Tucker Carlson says Obama's Black church isn't really Christian

Right wing TV host Tucker Carlson claims that presumptive presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama(D-IL) isn't a real Christian because he goes to a Black church.

Video Here

Obama belongs to the "Unashamedly black and Unapologetically Christian" Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois.

And what, might you ask, is so un-Christian about Trinity United Church of Christ? Tucker is tut-tuting because Trinity United espouses a 12-point Black Value System.

CARLSON: So Barack Obama is a member of a church called Trinity United Church of Christ. It's a predominantly black church in Chicago, that espouses something called the "Black Value System," which includes calls for congregants to be "soldiers for black freedom" and a, quote, "disavowal of the pursuit of middleclassness." Now, it would seem to me, Tom, not to make a broad sweeping statement here, but a racially exclusive theology, a theology that ministers to one group of people, based on race, kind of contradicts the basic tenets of Christianity, and is worth talking about. Wouldn't you say?

And, again, a few seconds later...

CARLSON: Soldiers for black freedom? How about -- what about soldiers for freedom for everybody. What does that mean?

Tucker obviously hasn't read the first ethical precept of Trinity United which states:

Commitment of God “The God of our weary years” will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian Activist, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.

Or, if Tucker has read the document, he's bearing false witness against his neighbor.

Just try to reconcile Carlson's attitude towards Obama's religion with his crocodile tears for religious tolerance in this interview with Catholic League president Bill Donohue (who calls the Edwards bloggers anti-Catholic brats). 

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Comments

[Roxanne]

I saw some author a night or two ago on Colbert who was making the case that Obama wasn't black enough because he isn't descended from slaves. Or something like that (I was watching half asleep out of the corner of my eye).

Dude's got 'em coming and going.

[Hawise]

Tucker Carlson is a poopyhead. 'nuff said.

[Michael Hussey]

I found with cable news that punditry is over here and research is over there. The two rarely (if ever) intersect.

[Uncle Kvetch]

They're really doing Obama a favor by making it so clear what kinds of personal attack he'll be subjected to. First the "Halfrican" thing, and now this: what exactly is this guy, anyway? Is he black or white, or neither? Christian or Muslim, or something else? Always tapping into those latent fears of mixing, otherness, impurity...and always in the most underhanded way so as to ensure maximum deniability, of course.

It's vile* stuff, to be sure, but like I said, it's nice of them to give Obama and his handlers lots of lead time on countering it.

*Of course, "vile" and "hilarious" aren't always mutually exclusive: viz., the hugely entertaining spectacle of some bow-tied twit on cable news passing himself off as a theologian. If the fate of the world weren't in the balance I might even laugh.

[Tonsil Stone]

Tucker Carlson is simply a brat who was pwn3d by Jon Stewart years ago. Is he really still around? If so, I fear for the republic.

[Paul Hooson]

Just because Barack Obama is a member of a theologically liberal church, does not mean that this church is not a good influence on the members, or that they believe in God.

The Apostle Paul was indeed concerned with whether certain churches were "hot" or "cold" in their practice of faith in his examination of the Seven Churches in the New Testament. However, it is for the members of a church to ask their own heart whether God really lives in their church. It is not the job of Tucker Carlson to ask this highly personal faith question for others.

[g]

What makes Tucker qualified to comment on the doctrine's of other peoples' faith? Has Tucker revealed his own church membership? Do we know whether Tucker is an upstanding member in any church, whether he's in good standing? What is the doctrine of Tucker's church, and how well does he conform with them?

[troyboi20]

Tucker is an idiot. But let him keep it up.The more he talks the more logical the opposing view seems. If Tucker is "agin it, I'm fer it".

Tucker is one of those lazy bastards that won't research the subject before he opens his mouth. The result is a half assed show with no substance.

Keep it Tucker, your makin us look good.

[cfrost]

Jesus these crackers are tiresome. It’s “reverse discrimination” again. Once again the sinister darkies are threatening beleaguered white folks like Tucker Carlson who are doing their level best to carry the sacred torch of racial equality. We named a street in the crappy part of town M.L. King blvd., we put King’s face on a postage stamp, hell, we’ve even got Negroes on sitcoms, and still those damned colored folks are angry. Why can’t they just listen to reason? Why do they insist on being so rude to well-meaning, kind-hearted white folks like Tucker Carlson?

[Sandbar]

At this rate- between all of em- this time next year they'll have not one thing left to discuss, except perhaps which side Edwards parts his hair and what that means for the country.
TUCKER: I mean really, I'm all for freedom of style BUT think about it. Wasn't it just last April we saw Edwards parting on the left? Remember that? Flopper... man, we've got another flopper!! What d'ya think Willie, can we trust a man who can't even decide which side to part his hair from one day to the next??? Outrageous.

[Broadway Carl]

Tucker may have gotten rid of the bow tie, but the lack of oxygen to his brain was too much to handle. Nevermind what qualifications he has to comment on other people's dontrines, what qualifications does he have to even be a host on a television show? It can't be his hair.

