R. Eugene Pincham, at an Operation Push rally, 1987.
Pincham, a former judge and political candidate, passed away earlier this month.
Yes, there was more to that man than that sound bite. For instance, Pincham successfully defended two boys accused, wrongly, of killing an 11 year-old.
But for those unfamiliar with Chicago geography, Madison Street is the north-south street demarcation line. The majority of Chicago's black population lives on the South Side--and it was quite clear to any Chicagoan who came across those comments who--and what--Pincham was talking about.
Pincham worshipped at the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church, where yesterday his funeral took place.
And the recently retired Wright, Barack Obama's longtime spiritual advisor, spoke out last night about the controversy surrounding his inflammatory comments replayed on Fox News and other news outlets.
From the Chicago Sun-Times:
And while Wright made no mention of terrorism, he did revisit the topic of America's mistreatment of blacks, saying America's founding fathers "planted slavery and white supremacy in the DNA of this republic," and adding that Thomas Jefferson wrote, " 'God would punish America for the sin of slavery.' I guess that makes Thomas Jefferson unpatriotic," he said to the cheers of the congregation.
Reflecting on the late Pincham, Wright said his faith "was not the jingoistic, chauvinistic 'you're either with us or against us' demonizing kind of faith." Wright said Pincham was friends with "Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and [Louis] Farrakhan in the Islamic faith."
Escalating into full-preaching mode, Wright thundered, "Fox News can't understand that. [Bill] O'Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity's stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe. [Pincham's] faith was a faith in a God who loved the whole world not just one country or one creed."
At that point, congregants nearly drowned Wright out with a booming standing ovation.
Pincham was friends with that anti-Semite Farrakhan. Lovely. Farrakhan of course received TUCC's Lifetime Achievement Award last year.
Obama's name never came up during Wright's speech.
Some other interesting people attended the service, including Father Michael Pfleger, Rep. Bobby Rush, who handed Obama his only political defeat in 2000, as well as well as Chicago Alderman Edward Burke, who was part of the white ethnic opposition to Mayor Washington at the time Pincham made the "Madison Street" comments. His wife, an Illinois Supreme Court Justice, was at his side. Farrakhan was there too.
Related post:
Obama's other spiritual mentors: Pfleger and Meeks
Thanks for the link: It's My Mind
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Harold Washington
Read the book of Prophet Jeremiah in the Bible. Read the words of Isaiah in the Old Testament. No one condemned the nation of Israel more than these two people. They spoke of the destruction of Israel and Jerusalem for her sins and were written of as "Israel haters" by the people of their day. But the truth is that it happened! These were prophets speaking in the prophetic! So was Jeremiah Wright! He was speaking in the prophetic. I tell you the truth, you Americans are so arrogant in your superpower status. Like Babylon you will fall down because of the mass consumption, lasciviousness and homosexuality that is destroying families. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah and tell me if America is any different. Look at Babylon and tell me if America is any different. The 'Girls Went Wild' in Noah's day and a flood destroyed the entire nation! No Empire will ever rise above the Church of Jesus Christ! Rome fell. Syria fell. Russia fell. The British Empire fell. America will fall! It's already beginning to fall with the collapse of Wall Street, Housing markets, etc. Your day of reckoning is coming! Trust what the spirit says through prophets like Jeremiah Wright. Remember, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Obadiah and many other Old Testament prophets condemned their own countries and many of them were written off but their words continue to live on. You do not belive this but you and your descendants will see it with your own eyes!
ReplyDelete“The prophets prophesy falsely, and My people love to have it so.”
ReplyDeleteYep, Old Testament Jeremiah knew just the kind of gent this new resident of Tinley Park would be.
"No Empire will ever rise above the Church of Jesus Christ! Rome fell. Syria fell. Russia fell. The British Empire fell."
ReplyDeleteYou left out the Holy Roman empire, champ (800-1806).
You also left out a lot of what was left out of the Bible. (ahem)
Still - while the historical comparisons are entertaining, they are incomplete.
And, if you're going to call Wright a prophet, you need to spell it correctly:
PROFIT.
Wright is a charlatan, not a Charlemagne.
Please, Rev. Wright, behave in a more Christian manner.
ReplyDelete