Oprah and Reverend Wright

[Etta Place]

Something Wasn’t Wright
Why Oprah Winfrey left Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church.
Allison Samuels
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 12:39 PM ET May 3, 2008

For any spiritually minded, up-wardly mobile African-American living in Chicago in the mid-1980s, the Trinity United Church of Christ was—and still is—the place to be. That's what drew Oprah Winfrey, a recent Chicago transplant, to the church in 1984. She was eager to bond with the movers and shakers in her new hometown's black community. But she also admired Trinity United's ambitious outreach work with the poor, and she took pride in upholding her Southern grandmother's legacy of involvement with traditional African-American houses of worship. Winfrey was a member of Trinity United from 1984 to 1986, and she continued to attend off and on into the early to the mid-1990s. But then she stopped. A major reason—but by no means the only reason—was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church." Oprah's decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would "run into her socially … she would say, 'Here's my pastor!' " (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)

But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry. In time, she found one: her own. "There is the Church of Oprah now," said her longtime friend, with a laugh. "She has her own following."

Friends of Sen. Barack Obama, whose relationship with Wright has rocked his bid for the White House, insist that it would be unfair to compare Winfrey's decision to leave Trinity United with his own decision to stay. "[His] reasons for attending Trinity were totally different,'' said one campaign adviser, who declined to be named discussing the Illinois senator's sentiments. "Early on, he was in search of his identity as an African-American and, more importantly, as an African-American man. Reverend Wright and other male members of the church were instrumental in helping him understand the black experience in America. Winfrey wasn't going for that. She's secure in her blackness, so that didn't have a hold on her.'' And while Winfrey, who has endorsed Obama and campaigned on his behalf, had long understood the perils of a close association with Wright, friends say she was blindsided by the pastor's personal assault on Obama. "She felt that Wright would never do anything to hurt a man who looked up to him as a father figure," said her close friend. "She also never thought he'd intentionally hurt someone trying to make history and change the lives of so many people.''

URL: Why Oprah Winfrey Left Rev. Wright's Church | Newsweek Periscope | Newsweek.com


I think this sounds phony. She left his church and made a big show about it but then when she saw him, she called him her pastor?

This reinforces my opinion though that Wright's church was "the church" for up and coming black people in Chicago to go to.

[Frenchy]

But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry. In time, she found one: her own. "There is the Church of Oprah now," said her longtime friend, with a laugh. "She has her own following."

That's pretty much the answer.

[Brickboy240]

Yep, there is where Oprah is smarter than Obama. She knew damn well that her success and distance in life was directly related to who she associates with. Chances are that most affluent, white, suburban stay-at-home moms would have dropped her decades ago, if she showed associations with divisive racists like Rev. Wright. They'd take their money and support and go elswhere. Nobody there to invest in her book club, magazine or anything else from the Good Ship Oprah.

Obama obviously liked what he heard from Wright (odd how Oprah can sit in the same pews and SHE says Wright was inflamatory...but Obama...well....he SAID he never heard any of those crazy quotes that we all saw on tv...hmmm). Obama probably thought he had to associate with people like Wright and Bill Ayers to get ahead in IL policital circles. However...that did not fly on the national level and Obama threw Wright under the bus and is trying like mad to distance himself from the man.

Smart people will see through Obama's ruse and know damn well that he, too shares Wright's views...or something really close to it. he will attempt to use guilty liberal white voters to get elected, but will throw THEm under the bus and ignore their wished after he wins election. He can't help it...this is just how he is.

All you people that are dazzled by Obama are delusional or absolute die hard leftist idealogues. Nobody with half a brain or any sense is backing this man.

- Brickboy240

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Yep, there is where Oprah is smarter than Obama. She knew damn well that her success and distance in life was directly related to who she associates with. Chances are that most affluent, white, suburban stay-at-home moms would have dropped her decades ago, if she showed associations with divisive racists like Rev. Wright. They'd take their money and support and go elswhere. Nobody there to invest in her book club, magazine or anything else from the Good Ship Oprah.

Obama obviously liked what he heard from Wright (odd how Oprah can sit in the same pews and SHE says Wright was inflamatory...but Obama...well....he SAID he never heard any of those crazy quotes that we all saw on tv...hmmm). Obama probably thought he had to associate with people like Wright and Bill Ayers to get ahead in IL policital circles. However...that did not fly on the national level and Obama threw Wright under the bus and is trying like mad to distance himself from the man.

Smart people will see through Obama's ruse and know damn well that he, too shares Wright's views...or something really close to it. he will attempt to use guilty liberal white voters to get elected, but will throw THEm under the bus and ignore their wished after he wins election. He can't help it...this is just how he is.

All you people that are dazzled by Obama are delusional or absolute die hard leftist idealogues. Nobody with half a brain or any sense is backing this man.

- Brickboy240

How did Obama associate with Bill Ayers?