no post about the inauguration?!

[Sherry]

Only one ballgown for all 10 balls. And personally I thought it looked liked someone threw cottonballs on her.

[Linda]

Only one ballgown for all 10 balls. And personally I thought it looked liked someone threw cottonballs on her.

I agree, the dress was disappointing. Not a good dress for dancing, the train kept getting in the way of Obama's feet.

[Rob]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

[deb]

Interesting article

http://www.dailypress.com/news/nationworld/dp-news_inaugreax_0121jan21,0,5104043.story

excerpt:

Obama's inauguration didn't strike such passions — at first — in a Cairo restaurant, where mostly Nubians from southern Egypt chatted in small groups over cups of cardamom-scented coffee and the bubbling of water pipes.

When the cameras showed Barack Obama strolling forward to take the presidential oath, however, the chatter stopped and all eyes were fixed on the monitor.

"I, Barack Hussein Obama ...," the new president said. The dining room filled with gasps and laughter.

"Hussein! You see? Hussein!" the manager yelled, coming out of his seat. "He said Hussein, right?"

"Yes, yes, he said 'Hussein,'" the waiters assured him.

"Hussein. Ha! They have a president whose father's name is Hussein!" the manager crowed.

[Tim Elston]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

I wonder what he meant by it. Maybe a letter to him asking would be appropriate. Even though it's offensive, there may be something to learn there, at least of his perspective, and whether there is anything bridging to be done.[/quote]

[sweetpea]

What more can we do,they have every opportunity to get an education,work where they want to and do anything that we do.They can't make people love them no matter what they pray or say.

I have no problem with the blacks or any other race,but I think they should work,if they can,and not be handed money and food stamps.I don't think they should get jobs because of their color but only on their qualifications.They act like blacks are the only ones that ever hoed or picked cotton,I did,and My grandfather had only one leg,but he would sit and scoot,and pick 300 pounds of cotton a day back in the fifties.they are not the only race that has had a hard time.I use to work with a black lady,she's a good friend of mine,and she told me in the eighties that the black people couldn't blame not having an education and being able to work.She and I both only had a high school education,but we both were doing the same work as some people that had gone on to college.

All people will never embrace what is right.There is only ONE RIGHT and that is faith and acceptance of our, LORD and SAVIOUR.JESUS CHRIST.Wonder what would happen if all black people would embrace what is right? They all can't,we can't,without CHRIST,we can do nothing.Our nation needs to get back to GOD,and then more will do right,but all will never do what is right.

[Tim Elston]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

I wonder what he meant by it. Maybe a letter to him asking would be appropriate. Even though it's offensive, there may be something to learn there, at least of his perspective, and whether there is anything bridging to be done.

Rob, I just wanted to clarify my rushed, fleeting thought from this morning. I hope it didn't sound like I was being critical. I didn't mean to be. When I read your statement I remembered watching a program or two over the years of peoples who didn't understand each other getting together and listening to each other: blacks and whites, Palestinians and Israelis, non-Arab Americans and Arab Americans. The shows made it look like there was something positive to be gained. I even went to an interreligious meeting once that had Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, and who knows what else. I was terribly uncomfortable with it, but I have to admit that I gained perspective from the discussion and, in hindsight, am glad I went. (The ethnic food was good, too!)

Anyway, I have not watched any coverage of the inauguration, but on the way home last night I caught soundbites of Warren's and the guy you quoted's prayers on the radio. The soundbite did not contain the part you quoted, but I remember thinking at the time that the guy sounded like he considered himself to be sincerely praying to God. He sounded like he considered himself to have a genuine and close relationship with God. I don't know if the whole prayer sounded that way, or not, but the part I heard sounded that way.

So when I read your comment this morning about the offensiveness of that line, which I take to be legitimately offensive, I thought that I know you are a fine man (for other's sake, I should mention that you and I went to TC together and I know your good character) with, what, twenty years of pastoral experience or more, and maybe this is that sort of opportunity for clergymen of different ethnic perspectives that harbor hurt and offense toward each other, whether just one way or both ways, depending on how each defines the problem, to sit down and talk to each other. Maybe this is one of those moments in history where the sides have cause to sit down and hear each other and move past the traditional grudges. I don't know. It was just a fleeting thought, really, but I wanted to clarify what I meant and that I did not mean my comment critically toward you.

[Rob]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

I wonder what he meant by it. Maybe a letter to him asking would be appropriate. Even though it's offensive, there may be something to learn there, at least of his perspective, and whether there is anything bridging to be done.

Rob, I just wanted to clarify my rushed, fleeting thought from this morning. I hope it didn't sound like I was being critical. I didn't mean to be. When I read your statement I remembered watching a program or two over the years of peoples who didn't understand each other getting together and listening to each other: blacks and whites, Palestinians and Israelis, non-Arab Americans and Arab Americans. The shows made it look like there was something positive to be gained. I even went to an interreligious meeting once that had Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, and who knows what else. I was terribly uncomfortable with it, but I have to admit that I gained perspective from the discussion and, in hindsight, am glad I went. (The ethnic food was good, too!)

