Is Barack Obama a Racist or Guilty by Association?

After becoming weary of hearing the persistent chatter that Barack Obama might be a Muslim, I decided to dig a little deeper and take an objective look at his church and its statement of faith.

Trinity United Church of Christ is an 8,000 member congregation in Chicago that has been pastored by Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. since 1972. The church is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ, a denomination that is widely known for its liberal political views.

Hoping to silence the Muslim rumors, Obama recently admitted that he found Jesus through Pastor Wright who is one of his mentors. In 1991, Obama joined the church in a formal ceremony, signifying his acceptance of the Christian faith and his allegiance to Trinity. Wright also performed the marriage ceremony for Obama and his wife Michelle Robinson, and baptized their two daughters.

Barack's pastor is one of the first people he thanked after his election to the Senate in 2004. Also, the title of Obama's bestseller "The Audacity of Hope" comes from one of Wright's sermons.

Barack's church has been under fire for many years. Of all the alleged racist activities of Trinity United Church, one of the most controversial issues is their adoption of the Black Value System. The Black Value System was written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee in 1981 and states:

"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."

Tucker Carlson of MSNBC described Trinity United Church as having a "racially exclusive theology" that contradicts the basic tenets of Christianity. Sean Hannity of Fox News said, "If a white presidential candidate's church had a similar statement and you substitute the word black for white, there would be an outrage in this country."

In another controversial move, in December of 2007 Trinity United Church awarded Louis Farrakhan its highest social achievement award. According to the church, the award is designed to:

"Honor socially conscious giants who commit their life's work to saving the lives of Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora."

Apparently, Pastor Wright has been a key supporter of Louis Farrakhan for many years.

Farrakhan has repeatedly made statements targeting America, Jews, and homosexuals. He has called white folks "blue-eyed devils." He has described Jews as "bloodsuckers" who control the government and the media.

Just before Barack's political kickoff rally last year, he decided it was probably not a good idea to allow his pastor to give the public invocation as planned. When asked why Obama made that decision Wright said,

"When Obama's enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli to visit Muammar el-Qaddafi with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell."

Making matters worse, the IRS recently said it is looking into whether a speech Obama delivered at the denomination's June 2007 convention constituted illegal political activity by a nonprofit organization.

Apparently, the IRS is launching this investigation because "reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status."

Couple all of this with the Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has promised Shariah law in Kenya if elected. As fate would have it, he happens to be Obama's cousin.

Is Barack Obama a racist? I hope for the sake of our nation he is not. I'm not here to pass judgment on him or to tell you how to vote.

That being said, because of his questionable long standing affiliations, I am concerned. He didn't join this church yesterday. He has been a strong supporter of Trinity and Wright for nearly 20 years. He has admitted that Pastor Wright is a strong influence in his life.

Obama has taken the positive step to denounce Farrakhan, but because he continues to support a church and pastor who are at the very least promoting racism through the work of Louis Farrakhan, he tends to become guilty by association.

Step back for a moment and think about why we feel compelled to give Barack Obama special treatment. Has he asked for that? Put it in perspective. What if this were John McCain or Hillary Clinton, only in reverse?

In my opinion all of the candidates should be evaluated using the same weights and measures regardless of their race or gender. We can close our eyes and refuse to look at the facts, or be brave enough to objectively pursue the truth. It's your choice.