"In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination." ~Mark Twain

Spinning Minister

On March 19, 2008, Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe columnist, wrote a caustic rebuke of Senator Barak Obama and his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright. The article, It's still a question of Wright and wrong, generated much heat and no light.

First, I believe Jeff Jacoby is clueless about the roles of ministers and congregants of African–American churches in the United States. They can't be smoothly compared to congregational rabbis. Black ministers wield more authority and power than rabbis. Rabbis serve at the whim of congregational boards; that's why Mr. Jacoby writes he'd call for the firing of a polically unacceptable rabbi: because he can. Rabbis have a tradition of not leading their synagogues. They are sages; teachers; advisors; listeners; mediators; custodians of reason, truth, and decorum; whatever… But, high–powered, fire–breathing leaders? Not very often. Such a rabbi would be considered suspicious.

Second, although Rev. Wright distorted historical facts, his hyperbolic rhetoric bothers us because his arguments about American behavior are fundamentally true. America oppresses her racial minorities, interjects herself in the national affairs of other countries using economic imperialism (and covert and overt force if deemed necessary), and spends hundreds of billions of dollars on uncalled–for wars while her citizens go without the most basic of human needs. The list goes on. Rev. Wright held up a mirror to our faces, we saw who we were, and we couldn't handle the truth.

Last, when Mr. Jacoby says that he, a righteous Jew, wouldn't put up with Rev. Wright's unprincipled behavior from his rabbi, he's wordlessly implying that Trinity United Church of Christ congregants are guilty of the sin of silence for brooking Rev. Wright's rants. In the article, African-American Trinity United Church of Christ congregants is code for black men and women, who obviously aren't capable or intelligent enough to participate in the civil discourse necessary in a democracy. This is called bigotry, people.

Senator Obama wrote his followup speech in his own words. What we heard was a sage, teacher, advisor, listener, mediator, and custodian of reason, truth, and decorum—exactly the person Mr. Jacoby wants to be President of the United States—or perhaps his rabbi.

Let's move along. Nobody is perfect. No nation is perfect. Americans need a large dose of humility. Let's recognize our own faults and weak points and stop dwelling on the faults and weak points of others.