BLUNT WORDS FROM BOB BARIL

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.”  (Matthew 7:21)

Yesterday, a friend contacted me by e-mail and asked me if I planned to write about the Barack Obama controversy regarding his Pastor, Jeremiah Wright on my blog.  I’d actually had fleeting thoughts about it, but since I am ridiculously busy with trying to get work done on this Holy Week (having returned from being out-of -town for over a week) and since my daughter and new son-in-law’s Massachusetts reception is on Saturday, I was probably going to just let the whole Obama/Wright matter “go by the boards”.  HOWEVER, since my friend contacted me and encouraged me to comment, I am going to take a stab at it:

Bluntly, when Protestant clergymen (and women) put other matters ahead of preaching the Gospel, they put themselves out of the will of God and open the door for all sorts of trouble and problems.  That’s true for the religious right as well as the religious left.  Many of you know that for many years I was part of the hard-line religious right.  I was certainly to the right of Ronald Reagan, although I loved him, and I still do greatly admire his legacy.  Twenty years ago there was a “Pat Robertson For President” sign proudly displayed (outdoors) at my residence.  For many years I equated being a “good Christian” with being the most right-wing Republican possible.  Very gradually, between around 1992 and 2000, that changed in me.  I woke up and saw that immersing myself in far right causes did not make me a good Christian.  In some respects, it probably made me a lousy Christian.  That’s why although I am opposed to “gay marriage” I was much less involved in fighting that issue.  (Incidentally, in the interest of full disclosure, I know my name is listed publicly as being one of the HANDFUL of citizens petitioning the Court to reverse the Massachusetts Goodrich decision.  I am embarrassed to say that when I agreed to allow my name to be used, I THOUGHT I was merely going on record as being against gay marriage, and I STUPIDLY had no idea my name would be listed in AS AN ACTIVE PLAINTIFF against it for all eternity!)   Anyway, today I consider myself a moderate Republican (who leans conservative on most political issues) but that identity is secondary to my primary identity as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel. 

I think a minister or priest or rabbi SHOULD be able to run for public office.  I was not a Huckabee supporter, but the fact that he was a Baptist minister running for President did not bother me.  The fact that the late Robert Drinan was a Catholic priest and a Congressman is fine with me.  BUT, I reiterate that the calling to preach the Gospel has to be first and foremost.  When someone from the far right or from the far left adopts and pushes some other agenda in the name of religion or in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have a MAJOR problem with that!

I know that the far left tends to tearfully support hate mongers like Jeremiah Wright under the banner of “social justice” and “speaking prophetically”.  I know that the far right tends to loudly support hate mongers such as that nut from Kansas who holds up the “God hates fags” signs under the banner of “taking a stand for the Bible”.  In my opinion, it’s all swill and anti-Christian.

Now, to the fact that Barack Obama has stayed in that church for twenty years, I do problems with that.  I HAVE heard some radio talk show hosts say things like, “As soon as the pastor says something that’s ‘off the wall’ you need to leave the church..”  I don’t agree with that.  Have I ever publicly preached something that I later came to regret?  Yes.  Have I ever publicly DONE something that I later came to regret?  Yes...such as adding my name as a plaintiff to that Court case that I mentioned.  I thank God I had church people who loved me enough to stick by me, realizing that I’m a fallible human being.  BUT- when it comes to making statements of racial hatred and statements that are clearly contrary to the Spirit of the New Testament (who I believe is the Holy Spirit), well, this is what I think a lay person should do:  Follow a “three strikes and you’re out” rule.  Go to the pastor.  Have a heart to heart talk with him.  Tell him clearly that you believe he is wrong and that you cannot support him in what he’s preaching.  In love, give him another chance.  Then, in the spirit of “going the second mile” I’d give him another chance.  But the 3rd time?  I’d be out of that church and I’d be all through with that pastor.

I know this posting is pretty blunt.   But that’s how I feel about the matter.