the confusion he feels about the Afro-centrism movement in America and his own ancestry. It’s quite eloquent really.

Having spent a lot time in churches that sound a lot like Trinity, I understand and respect the Afro-centrism point of view. I feel it’s a search to find a sense of “Roots” and Identity that many Black American families do not have, and could benefit from. Many other American “minorities” have preserved their traditions since many chose to come here for various reasons, as opposed to much of Black America who’s ancestors were forced here and not allowed to continue customs.

This is a big issue and I gotta run, but wanted to throw that out there, and there are some great writers/speakers about this exact subject. Basically, I do not think it’s fair when people criticize Afro-centrism since us White people can’t call our churches or what have you “Euro-centrist.” We don’t need to since America itself is already dominated Euro-centrism.