Leaving the Church of Hate for the Church of Oprah
Newsweek is reporting, based on two anonymous sources, that Oprah Winfrey left Jeremiah Wright’s flock because of his venomous sermons.
How convenient now to go public, through proxies, with her concerns–which she apparently had about Wright dating back to the early 1990s:
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.”
The Newsweek report points to a more plausible primary reason for her departure from Wright’s Church of Hate: Her ego.
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.”
***
HA Headlines commenter Jim708:
It makes perfect sense that Oprah deeped her association with Wright years ago. She is one smart lady, hense her being richer than just about every politician in the country……..combined.
She understands her audience. Too bad the three idiots running for President don’t.
***
See also: Oprah, Obama and Wright.
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I’m not buying it either. Great article Michelle.
Anonymous sources?
Is it possible for more than one person to throw Wright under the bus? Is it a different bus each time?
For Oprah, this choice was easy. For us, we see that she indeed has no clothes.
Apologies for the metaphors.
Oprah’s been heavily recruited by Scientology, and she’s good friends with Will & Jada Smith and Tom “Couch-Jumper” Cruise. She’s not in, but she’s now promoting that “New Earth” garbage from Eckhardt Tolle (and making both of them zillions of dollars along the way).
The people on the show that have bought into it all look like mind-numbed zombies– the perfect fodder for a pseudo-religious cult.
And Oprah laughs all the way to the bank.
She’s the new L. Ron Hubbard.
I would point out that Michelle saying she doesnt buy it, looks to be on target. Look at the structure of the article.
It says she was never comfortable with the sermons, but…she’s remained there all this time. Until now, when there’s alot of heat on this issue. There hasn’t been substantial coverage of her attending this church before, that I’ve seen anyway, and certainly not a great deal of it in the MSM. But if she wasn’t 100% about being there, it looks like she loves to be uncomfortable.
Secondly, it says she’s a “businesswoman, first and foremost”. To me, this just sounds like it was a business move, and has next to nothing with her personal faith (which i would think for people who go to church is supposed to be the most important part of life), or her discomfort with the rhetoric while she sat in the pews all these years.
Sounds like someone trying to get out of the line of fire. I’ve never been an Oprah fan, so this just adds to the list of things I don’t like about her anyway.
just my 2 cents.
Ditto! I’m not one of the white soccer mom sheep that have their hands out waiting for Oprah to give them something “free” during her show and she certainly isn’t my conscience. She seems to believe the nation needs her for direction when “dealing” with African Americans, ie, “don’t call them refugees….they are not refugees…” Oprah – POUND SAND!
She is a business woman and like BO she used him enough to get what she wanted. She knew better than to hang out for long cause she knew it would bite her. BO was just slow and inexperienced. I think she knew exactly what she was doing and made a gamble and it paid off for her. If she was all she says she is why did she not expose Wright along time ago ? If he had been a white guy preaching hate she sure would have commited a week to exposing him. Why not Wright ?
Could it be she could not throw him to the wolves cause he is really her bother and she believes as he does or is there a deeper rooted conspiracy here ?
The right dishononable Rev Wright is coming out with his own tell-all book soon. Based on Oprah’s ‘finger in the wind’ mentality- I guess Wright’s book won’t be an Oprah Book Club selection.
I’m just sayin…
GMR #7 – I suggest she didn’t expose him a long time ago because it didn’t serve her purposes. She’s a racist in it’s purest form but really, she doesn’t have a problem with white people – there are alot of nice white people who work for her. Those were her words at a commencement speech last year at a black university. She and the audience got a really big kick out of how cleaver she is.
Oprah left because it was good for business.
Make no mistake about this. This is a PR press release from Harpo Productions (or whatever her company is called.)
She left the church because it no longer served any purpose for the Oprah brand.
This little self-serving article is meant to get out in front of intrepid reporters (in print or online). It was only a matter of time before someone linked the Great O with O the Lesser and the renowned Black theologian, African-American Church historian, most tendentious exegetical professor, master homiletician of racial hatred, who is destined to have a movie of the week biopic on either UPN or BET in the next six months, Reverend What’s his name.
Never doubt either the savviness of the Oprah PR machine or the witlessness of her millions of fans. She is Iron Woman.
I’d loke to see her $$$ donstions to the church!
You know, all these angry black preachers aren’t helping Michelle Obama’s kids . . . just sayin.’
Has anyone seen the religion of Oprah stuff on YouTube? It’s very New Age and a little creepy.
I’ve never been a fan of hers anyway. She seems to believe that her money can save everyone and make them happy.
