NY Times highlighted suggested question for Democratic debate that echoed smears about Obama's church
SUMMARY: In an item consisting of suggested questions sent in by readers for the upcoming Democratic presidential debate, The New York Times featured a question for Sen. Barack Obama that included the assertion that Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, "gives the impression that it encourages only black attendance and black allegiance." The reader went on to write: "Your willing participation in this church for some 20 years does not speak to an open mind and quest. Please explain." But visitors to the church have said that they experienced Trinity as racially inclusive.
A February 21 New York Times item headlined, "The People's Questions," listed several suggested questions for the upcoming Democratic presidential debate, which, according to the Times, were "culled" "from the hundreds sent in by readers of Campaign Stops, the editorial department's election blog." One of the questions for Sen. Barack Obama included the assertion that Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago, "gives the impression that it encourages only black attendance and black allegiance." The reader, identified as Lorraine Hynes, went on to write: "Your willing participation in this church for some 20 years does not speak to an open mind and quest. Please explain." But while the Times found merit in printing a question asserting that Obama's church "gives the impression that it encourages only black attendance and black allegiance" and that Obama's "participation in this church" "does not speak to an open mind," visitors to the church have said that they experienced Trinity as racially inclusive. Moreover, the Times itself reported in June 2007 that the United Church of Christ, of which Trinity is part, "prides itself on its inclusiveness of racial minorities, gay men and lesbians and people with disabilities, and its focus on social injustice."
From the February 21 New York Times item:
Senator Obama, the church to which you belong gives the impression that it encourages only black attendance and black allegiance. Its Web site glorifies the church's African roots. Your willing participation in this church for some 20 years does not speak to an open mind and quest. Please explain.
-- LORRAINE HYNES
Bellmawr, N.J.
Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman, a minister in the United Church of Christ who attends Trinity, recently made a statement about the church -- video of which is available online -- in which she stated that "ministers all around the United Church of Christ -- European-American, African-American, and other denominations -- bring people from their churches to Trinity because the worship is so powerful, the preaching is so meaningful and prophetic." Hoffman went on to add that Trinity "is a church that reaches out to everybody, locally, around the world, all colors, and it just wants to share the gospel and good news of Jesus." Moreover, in an April 2, 2007, posting on the website of the Martin Marty Center -- the institute for advanced research in all fields of the study of religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School -- professor emeritus Martin E. Marty wrote of Trinity: "My wife and I on occasion attend, and, like all other non-blacks, are enthusiastically welcomed."
While Trinity's website says that its "roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent" and that its congregation maintains "a non-negotiable commitment to Africa," it does not "encourage[] only black attendance and black allegiance," as Hynes suggested. When asked to address accusations that Trinity "is a black separatist church," during a March 1, 2007, appearance on Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Trinity's pastor at the time, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, stated that the church's "African-centered point of view does not assume superiority, nor does it assume separatism."
Gotta love that vague question. How the heck is he supposed to answer something like that ? But really, someone should ask him about the church during a debate ... so that he has an opportunity to clarify.
I'm not so concerned about his church, his close realtionships with domestic terrorists is more disturbing.
...it's funny...the Uberdouche has never said a word about this
If you feel Obama is incapable of answering it deftly, honestly, and showing how slanted or unreasonable it is, then I understand your reluctance in it being asked of him.
I, on the other hand, apparently, have far more confidence in his skill and his preparedness to deal with issues, and questions, that are not always reasonable or fair, situations candidates, and eventually presidents will face every day in their duty as the leader of our country.
However, if you'd rather your candidate steer clear of "hot kitchens", then you have no business whining come the fall campaign when they face far more intense fire from the Republicans.
My statement had nothing to do with Obama's ability to handle himself on the debate stage, just like this whole MMFA item has nothing to do with it either. As usual, you're desperately trying to repackage the item as something it is not in another snarky attempt to question the meaning behind MMFA's existence.
Just as Brab said, I'm not taking issue with whether or not Obama needs to be shielded from tough questions. I think he would take this "question," give it the cordial smackdown it deserves, and invite Hynes to come to Trinity to see for herself how warmly she is welcomed.
THE ISSUE IS the NYT giving credence to a request that Obama explain a false assertion about him and the church he attends. The #3 newspaper in the nation is taking this garbage and propagating it. That's why MMFA highlighted it.
