Conversations with Roger, part I

A few weeks back, my friend, Roger, began to dialogue with me over the blog. Roger and I sit on different sides of the aisle, so to speak. And I hope that you will join with us in our discussions.

In response to my post, "Come on now, let's be fair" about the bipartisan attacks waged on our candidates and their "spiritual mentors", Roger wrote:

R: I think that Obama went to Rev. Wright's church to help his political career. Therefore, I don't believe that he actually aligns himself with Rev. Wright's messages.

• E: Sure, that could be. Although he did join the church eight years before running for office. The year he joined was also his third year working for a church-based program, the Developing Communities Project. The black church in general, and more specifically on the south side of Chicago is kind of amazing in the way that its members exude the spirit and are so holistically Christian. I can easily imagine that his work at the DCP had potentially unexpected, missiological implications for his own life. "The Black Church" is not something that I can really explain, but is something that I hope you get the chance to experience. For a taste of it and for an expanded world view, I would highly recommend taking Dr. Smith's African American Spirituality class at Fuller next summer.
  

R: The thing that strikes me about your examples (mind you I have no knowledge about Rod Parsley, so I am only talking about Wright and Brickner) is the length of the time in which Obama and Palin remained in the presence of such "controversy." Palin was there (I am not sure if she was or not) for one controversial speaker for one sermon. Obama listened to one controversial pastor for 19 years. It seems valid/fair to say that both speakers, in their own ways, have said controversial statements. Yet, it is difficult, in my mind, to equivocate the two examples given the length of time that each person spent listening to their "controversial" speaker.

• E: It is a fair to say that Palin's attendance at one sermon does not equal Obama's 20 years of membership. However, the sermons preached at a Chicago mega church are under much more scrutiny and are going to get a lot more press than those a church in Wasilla, Alaska. To round out the other side, Palin's regular pastor, Ed Kalnins, is not stranger to controversy. Four years ago in a sermon referencing the presidential election he lightheartedly said, "I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. But if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation." (the link takes you to the Church's web page). Honestly, I just do not think that is something to joke about in that way. Regardless, my point was basically that we all have controversial people and mentors in our lives and that we can either judge all candidates on them or none, but not half-half.
  

R: Either way issues such as these don't lend me to not vote for either candidate.

• E: I am glad to hear that.