To call this sermon "anti-American" is... anti-American:
via, somebody's finally been plastering youtube with full sermons by this Rev. Wright fellow. Here's a good chunk of The Chicken Sermon (orig. title "The Day of Jerusalem"s Fall"?) shortly after 9/11:
Now, I certainly don't believe in your invisible sky god(s), but I think that's pretty good stuff.
Wright references an appearance by, apparently, Edward Peck on FOX, who was once our ambassador to Iraq, who was making the media rounds at the time responding to allegations that 9/11 was the work of Saddam Hussein. I'm a little surprised here, I have to admit, because I have no recollection of the PR campaign for the Iraq war starting so quickly. We weren't even bombing people vaguely associated with the attacks yet, and we were already on the Kevin Bacon warpath. Peck was saying stuff like:
So we will mercilessly, viciously, effectively attack and destroy all kinds of symptoms. When the rubble has settled and the dust is gone, the disease is still going to be out there untouched. Because we don't want to look at why, why it is that all of these people hate us. It's not because of freedom. It's not because Brittney Spears has a belly button or because we export hamburgers. They hate us because of things they see us doing to their part of the world that they definitely do not like.
Which, obviously, nobody wants to hear that now anymore than they did then. Then again, they'll probably dislike it even more when it's gutted of context and thrown around as a three second soundbyte. But sticking your head up your own ass and pretending it's bright as day does not qualify as patriotic service to one's countrymen.
Sally A. Brown, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Princeton, calls the sermon an example of "critical-prophetic lament", and whatever that actually means, I'm willing to entertain the idea that there was in fact something prophetic about Wright's choice from psalms.
update: And the 'God Damn America' Sermon, in which he spreads it around generously. Now, when he says "God damn America - that's in the Gospel - for killing innocent people", is the beef that this god character wouldn't damn the killing of innocent people? I don't think said god is consistent on the matter - see the above referenced psalm for a clear example to the contrary - but hey, I'm not the one with my panties in a bundle here, just the rest of the internets.
More of Rev. Wrights' sermons are up the tubes, and, I know this is a crazy idea, maybe the church can defend itself. It's a little silly me giving a shit and all but I have friends who've attended in the past and thought it was a great service. The willful incomprehension of what Trinity's all about has been more than a little insulting, and the smear campaign against them sad and depressing.
Insults should stand upon the merits. For starters I'd suggest this "three food groups" sermon: I can tell you from personal experience that wine, bread, and spirits are no basis for a healthy diet, they're the basis for jaundice and a beer gut. I will not rest until these cults of poor nutrition eat their vegetables, or at least start taking their vitamins.
Think of the children!
update: I suppose this was kind of inevitable, wasn't it.
:: posted by buermann @ 2008-03-21 15:34:00 CST |
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Ah, the magic eight ball that is religion. My biggest problem with religion has always been that it is subject to human interpretation. Just like my favorite toy from when I was seven years old. You can use the simplest, ambiguous phrases to meet your own ends. Is America correct in running around the world and forcing its agenda on people who would probably rather just take a pass on it? **Shake shake shake** "Ask again later" What?? What kind of bullshit is this? I'll ask again. Magic eight ball, is America correct in running around the world and forcing its agenda on people who would probably rather just take a pass on it? And is God totally on our side? **Shake shake shake** "Reply hazy, try again" Damn it! Since the answers aren't clear, then I guess we'll just have to start interpreting without complete understanding. A phrase out of Psalms here. A hook out of Proverbs there. It is true? Who cares? All I have to do is make you believe it. The true beauty of religion.