All your conspiratorial talk about trying to assert control over debate questions or protect candidates is nothing more than silly, unsubtantiated rhetoric.
I can only imagine if we had seen these questions highlighted earlier in the year;
For John McCain:"How can we believe you have 'family values' when you've fathered an illegitimate black child?"
For Mitt Romney:"How can you have the moral authority and respect for our laws to lead this country when your faith supports polygamy?"
Those questions should be tossed in the trash, because they're based on BS. Conservatives would have a fit if the NTY forwarded those as if they were valid concerns, and rightfully so. But if it's MMfA pointing this sort of thing out, then it's just whining.
The point is that primaries, and primary debates, are supposed to test the candidates as their respective parties figure out who is best to compete against their opponents in the fall.
It's the same mentality liberals have about Fox News, oh no, can't go on there, it's not fair; oh no, can't ask that, it's not fair, baloney.......these candidates are more than capable of, as you say, a cordial smackdown, when asked some irrelevant question - after all they are being asked directly, not smeared in some venue they can't defend. Obama should be grateful this question would come up, it would give him a golden opportunity to put it to rest once and for all, instead of the nagging questions that some may have about his church.
These things toughen candidates when they have the kitchen sink thrown at them in the fall, and you know the Republicans will do exactly that.
You know I like Obama a lot, I have no interest in seeing this question, or any other silly question, take him down. He can handle it, and he better get used to it.
I can see your point, it's a valid one. But the issue is out there and I think it would serve Obama better to address it head on. Perhaps I was focused more on the overriding issue of candidates and tough, sometimes unfair, questions - than the placement of this in the NY Times, for which you and Pete are right, is the topic of this thread.
Points noted, tx.
This morning I went to my dentist. Got there a little early, so the hygenists came out and chatted a bit. One told me that you can't trust Obama because he doesn't believe in God, and the other one chimed in about that being the reason they'll never trust mormons. I looked at her and told her that the only mormon in the race was Mitt, did you perhaps mean muslim?
She said yeah, that's it. Muslim. You can't trust them.
So I told her that Barack isn't a muslim either, he goes to a christian church.
She didn't miss a beat. You can't trust someone who can't even settle on one church to attend!
They both love fox news, so no surprise there.
You mean going to the dentist is not stressful enough for you, you talk politics too?
(masochist)
;)
And if you said he attends only a Christian church, they would probably say he's doing so as part of a terror plot.
Isn't it amazing how you cannot have a logical discussion with these people ?? They have their set minds, full of misinformation that they wish to believe is true, and no matter how much evidence you provide to the contrary they will twist it and turn it to suit their own needs.
I hear ya, but I love to come here and try and knock some sense into y'all anyway.
;)
SNOOPY: Wow – How’s this for a dentist story?…
On the morning of 09-11-01 I had a 10:30 dental appointment. It was my first appointment at a new dentist since moving from Ohio to North Carolina. For some reason, I slept in and was running late and never even turned on the TV or sat behind my computer before leaving for the dentist.
You can imagine my surprise when I walked into the dental office at 10:15am to see no one in the waiting room and the TV showing the WTC ablaze. I was probably the only patient the dentist had all day, but he took me. What should have been a 20 minute appointment lasted over 2 hours. Most of my time in the chair consisted of his whole staff and I watching Fox News. I remember my early thoughts once a likely culprit was announced – I remember commenting out loud that “things will never be the same in America” and “this is why religion is so dangerous”. I’m almost certain I was sitting in a roomful of right-wing Christians (since it seems that is all there is down here) – all of them total strangers until that morning. Yet I kept on making my point that “these people did it because they thought it was the wish of their god” – and “how do you fight someone who is willing to kill themselves in martyrdom for their god?” I only hope my comments had as lasting an effect on their psyche as that dental visit had on mine.
I took classes with Martin Marty when I attended the University of Chicago Divinity School back in the 80s. While I never attended Trinity UCC when I lived in Hyde Park, Martin Marty's word is good enough for me. Dr. Marty is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. He is very active in bringing Christians together. He helped to negotiate a major merger of various Lutheran denominations during the time I knew him. Marty would never attend a church which promoted divisiveness or any type of racial superiority, white or black.
Hyde Park, the location of the University of Chicago, is one of the freest thinking parts of Chicago.