OK, I know he’s supposed to be a non-issue, but I am deeply troubled by the implications of Wright’s theology for Obama’s beliefs. It’s not that he damns America; American sins are surely serious enough to merit damnation. It’s that he preaches liberation theology. And liberation theology is simply not Christian, no matter how stridently it claims to be. Take it point by point from the Apostles Creed.
“I believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth.” Well, liberation theology does not believe in creation, or in creativity. It assumes economic activity is a zero-sum game, where wealth can only be distributed, never created.
“And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.” Liberation theology, with its classification of every person into either oppressed or oppressor never will challenge its adherents to be “More Christian than African-American” (to quote the title of a book I read many years ago), or more Christian than any other category. If being a Christian means anything, it surely means loving Jesus enough to seek to obey Him in everything. (No, I’m not saying Christians succeed in this. But there’s something wrong if you call yourself a Christian and reserve areas of thought or life in which you won’t even try to obey.)
“Who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.” For liberation theology, it doesn’t matter whether these things really happened. The myth is more important than historical truth.
“He descended into hell. On the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence he will come again to judge the living and the dead.” For liberation theology, only this world matters. Judgment is in the hands of men, and heaven is a mere distraction from the serious business of “justice.”
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.” Liberation theology makes group membership most important. Forget being part of the Church, never mind communing with Christians from other groups, throw out those saints (unless they can be used to further the Cause). Because liberation theology is fundamentally materialist, there is no room for supernatural interventions. Even prayer is only good for comforting the pray-er.
Because this is the root of his pastor’s theology, I wonder whether the Christ Obama embraced is the resurrected Lord Jesus, or a mythical redeemer pointing the way to distributive justice. That is what troubles me about the Rev. Wright and his church.
