Periodically I will post an entry that is a treatise on a particular topic. It will be longer than my normal posts. This is one of those.

Next week I plan to take a look at John McCain's mentors and his mentor's mentors. In the meantime, let me know what you think about Barak Obama's mentor's mentor.

As I have written in some of my former blogs, I do not believe that we should judge a candidate by any more than what the scriptures allow. To refresh your memory, the purpose of government is to protect its citizens, especially the weak and the oppressed, and to punish evil doers (Romans 13). 1 Peter 2:13-17 instructs us:

[13] Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, [14] or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. [15] For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. [16] Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. [17] Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

This was written to God's people living under the yoke of Rome, far from Christian and certainly without a Christian king or emperor. The professions of faith by both presidential candidates levels the playing field for those who measure a candidate by their church or faith of choice. Now we must look at how their faith impacts their worldview and one place to start is with the great social debates of the day: abortion, gay marriage, the makeup of the Supreme Court, etc. Here again, Christians disagree. And, it is sometimes difficult to determine a candidate's genuine worldview based on their words. We have to dig deeper into the influences that they voluntarily allowed to shape their worldview. This begs the question: Who have been their mentors, who are their mentors and who are their mentor's mentors?

This blog is about Obama's mentor's mentor. Do you know who that is? A mentor is an experienced advisor and supporter, somebody, usually older and more experienced, who advises and guides a younger, less experienced person. For over twenty years, Barak Obama sat under the preaching and leadership of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. If we assume that the Obama family attended church regularly, they listened to the preaching and teaching of this man many, many times. He had a personal stake in the Obama family through his involvement in their personal lives. All of us have listened to his sermons. They have been played by the media ad nauseam and most people have been appalled by the hatred and poison that spews out of this man's lips. It is improbable that this minister just began preaching this volatile message of hatred against America and white people. But do you know who Wright's mentor is and who it is that shaped his world view? From where did this message come? Until recently, the book written by Obama's mentor's mentor was required reading for people who wished to become members of Wright's and Obama's church. It was the basic text that framed the theology of Obama's mentor.

I am talking about James Hal Cone. Cone is currently the Charles Augustus Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, one of the nation's most liberal seminaries. Cone is Jeremiah Wright's hero and together they helped to shape the theology of Obama. When I was in seminary in the late 60's, I had to study Cone's book written in 1969 entitled Black Theology and Black Power. This book shaped much of the theology of the black church for years and continues to do so. It has become known as Black Liberation Theology. It owes its beginnings to political revolutionaries like Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, and Franz Fanon. Fanon wrote in his book, The Wretched of the Earth, "The colonized man finds his freedom in and through violence." Cone admired Dr. King but grew weary of his peace movement when he said, "One cannot help but think that most whites loved Martin Luther King Jr., not because of his attempt to free his people, but because his approach was the least threatening to the white power structure."

But Obama claims his greatest affinity to Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a Muslim who hailed the assassination of John F. Kennedy as the "chickens coming home to roost." He saw this tragedy as the precursor to the doomsday calamity prophesied by Elijah Muhammad upon the nation for its social and political ills such as slavery inflicted upon blacks. Years later Jeremiah Wright would say to his congregation that the tragedy of 9-11 was the "chickens coming home to roost." Can there be any doubt that Malcolm X was a mentor of Wright, and at least via osmosis, of Obama.

While I do not believe it is fair to lay on Barak Obama every part of the theology and worldview of Cone or Jeremiah Wright, it will serve us well to know exactly what Cone has taught for these many years because of the endorsement of Jeremiah's Wright of Cone's book and efforts to influence his congregation with the teachings of Cone. When we understand that we will begin to see parts of the grid through which Obama has learned to think. It behooves us as voters to ask Senator Obama how much of Cone's worldview he has embraced. Consider these bullet points:

• "If God is not for us and against white people," writes Cone, "then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill gods who do not belong to the black community."
  
• Cone taught that "Jesus Christ himself is black." (Actually, Jesus was neither white nor black but a dark skinned Middle Easterner like me). "Christ is black therefore not because of some cultural or psychological need of black people, but because and only because Christ really enters into our world where the poor were despised and the black are, disclosing that he is with them enduring humiliation and pain and transforming oppressed slaves into liberating servants."
  
• The sovereignty of God is brought into question by Cone when he insists "God must do what we want him to do, or we must reject him...What the black community wants is for God to assist in its goal of destroying 'the white enemy.' If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill gods who do not belong to the black community. Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
  
• In fairness to Senator Obama, he did issue this statement:
  
  "Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy," Obama said. "I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue."

  Despite having been at the church for two decades, Obama said he was not in attendance when Wright made any of the statements and never heard such talk in private conversations. But, it seems to me that a man who graduated from Harvard would not only hear what his pastor is saying but to count the costs of continuing under his care for twenty years.

  One of my closest friends in seminary was an African-American Methodist pastor. Everyday in the Wesley chapel (another name we gave to the pool room) he and I argued over the teachings of Cone. My friend would not salute the flag, say the pledge of allegiance, or believe anything the government told us since they were the "white enemy." He refused to believe that we landed on the moon viewing this as another of the white man's lies. He became a radical sympathizer of the "black power movement." The inconsistency of his doctrine was that he loved me, a white man, and fellow pastor. He was clearly conflicted since I was not a "black power" sympathizer. I think it is critical we need to learn to think. What I care about most is that God's people learn to think. Please do not assume that the color of one's skin should have anything to do with shaping this election. And please do not assume that every black man or woman supports Obama or that every white man or woman supports McCain. Some of our white friends are struggling with their vote because their Christian adult children are campaigning for Obama because they are sick of the Republican leadership. We would love to vote for a black man to be in the White House, but only if he represents our worldview. The color of one's skin should have ZERO, NADA, and ZIPPO to do with your vote. As you are deciding for whom to vote, look close at who the candidates call their mentors. Add this information to the mix of ingredients that should shape your vote. Carefully review and prayerfully THINK. What do you think? Is it fair to look at the candidates mentors?

  Watch for my blog on John McCain's mentors - coming soon.
  
  

  In His Grip,
  Dr. Chuck Betters