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• Sunday, March 30, 2008 08:42 PM

  Obama’s Bible Study Class

  James Meeks – an Illinois state senator, pastor of one of the largest churches in the state and a declared Spiritual Adviser for Obama – came under fire for comments rebroadcast last week calling white American mayors "slave masters" and referring to black preachers and politicians who "protect" the "white man" as "house n-ggers."

  "We don't have slave masters, we got mayors," Meeks said in an August 2006 sermon broadcast on a Chicago community television channel.

  Aside from his senatorial duties, Meeks is an Illinois Superdelegate pledged to Obama and also presides over Salem Baptist Church, described as the largest church in Illinois.

  In 2006, Meeks informed his church during a sermon he may run for Illinois governor. He was recorded telling the mostly black congregation any "white Christian" who doesn't vote for him is a "racist." Speaking from his pulpit Meeks said, “if I don't have every white Christian vote in the state of Illinois, I will stand on top of the Sears Tower and call every one of y'all racist."

  Meeks is also notorious for his strong anti-homosexual platform, although Obama is campaigning for the "gay" vote. Meeks has routinely voted against pro-homosexual legislation and has been quoted during sermons referring to same-sex attraction "an evil sickness."

  Obama told the Sun-Times that he is an attendee of Meeks' Salem Baptist Church for Wednesday night Bible Study.

  According to Illinois State Board of Elections records, Rezko's businesses, Rezmar Corp. and Rezko Concession, contributed to Meeks' campaign funds.

  A recent Meeks endorsement is touted on Obama’s campaign website.

  James Meeks and his relationship with Obama was described in a 2004 Men's News Daily report during Obama's 2004 US Senate campaign:

  Obama’s closest religious advisers -- Fr. (Michael) Pfleger, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, and Illinois State Sen. James Meeks, who moonlights as the pastor of Chicago's Salem Baptist Church – may have quotes from Scripture always handy, but are theologically closer to Karl Marx and black nationalism, than to Christianity.

  —olandug Read olandug's other letters
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