Bill Moyers provided a platform for Jeremiah Wright, a fellow pastor in the United Church of Christ, to continue his pr campaign to alter the meaning of his own words. As if words do not have meaning. BTW, I did say fellow pastor.
Rev. Wright says 'devious' forces behind use of his words against Obama
"I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American, that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ," Wright said in the first interview he has granted since comments critical of U.S. policies surfaced on television and the Internet."
'And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint?' That's what they wanted to communicate. They know nothing about the church."
Moyers is a member of Wright's denomination, the United Church of Christ.
Last year Moyers had a different tone.
Journalist Moyers Blasts Religion-Based Politics In Magazine Interview
Moyers replied, "If you have to talk about God to win elections, that doesn't speak well of God or elections. We are desperate today for cool thinking and clear analysis. What kind of country is it that wants its politicians to play tricks with faith?"
Moyers, whose broadcasts on PBS have spanned several decades, holds a master of divinity degree and is known for his interest in religion.
And before that the things people like a Wright said were repugnant.
January 4, 2002 Now we must now reaffirm that vow, because we have some work to do on the home front. We have our own version of theocrats in people like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. They took bin Laden’s line – that what happened on 9/11 was God’s judgment on a decadent America. On Robertson’s television program Falwell said, ‘We probably got what we deserved.’ and Robertson replied: ‘Jerry, that’s my feeling.’ And what is the sin for which God condoned terrorism to punish America – why, the sin of the Bill of Rights. The sin of tolerating people Falwell and Robertson and bin Laden don’t like – feminists, gays, lesbians, rationalists, humanists, liberal judges, pro-choicers, the ACLU, People for the American Way. Yes, said Falwell, ‘(They) helped this to happen. So it was that people like Luis Bautista, William Steckman, Elizabeth Holmes, Linda Luzzacone, and Fred Scheffold had to die to propitiate a wrathful God.
Repugnant? Of course, but under that Bill of Rights they so detest they are entitled to their repugnant opinions. But such rights cannot mask their repulsiveness as human beings – piously spreading their virus of holy hate from the safety of plush studios and stately pulpits where they are isolated from the consequences of their malevolence. Let God do the dirty work – while they rake in the takings of bigotry and bile. We must say to these people – over and over again – what Mohammed Ali said to bin Laden: God is not an assassin.
It’s an old and enduring riddle -- how faith, “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” – becomes a toxic chemical compound capable of changing plowshares into swords?
Can't have it both ways Reverend Moyer. If Falwell was wrong, so is Wright. Of course, if you exhonerate Wright while condemning a Falwell you become a hypocritical warrior for what you believe is "right". That would be like beating plowshares into swords to use against those with which you disagree, eh? Kinda like the Islamofacists. Kinda like Jeremiah Wright.
God bless America Reverends.