If Newsweek prints a story that fits your world view that’s great. If print a story that doesn’t fit your world view, “I’m not buying it”. You rail against the liberal MSM.
Why don’t you move on from this non-story to something about running the country?
Looks like Oprah is following a trend: church-hopping. Sadly, even Christians are church-hopping. Here is a good article on the subject:
http://www.cutelittlechurch.com/paul/mychurch.htm
Can you point out an instance where Newsweek in the last decade printed a story worthy of praise?
If this yo-yo (Eckhardt Tolle) can get dumbass Oprah to open her fat wallet, then more power to him. This broad is worth billions, yet she seems bent on latching onto any ‘new age’ fad that happens by in the pursuit of some deep revelation that will grant her inner peace. I would think – with that amount of cash – that as long as she had her health she’d learn to be a happy human being. She’s a black woman who’s worth a fortune and known worldwide by her first name……….and she still hasn’t found inner peace. This woman will die a miserable death. Pathetic.
Heh, Oprah doesn’t need to church hop. She’s got her own church!
lgm,
I believe that there are 2 things that are at play here.
One, you dont HAVE to agree with everything someone says. If they happen to get something right, well, thats fine. Do you agree with everything thats published in the magazines, newspapers, or sites online that you read?
Second…as far as Newsweek is concerned…even a broken clock is right twice a day
“Analysts” (whomever they are) said that Oprah’s Ratings stayed normal but that her unfavorable ratings and hits to her website went up.
O is a smart woman – she fought for years for “favorable” ratings. “Unfavorable” eventually leads to a decline in TV ratings … I guess. Smart woman.
Let me extend the opportunity to you yet again to find a different page to view and comment on that suits your delicate sensibilities. Obviously you are not comfortable here, reading such disagreeable commentary and analysis. I can suggest many other sites that will cater to your views and will be a perfect match, and where you will be surrounded with many others who will not express these comments and opinions that are so distasteful to you. Oh, and by the way – Your comment is not helping my kids.
Oprah’s sudden realization that Reverend Wright is not such a wonderful guy rings hollow. Wright never pulled his punches. His antiSemitic rants are nothing new. His antiAmerican rants are nothing new. How is it that both Oprah and Barack suddenly discovered that they have nothing in common with Reverend Wright? BTW, Oprah did a program some years ago devoted to the theme that Jews practice devil worship. I am probably the only one who ever complained about it. One of Oprah’s staffers told me on the phone when I called to complain that Oprah had said on the show that she (Oprah) “did not believe that all Jews practiced devil worship”. That attitude is not all that different from Reverend Wright chastising “Negros (Wright’s word not mine) for being “afraid of the Jews” (Wright’s words).
It is absurd to think that Oprah along with Barack and Michelle just now have learned that Reverend Wright does not share the views of centrist Democrats.
Oprah is an adult, and can do whatever she wants. She’s also not asking for my vote, so I really don’t care what her personal beliefs are.
Frankly, I’m tired of celebrities voicing their opinions. Laura Ingraham was so right when she penned the title “Shut Up and Sing…”
What I’m not OK with, however, is how non-blacks aren’t openly referring to anyone who wilfully attended or attends Wright’s church as a rascist.
Obama is a rascist.
There’s nothing that needs to be added to that sentence, and there’s nothing that needs to be defended.
Wright’s church is a rascist organization, and the Obama’s were members. Not attendees; members.
You can’t be a member of the KKK or US Nazi Party and claim that “you disagree with some of their teachings.” You can’t be a member of NRA and claim that you just like the clothes they wear. You can’t buy Playboy and claim that you just “read the articles.”
And you can’t be a member of a church filled with that kind of hatred and rascism and claim that you didn’t support it.
Obama is a rascist, plain and simple. Can we start calling him that?
I believe Oprah left the church because she knew it would give her a bad reputation. There was no need for her to tell Wright off or to tell the media.
Come on, she did exactly what we think Obama should have done, right?
She actually sets foot on the South Side?? It’s not on her limo route from (near north side) Lake Point Towers to her near west side studio.
Regardless of why Oprah left Wright’s church, apparently she noticed that something was not quite right with the sermons. So now what’s Obama’s excuse? Obama: “Oprah’s way smarter than me?” (Doubtful.) How about, “Michelle wouldn’t let me.” (Maybe), or, “At the time, I felt it was politcally expedient to be a member of that church.” (Right on!)
Tip for Democrats: run Oprah for President! Get everything your party desires in one package: a woman, a 100% African-American, AND someone politcally savvy enough to dump the Reverend Wrong before someone rubbed her nose in it.
It’s the perfect solution.