Anyway, I have not watched any coverage of the inauguration, but on the way home last night I caught soundbites of Warren's and the guy you quoted's prayers on the radio. The soundbite did not contain the part you quoted, but I remember thinking at the time that the guy sounded like he considered himself to be sincerely praying to God. He sounded like he considered himself to have a genuine and close relationship with God. I don't know if the whole prayer sounded that way, or not, but the part I heard sounded that way.

So when I read your comment this morning about the offensiveness of that line, which I take to be legitimately offensive, I thought that I know you are a fine man (for other's sake, I should mention that you and I went to TC together and I know your good character) with, what, twenty years of pastoral experience or more, and maybe this is that sort of opportunity for clergymen of different ethnic perspectives that harbor hurt and offense toward each other, whether just one way or both ways, depending on how each defines the problem, to sit down and talk to each other. Maybe this is one of those moments in history where the sides have cause to sit down and hear each other and move past the traditional grudges. I don't know. It was just a fleeting thought, really, but I wanted to clarify what I meant and that I did not mean my comment critically toward you.

Tim, while I appreciate your post of clarification, it was really not necessary. My point, while it may of not been as clear as I had initially desired was simply this, two things, first it gave the sound that white men do not embrace what is right, and while I will concede that in some cases that is true, it is not true across the board. So making a blanket statement like that in my opinion is wrong. Second, had a white man, prayed that prayer that black men would embrace what is right, there would be an outcry from African-America folks that a public apology be made. My point is we have a double standard, that seems to say, white folks have to be politicially correct in what they say, but African-American folks get to cross that line with nothing being said.

For the record, I have a very dear African-American pastor friend, whom I had lunch with yesterday and expressed my thoughts to him. He understood where I was coming from and made the statement, he had never looked at it like that before. It was quite a good conversation to say the least.

Again, thanks for your post and your kind words.

Blessings,

Rob

[Tim Elston]

For the record, I have a very dear African-American pastor friend, whom I had lunch with yesterday and expressed my thoughts to him. He understood where I was coming from and made the statement, he had never looked at it like that before. It was quite a good conversation to say the least.

That's awesome, Rob. Neat. It sounds like one of those precious moments in life. I hope the offensive comment in the prayer will play out in private conversations like that across the country. That would be good. Part of the good would be, as in your case, when African-Americans are able to hear the complaint within the context of affirming relationships. Unfortunately our nation's public political dialog does not itself foster much listening. The role clergy can play in producing relationships that nurture constructive communication across divided communities is formidable. Your lunch yesterday is a nice example. Thanks for sharing that.

[Dr. Ron]

As long as there are "black churches" and "white churches" and "hispanic churches, etc., there will be this kind of situation. While I don't particularly care due to cultural issues, the impression is that only one race is right biblically.

The black community needs to move on from the slavery days, the hispanics need to reinherit Texas and Callifornia, and the whites need to pay reparations to the native americans.....(Tim, you may or may not notice some sarcasm here.....just so you will know )

I have to admit I come down on the side of Rob in this for sure.

I have black families in my congregation who come here because they don't want their children to get the impression that it's okay to segregate their christianity.......and they are tired of the political standard of most black churches and pastors.

I am the least racist person you know, but I do have to call them on this just as Rob has.

[Ilovebigcats]

Only one ballgown for all 10 balls. And personally I thought it looked liked someone threw cottonballs on her.

I thought it looked like a cat had clawed it and caused snags.

[Pastor Bill]

In college I had a friend who was very frustrated after a convocation one night, the speaker had went on and on about this very thing, pointing out black this and black that, and bashing whites for not being more concerned with black issues...

He walked in to find myself and a few of us that didn't go that night sitting around the lobby of our dorm, he looked at me and said, "Bill where were you born" "Illinois", "OK, you're an American" and went around the group doing the same. He then made the obvious point, that if we want to get past the segregation than we have to stop focusing on it. Duane (one of the group who happened to be black) is just as American as the rest of us, and shouldn't be judged as anything more or less just due to skin color. we all agreed and went on, we never thought of Duane as "our black friend", he was just Duane, as it should be.

My son after starting in a new Preschool was excited when I dropped by, he quickly came to me and and wanted to point out his new friend. "That's him over there Dad, the brown one." Oh I long for the day when we all see as he did, when skin color is just a description rather than a special category or stereotype, but it can't happen until we stop emphasizing the separation.

[soulsearcher]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

Pastor Rob, I, too, was offended. It was like a slap in the face.

I had already heard one commentator quote a government official as saying, "It's over for the whites."

[scooter]

The benediction prayer by Joseph Lowery was quite offensive to me. "and when white will embrace what is right." Can you imagine if a white man had prayed that prayer that when all black will embrace what is right? And there has not been a word said about it.

Pastor Rob, I, too, was offended. It was like a slap in the face.

I had already heard one commentator quote a government official as saying, "It's over for the whites."

Response: I was as offended as I could be being unoffedable and all.

Really it just lets us whitees know whatever we do will NEVER be enough.

They own victimization as an identity although they now not only have equal opportunity but also unfair advantage.

A black man can be president and they are still praying as if its 1862, 1964 etc.

[Tim Elston]

a government official as saying, "It's over for the whites."

I very seriously doubt that, since Obama has demonstrated that he wants to move away from the rhetoric of old black liberalism. If we're not careful we'll turn into the very attitudes we are criticizing.