Pfleger's display sent wrong message

Walt Zlotow ("Critics can't match priest's good deeds", Fence Post, June 6) felt inclined to weigh in on Father Michael Pfleger's recent appearance at Barack Obama's former Church, Trinity United Church of Christ. He found it "puzzling", to use his word, that such a dramatic response was directed at someone who really didn't do anything "dreadful".

Perhaps it is worth quoting to Mr. Zlotow a line or two from a recent Obama speech: "Don't tell me words don't matter…words, just words."

And while that is likely the only time I'll ever find myself on the same page with Mr. Obama, Father Pfleger's words are scandalous by definition (from Webster's New World Dictionary: unseemly conduct of a religious person that discredits religion or causes moral lapse in another.)

ˆ Liberation theology, whether black, Catholic or Evangelical, misses the point of Christianity. The message of liberation theology is attainment of some sort of status (economic, social, political) on earth. While that does not mean one does not strive to attain human rights and dignity, the mistake of liberation theology (and Rev. Wright and Father Pfleger) is that that becomes the goal at the expense of ones' ultimate supernatural reward- and that is where the scandal lies. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at a crucifix (a cross with Christ's corpus on it) to realize that Christ did not achieve economic, social or political power on earth - and surprise, he didn't promise that to his followers either.

Father Pfleger's display taught the wrong message, his attitude was not Christ-like and he was just plain rude. That Mr. Zlotow doesn't comprehend this may be understandable, since he acknowledges he is not a "churchgoer". But what may be acceptable for Saturday Night Live is not the standard for a Catholic priest or any Christian minister - and even a non churchgoer ought to be able to understand that.

Lori Carlson

Glen Ellyn