I am as offended by Rev. Wright’s hate speeches as anyone. However, I wish that the constant chatter about it would hold off until the general election. Let’s get Hillary out of the race first. The Clintons will do more damage to America more quickly if they are allowed back in office, as they all ready have the steamroller idling in the garage. There will be plenty of time to remind voters of the Obama/Wright connections during the general election. The thought of the Clintons getting back into the White House scares the heck out of me.
RobM1981, you have hit it right on the head. Whites are Nazis, Bigots, Racists and any other desparaging adjective you can come up with. Fair is fair and if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, chances are its not a koala bear.
As for Oprah, I do believe the point here is the amount of disingenuousness there is with these people. Their actions only support their desire for self gratification. If they wanted to give to this country they would serve in the armed forces. Not stay safe and send others to do what they know they would never be man or woman enough to do. And I mean that for all Dhimmis.
Madchef,
Don’t worry about the clintons. There are more ‘gates waiting in the wings than there are unpunched chads at a Florida voting site. Both of these candidates need to be brought down to earth for all the easily led to see before the general election. The not so brights take a little time to get through to.
Wiseman you nailed it! He gets hit with that ’suggestion’ every day, and he (she) is still here! This thread is about Okra W., not world peace or any other subject. Get a clue lgm or get lost.
Does any self-directing humanoid care one bit what Oprah Winfrey thinks?
When a person as wealthy as Oprah deals with her wealth by doing what amounts to tossing gold coins to the adoring crowd, it speaks volumes to her fear of being envied, while secretly enjoying her megalomania.
So she backs the Barry and Mike freak show for President— gotta back the Chicago bag man’s play— it is as tawdry a choice as her choice of books she hawks for her book club.
Who is Oprah Winfrey and why should anybody care?
If it smells like marketing- guess what? It’s marketing.
Puke.
lgm said:
Let’s see here. Oprah kick starts Obama’s lackluster campaign with a boatload of cash. She’s endorsing this lightweight for President of the United States.
They both have in common an extended relationship with a religious huckster. And they both presently have a tremendous influence on public opinion, consumer habits, and even voting decisions.
I’d say this story has plenty to do with running the country—- into a ditch.
The Church of Oprah, for sure. I don’t get her at all, and I surely don’t get the mind-numbed women who follow her blindly like lemmings off a cliff. Will someone please explain this whole Oprah deification thing to me? Please? Anybody? (Crickets chirping.)
Sorry NavyMom – I don’t get it either!
Sure gonna be tuff fittin that camel though the eye of a needle.
Whether her motives for leaving the church were sincere or not are immaterial. The fact is she was smart enough to leave and Obama was not. Oprah isn’t running for President but he is.
Look at this way, it took Obama 20 years to figure out what Oprah figured out in 2. Granted, it took the rest of the country about 15 seconds… but still, the comparison is instructive.
This story is purely a business move to distance herself from Obama/Wright flak controversy. I don’t believe she ever bought into Wright’s sermons or any church sermon because she is totally ignorant of what the bible has to say. She like most in the Hollywood left chose to make their own way to heaven. Check out the Church of Oprah on YouTube.
If Oprah had any brains say would have told Obama to leave Wright’s church before she endorsed him. So like many thinking people I am not buying it either. She is fooling no one here.
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around why anyone – black or white – would sit in a church week after week and listen to hate and anger, no matter who it is directed towards. That has NEVER happened in my church, and if it did I’d be gone before the last song was sung.
I’ve seen it, and the word “creepy” perfectly describes it.
The other theme I picked up in reading this was the “Black Church” that they must feel a part of. What is wrong in going to a Church? Why does it have to be the Black Church? You don’t don’t hear about the White, Hispanic, Yellow, Brown or Purple church. Is this not racist?
Oprah is pretty tolerant across the board, and the fact that she left Rev. Wright’s Church just goes to show you that Obama could’ve done it sooner also despite his smooth talk and your defense of him. After all, you want us to make the same mistake that the local media of Illinois made during the Senate race and the MSM made during nearly the entire election: not report on Obama so he can charm his way into the White House.
And to answer your question more directly:
Because conservatives bloggers and talk radio now has to do the job of the MSM.
Perhaps it was a matter of timing, and tithing. When one makes $100,000 a year, $10,000 may be reasonable. But when one is worth $100,000,000 a year, paying the entire church’s budget may seem a little unreasonable.
CHeers
I have nothing but contempt for someone who acts purely for mercenary reasons, instead of out of a belief system. Well, I suppose money is a system of beliefs for a large number of folks; Oprah has a following that I will never be part of.