Obama urges African Methodist Episcopal conference in St. Louis, Missouri, to view community problems as moral issues

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told thousands of members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church on Saturday that the problems facing black communities are moral ills that religious institutions could do much to heal. He spoke at an AME general conference at the St. Louis Convention Center, in remarks that were partly sermon and partly political.

Obama used language about fulfilling the “Lord’s will” and performing the “Lord’s work,” and he said faith-based answers to social problems would serve as the moral center of his administration. The speech repeated a self-help message he had been delivering to African American audiences during his campaign. Obama also said that the challenges of the day, including “war and poverty, joblessness and homelessness, violent streets and crumbling schools,” were “moral problems, rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness.” He urged listeners to take more responsibility for solving their problems, a call for accountability (Luke 12:48).

The source reports that Republican candidate John McCain had also been invited to address the group but declined. The reporter notes that Obama’s emphasis differed from the speeches presidential candidates usually give to black groups, which have typically focused on government activism and spending on social programs as answers to urban problems such as single-parent families, unemployment and weak schools.

Obama acknowledged that his views were not popular with some black Americans and that he risked being accused of “blaming the victim” by asking African Americans to take more responsibility. He said, “We are not constrained by the accident of birth but can make our lives what we will.” Obama received a warm welcome on arrival, was applauded during the speech and received a standing ovation as he left the podium.

Attendees gave mixed but largely favorable reactions. Lula Davis, a retired warehouse worker from Wilmington, N.C., said Obama had spoken about the need for parents to take more responsibility in raising children and had argued that moral standards matter whether a person is rich or poor. Rev. William Whatley of St. James AME Church in Newark said he was pleased that Obama “unashamedly talked about faith,” adding, “He’s right to talk about social justice with an affirmation of faith.”

Bishop C. Garnet Henning, who once presided over St. Paul AME Church on St. Louis’ North Side and now presides over AME churches in Louisiana and Mississippi, said Obama had more credibility than most politicians when he spoke about morality. “When I listen to speakers, I want to know whether they believe in what they’re talking about,” Henning said. Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, who is based in Kingston, Jamaica, and presides over AME churches in the Caribbean, London and Amsterdam, also commented on the address, saying Obama seemed sincere and comfortable discussing faith and personal responsibility, and that he had “the courage to say things (about faith) that could hurt him.”

The source notes that the message may also appeal to white voters, since it is embraced by many evangelicals and conservative whites. It observes that the message came from a candidate who had been described at the start of his campaign as one of the most liberal in the race. Obama said critics who argue that his message on self-help and faith marks a shift have not been listening to his comments over the past two years.

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