[Rudy Ericson]

As vile as I find Cathloics to be, I must say that Catholic League president Bill Donohue makes a good point. Muslims are given support all over America while Christians are given little to none. Hopefully Bill Donohue will start a Crusade to win our respect back from these horrible Muslims.

[cfrost]

My, that Bill Donohue certainly has hisself worked up. It's been my experience that the people who really hate the catholic church are mainly ex-catholics and a few protestant "Whore of Babylon" obsessed cranks who feel the wars of reformation hadn't come to a satisfying conclusion.

[Eric Jaffa]

MSNBC would make more money if they replaced Tucker Carlson with Sam Seder.

Another right-wing hack vs. a rare outspoken liberal host.

[Chris V]

So there's a church that supposedly discriminates? Outrageous! I bet they like fags, too!

Black soldiers, this is very disturbing. I mean, black people with guns make me nervous in general. Wait, were there guns involved? I can't see how not; they are black, after all.

I think what bothers me the most about this story is that Obama [bin Laden] wastes part of his Sunday going to church when he could be eating an extra helping of scrambled eggs and bacon, the way God intended (I'm pretty sure that's somewhere in the Bible, someone fact check me, I think it's in the old Testament or maybe the new Death Angel, one of those Bay Area thrash bands).

[1984 Was Not a Shopping List]

>I saw some author a night or two ago on Colbert who was making the case that Obama wasn't black enough because he isn't descended from slaves.

I heard this nonsense too. I can only think of Chris Rock: "Tiger Woods keeps saying he's 'Cablasian.' 'I'm not black, I'm Cablasian.' Let me tell you something: if someone steals a car in your neighborhood, you ain't no 'Cablasian.' You're Black!"

[misterniceguy1960]

This is the vilest attack on someone's religion since...well, at least since Glenn Beck demanded that Keith Ellison prove he isn't a terrorist like all them other Muslims.

[atheist]

Obama belongs to the "Unashamedly black and Unapologetically Christian" Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois.

WTF? How terrible to be "Unashamedly black and Unapologetically Christian"! Carlson thinks the church's focus on black empowerment makes it 'not really Christian'? What the hell is that fool Carlson smoking?

You know, I'm a white guy, and I'm obviously an Atheist, and I have a very cynical view of the media. But for some reason, the sheer unadulturated gall of Carlson in opening his gob and spraying this nonsense on Television in front of the entire country (and the world), just makes me see red- even more than usual. How dare he take something so personal and turn it into a ridiculous political attack.

On the other hand, if I hear one of my republican co-workers start going on about this one, I will just email them this post. Thank you Lindsay.

[yank in london]

I wonder how Tucker (what does that rhyme with?) feels about Mormons?

[Bruce]

1. Per Wikipedia, Carlson is nominally an Episcopalian.

2. Will Carlson also take a swipe at the Greek, Russian, etc. Orthodox Churches, which do not proselytize, focus overwhelmingly on their own (overwhelmingly ethnically-identified) members and which include within their teachings a concept of "ethnarchy" which is a limited provision for civil rule by the church in times of severe crisis (e.g. Greece shortly after WWII)? Come on Tucker, please piss off a few million Greek Americans.

3. My opinion: it was the "middleclassness" - or, better stated, North American bourgeois materialist values - that really, really bother Carlson. You don't have to be a Marxist to see how houses of worship and bourgeois values have become welded at the ass.

4. As for Carlson, he is a college drop-out who made it back in and finished. He has no advanced or professional degree. What he says is unimportant, and we need not hear his words.

[Cass]

The specter of black militancy has been giving white people nightmares since well before Nat Turner. This is going to be a running theme.

[Chris V]

"As for Carlson, he is a college drop-out who made it back in and finished. He has no advanced or professional degree."

While I have no love for the man, I do not judge a person based on their degrees, but rather on the content of their character. Someone with a doctorate is suddenly better than someone without? Even as far as policy is concerned, I'm not going to take advice from someone simply because s/he felt the need to spend a few extra years in college. He or she will have to demonstrate why their opinion has any value beyond the mere fact they have an extra diploma.

Apologies if I took your quote in the wrong context.

[Chris]

Tucker is as fake as his bow tie, as his standing as a journalist, and talk show host (seeing there really is no conversation). Why give this person any space, instead of commenting on his show, maybe it would be better to be writing the sponsers and network.

[harold]

Weirdly, though, the "liberal" Andrews guy was able to make his (admittedly obvious) points in a non-gutless manner without being cut off by a commercial or a shout-down. How did that happen?

[Deets]

>I saw some author a night or two ago on Colbert who was making the case that Obama wasn't black enough because he isn't descended from slaves.

I heard this nonsense too. I can only think of Chris Rock: "Tiger Woods keeps saying he's 'Cablasian.' 'I'm not black, I'm Cablasian.' Let me tell you something: if someone steals a car in your neighborhood, you ain't no 'Cablasian.' You're Black!"

I forget if it was Howie Kurtz or Cokie who repeated this today on FNS. "Some people are concerned Obama isn't authentically black enough (paraphrase.)"

I share their concern. If we want to win the black vote, we need to run a real African-American, like Hillary Clinton.

Gwen Ifill was not amused.