The pastor at Clinton's former church calls Jeremiah Wright an 'outstanding leader'
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 3/28/2008 7:00:00 AM
Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church, Snyder calls Jeremiah Wright "an outstanding church leader" who "has served for decades as a profound voice for inclusion in our society" and "has been a vocal critic of the racism, sexism, and homophobia which still tarnish the American dream." He also deems Wright an "agent of racial reconciliation" who proclaims truths that make some white people uncomfortable. In comments posted on the website Democrats.org as well as his own church's website, Snyder contends white Americans should listen to Wright rather than use his words to "polarize" and exclude people.
Mark Tooley, with the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), has written a column on Clinton's former church titled "Lost and Foundry." He is not surprised Snyder is lauding Wright because he believes Wright preaches the same anti-American, anti-Semitic views espoused by white mainline Protestant clergy on the "religious left."
"Foundry Church is openly in disagreement with Methodism's stance on same-sex unions. And in fact, earlier this year, [this church] announced that it would be publicly acknowledging same-sex couples in public worship ceremonies, despite the denomination's prohibitions against any celebration of same-sex unions," Tooley points out.
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Many people have not realized, according to Tooley, that Wright is "much more a voice of the radical white religious left much more so than he is of the traditional black church." Tooley also notes that Wright pastors a congregation within the "overwhelmingly white and very liberal United Church of Christ denomination."
The IRD spokesman contends liberal white clergy likely find it "bracing and refreshing" to hear people like Wright say the things they wish they could say publicly but have not been able to.
