Published: April 30, 2008 03:51 pm         

Wright or wrong?

PICAYUNE — The constant discussion among Americans on who is right and who is wrong continues with two recent news events. The vocal beliefs pouring out of Rev. Wright and the fact that Miley Cyrus took a racy photo.

This is a great country when we can debate our politics, religion, and moral temperature of our favorite Celebs all within a five minute water cooler debate and leave with no ill towards our fellow man or woman.

This is a country of opinions.

As I walk a fine line of opinion within the content of this column, I must be careful not to inflame the passions of either side. I am a peacemaker but one with an opinion…

The hot topic de jour is the words spoken by Reverend Wright and how anti-American his speech comes across to main stream America. It’s shocking for some to hear such negativity spoken from a pulpit and immediately folks get riled up with disapproval of a man who although his words are harsh, has done some incredible feats for the people in his community.

Who is right? Will it hurt his former church member in his race to the White House?

Should politics be preached from a pulpit? Or should God’s leaders keep to spirituality and salvation of the soul?

When you look at Billy Graham, he has been a president’s pastor but one that has managed not to cause dissension. He ministered to both the Clintons and the Bushes, not to mention John Kennedy.

I guess it falls into how important you personally feel a pastor’s influence is on their followers. I personally never want to be a preacher follower but a God follower. I’m afraid too many church goers fall in love with the pastor. You probably have seen it happen and when the man of God leaves, his groupies follow too.

Let’s face it…preachers, priests, pastors, televangelists can be some of the craziest people in the world! They can make offensive statements and sometimes as if they are quoting God from an ear piece. Remember the one preacher who claimed that Katrina was God’s wrath on the sin in New Orleans. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, God in the Old Testament wiped out two cities because of their evil ways. I’m not saying God won’t do it, but I might not want to give God the credit unless I was sure that is what God did.

The fact is anyone can be a preacher. You can send away for a certificate and declare yourself a man of God. Since the job doesn’t require a background check, a mental evaluation, or a religious test, it is safe to say that men who claim to be God’s voice piece may be unstable and even dangerous. Remember “Jim Jones!”

We have to be careful who we choose to be influenced by and if your pastor’s elevator doesn’t go all the way up then you might want to move on until you find one that does. It sometimes takes a while before the true colors show.

Church people are not all Christ like. Judas was an Apostle of Jesus Christ himself. He ate, drank and slept with God and still had traitorous ideals in his heart. The church enrolled member might not be a part of the heavenly team and as I have witnessed time and time again can be some of the meanest spirited folks I have ever had the misfortune to meet!

We must be careful who we pick as our spiritual leader and if we run for President, we must REALLY be careful! You should be careful whose columns you read too. There are some nutcases writers too!

But, amongst the thorns of bad apples are precious gems of sincere, God-loving people of faith in every religion. You find the best people serving God despite the static of the dark side.

Reverend Wright has the right to say whatever he wants to say because thankfully he lives in a country where he has the freedom to speak. Where folks get worried is that a potential president has been influenced by such theology and mentoring. We must follow our own hearts in this matter.

What would you do if your pastor ended up being wacky and divisive? Would you stay at the church if the person acted unbecomingly? Would you leave the body of the Church when you disagree with the leader?

What is more important…the congregation or the pastor? It’s a tough call and I would hope the church body would make the situation right and send the nutcase down the road. (Usually to another congregation because we don’t like to talk bad about preachers. Let them find out…is a mentality of churches with bad pastors.)

Who is right and who is wrong?

Then, Miley Cyrus slash Hannah Montana comes up with a sensual photo and the world has come to an end as we know it!

Frankly, thanks to the controversy, like Janet’s peripheral flash, we will be subjected to it over and over again. No one would have seen much of it otherwise. The photo is not that offensive, just a bit adultish for a young girl. I am sure Miley did not walk into the shoot and demand to take her shirt off for a photo. The blame lies with the adults around her who manipulated the situation.

Let poor Miley alone, she has done a lot for young girls by behaving herself to make up for all the Brittney years. She declares to be a dedicated Christian girl. Can’t she have a crazy moment too?

Church people, can’t live with them and you can’t shoot ‘em.