Who Says Only Romney is Getting Flack for His Church?

Fran Eaton does it with Obama.

First, she takes Sirota out of context suggesting that Sirota is one who worships Obama

Political commentators compare Obama to Jesus and breathlessly proclaim him as a savior, a deity, a possessor of infinite potential, someone special, a king, the second coming of the almighty and, well, the almighty himself.

Internet blogger David Sirota wrote recently that Obama is “all the Founding Fathers, the Greek philosophers, Mother Theresa, the pope and every biblical prophet rolled into one man who can personally connect with every living organism in the universe at the very same moment.”

As a word of advice, when writing a column, you might try and actually find someone who says Obama is like Jesus, or a savior, or a deity, a possessor of infinite potential, a king, the second coming, or the almighty. Instead, we get treated to another guy who said something without really pointing out an example of someone actually making such comparisons.

Most eye-opening is a 12-point doctrine to which Trinity members are required to adhere.

Called the “black value system,” the church’s doctrine calls on its members to be committed to God, to self-discipline and self-respect and to pursue education and excellence — all honorable, mainstream community standards.

But Trinity is unique among UCC churches nationwide in its black value system which requires commitment to the black community and family, adherence to the “black work ethic” and disavowal of the pursuit of “middleclassness.” It also states members must make a pledge to gift the black community with members’ learned skills and personal resources. They also must pledge allegiance to “all black leadership who espouse and embrace the black value system.”

I’ve never heard Barack Obama talk about this black value system. It’s not specifically mentioned in his book. Perhaps the doctrine is not meant for public discussion. But because he holds his religious beliefs so dear, Trinity’s black value system may be key to understanding a little more just how Obama looks at the world and what kind of president he would be.

Here are the 12 precepts and covenental statements:

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian… Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain “true to our native land,” the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness”
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

back to Eaton:

But at the same time Obama is a longtime, active participant in a church that prides itself in its African heritage and color of skin. It is troubling that his church’s doctrine may demand he promote affirmative action, racial quotas, reparations, bussing and more government programs dependent upon skin color.

If so, it would be disheartening to the progress we’ve made as a society, and our attempts to fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream that some day our children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Hmmmm…looking at the 12 values it doesn’t require any of the suggestions by Eaton though bussing is a term for kissing in England, not desegregation in America.

Of course, the list is not a serious list since affirmative action shouldn’t trouble anyone. Enlarging the applicant pool is generally a good thing for all. Racial quotas are illegal and always have been other than in instances to redress specific instances of discrimination. Reparations aren’t mentioned by the list. Busing was used often to move black kids out of white schools yet was only controversial to people like Fran when it was used to reduce geographic isolation. And there aren’t many government programs dependent upon skin color–notice she didn’t mention any, but I’m sure she has tons of examples for us.

Taken in full, it is a rather uncontroversial 12 statements with the only one confusing to most whites being the issue of middleclassness which isn’t about not being middle class, but about looking down at those who aren’t. The Protestant Work Ethic doesn’t quite translate in black churches the same way. Go figure.

As with most religious statements, the political ramifications are quite unclear. While I’d bet most of Trinity’s members are a liberal lot, there is plenty in that value system any conservative could feel argues for less government. This sort of out of context claptrap is only going to increase as this campaign continues.