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Nov. 21, 2004 A while back I observed that when the mainstream media referred to Pat Robertson they always called him, "Televangelist Pat Robertson". When he made his unsuccessful bid for president they were quick to point out that politics and religion don't mix. When they referred to Jesse Jackson, however, it was always, "the Reverend Jesse Jackson". During Jackson's unsuccessful bids for president nothing was said about politics and religion not mixing. I noticed during this past presidential election process that Al Sharpton was constantly referred to as, "the Reverend Al Sharpton". Again, nothing was said about politics and religion not mixing. There appears to be a double standard at play in the mainstream media. I decided to do a little research on the three reverends. Here is what I found. Jesse Jackson received a Master of Divinity Degree from Chicago Theological Seminary on June 3, 2000. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Jackson had been three courses short of receiving his degree when he left school to work with a minister, sometime around 1970. In 1971 Jackson was suspended from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference after its leaders claimed he was using the organization to further his own personal agenda. Jackson has been active in promoting civil rights. Things I remember about him are: - Jackson claiming he cradled the dying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s head in his arms. Ralph Abernathy claimed Jackson was lying, that he was not there at the time. As I was writing this I dimly recalled seeing photos of the balcony, with men standing around the wounded Dr. King. It would be interesting to find those photos and see who is telling the truth. I think they may have been in Life magazine, and it would have been the April or May 1968 edition. - Jackson going to Lebanon and getting LT Goodman back from the Druse militiamen who were holding him. Goodman had been in a Navy A-6 Intruder that was shot down with a Surface to Air Missile (SAM), if I remember correctly. I don't recall whether he was the pilot or Naval Flight Officer (NFO) [the new term for Navigator/Bombardier]. - Jackson telling Fidel Castro that his fight was our fight. I'm not sure what Jackson meant by that. Did he mean the common fight of all people to survive in this world and make it better for our kids? Did he mean the fight for communistic ideals, like critics of his implied? - Jackson's statement regarding bailing out the failing Savings and Loans across America. He said, When we went for a loan, they wouldn't help us out. Why should we help them out now? That struck a chord with a lot of people in the heartland, I suspect. The wisdom of it is questionable, however. How many people would have lost more money if the S and L's had gone down the tubes? I don't know. Alfred C. "Al" Sharpton comes from a Black Pentecostal background. He began preaching at the age of 4, and was regarded as a "Wonder Boy" sensation on the Pentecostal Preaching Circuit. I know a little bit about life, and a little bit about spiritual matters. At the age of 4, Sharpton may have preached, but he would have been like a parrot. No child has the comprehension at that age to understand the concepts of sinfulness, salvation by faith, and the substitutionary work of Christ. The faith of congregations draw on the Spirit of God and it is possible for the Spirit to have moved in services where Sharpton preached. However, one has to regard the rest of his life to decide whether what I state is true or not. In 1964, at the age of 10, Sharpton was licensed and ordained as a minister by Bishop F. D. Washington. That is not uncommon in the Pentecostal tradition, but the wisdom of it is questionable. As a minister, Sharpton would have the right to conduct marriages. What 10-year old is capable of counseling two people about to embark on one of the most crucial journeys of a lifetime? What 10- year old has the wisdom to minister to the needs of adults? Yes, the Holy Spirit can impart wisdom, but why would He? Jesus had a lot of wisdom at the age of 12, when he was talking to the scholars in the temple. Yet, with all his wisdom, he did not begin his ministry until he was 30 years old. After meeting soul singer James Brown, Sharpton became his touring manager and continued as such from 1973 through the early 1980s. In Pentecostal circles such a move would have been viewed as backsliding, or falling away from God. What I remember most about Al Sharpton, however, was the Tawana Brawley case. A black teenager claimed she had been abducted by white men, raped, covered with feces, and then escaped. Sharpton came to her defense, making it a civil rights issue. Investigation of the incident revealed it was a hoax. Brawley had been with her boyfriend during the timeframe she had been missing. To this day, however, Sharpton still maintains that Brawley's statements were true, despite evidence to the contrary. Makes one wonder about his judgment to hold any political office, let alone that of president. I found nothing to indicate Sharpton had any formal schooling in theological studies. Pat Robertson's father was a U.S. Senator. I think he was a Democrat from Virginia. Robertson received a Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School in 1955. He received a Master of Divinity Degree from New York Theological Seminary in 1959. He is an ordained Southern Baptist minister. In 1960 he founded the Christian Broadcasting Network. The Christian Conservative Coalition, a conservative Christian politcal group, was founded by him in 1989. All three of these men have the right to go by the title of Reverend. Each has endeavored to minister to the needs of his fellow humans in the way they have felt led. None of the three is perfect. I think it is hypocritical of the mainstream media to hold a double-standard in their treatment of these men. Call all Reverend, or call none Reverend. Say that politics and religion don't mix for all three, or don't say it at all. Standards should be the same across the board. ------------ About the author Joseph Boudreau: I spent just under 24 years in the Navy, 9 on active duty, the rest in the Naval Reserves. From paygrade E-1 I advanced to paygrade O-4, and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. Email: bunnyboggins@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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