J. Clifford has been writing about the following recent statement of the Reverend Herbert Lusk at the well-publicized, heavily attended Religious Right Conference Justice Sunday III:
I want to say, first of all, be careful how you fool with the church. You mess around with the church, something stirs up inside of me! You be careful because the church has surviving power. My friends, you know this and know this well. Don’t fool with the church because the church has buried many a critic, and all the critics that we have not buried, we’re making funeral arrangements for them!
J. Clifford has been befuddled by the lack of either notice or condemnation of Lusk’s statement by either the mainstream media or the blogosphere. In response, a visitor to our website minimizes the importance of Lusk’s statement with the following observation:
I’m almost willing to bet my first-born that most have never heard of him…. If this Lusk becomes anything more than a blip on the wacko radar screen, I’d be surprised. Really.
Blip? Blip this:
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 20, 2000 (AP) – George W. Bush faced tough questioning Wednesday from a mixed-race panel of spiritual leaders as he shopped his initiatives to mobilize religious groups. But several participants said they walked away impressed by Bush, who promised to establish a White House “Office of Faith-Based Action.” The president-elect met privately for more than an hour with about 30 Christian, Muslim and Jewish clergy and scholars.
Bush said the meeting at a Baptist church was not political but at the same time acknowledged his weak showing among blacks in the November election. Just one in 10 black voters chose Bush over Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic candidate.
“Not everybody here voted for me,” Bush said, prompting a burst of laughter from his panel. Looking around the room, he joked, “I’m hoping to find one or two who did.”
In fact, several of his backers were on the panel, including Marvin Olasky, a Bush adviser who coined the phrase “compassionate conservatism,” and the Rev. Herbert Lusk, who endorsed Bush in a speech at the Republican National Convention in August.
Blip? Blip this:
Pastor Lusk has been the Senior Pastor of Greater Exodus Baptist Church, 704-714 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1982. Under his leadership the Church has experienced substantial growth, (from 17 to 2000+ members)…. Championing the role of faith-based organizations in leading community revitalization efforts, and because of his accomplishments, Pastor Lusk is honored to serve as advisor to President George W. Bush.
Blip? Blip this:
Confronted by a critic at a block party, President Bush lost his vaunted charm and reportedly replied, “Who cares what you think?”
The blunt conversation, said to have taken place at a Fourth of July block party outside the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, was described in an E-mail message freelance writer Bill Langley sent to 25 friends on July 12.
The Rev. Herbert Lusk, pastor of Greater Exodus, has consulted with Bush about faith-based initiatives and said he doubted the President said such a thing.
“That doesn’t sound like the man I’ve sat with for seven [meetings],” Lusk said.
Blip? Blip this:
The Rev. Herbert H. Lusk II is a maverick black minister who took to his pulpit in Philadelphia in 2000 and pledged his support for a Bush presidency, a speech broadcast live at the Republican National Convention. Two years later, Mr. Lusk was criticized when he received a $1 million grant through the president’s new religion-based initiative to run a housing program for the poor.
This Sunday, Mr. Lusk has offered his church in Philadelphia as the site for a major political rally intended to whip up support for the president’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., whose confirmation hearings begin on Monday.
The event, dubbed “Justice Sunday III,” will be broadcast by satellite nationwide to churches and Christian radio and television stations, and organizers say it will reach 80 million households.
Mr. Lusk said he agreed to be the host of the event at his Greater Exodus Baptist Church more out of loyalty to Mr. Bush – “a friend of mine” – than out of support for Judge Alito.
“I don’t know enough about him to say I actually think he’s the right man to do the job,” Mr. Lusk said in a telephone interview on Wednesday about Judge Alito. “I’m saying I trust a friend of mine who promised me that he would appoint people to the justice system that would be attentive to the needs I care about.”
Mr. Bush has visited Mr. Lusk’s church twice to highlight its social service programs, once in 2001 and again in 2004.
Mr. Lusk’s network of poverty programs has received several federal grants through the faith-based initiative, according to the White House press office: $999,952 for the housing program in 2002; $310,842 for a community technology center in 2003, and the same amount again in 2004; and $126,000 for a program to mentor the children of prisoners in 2004.
Mr. Lusk said he would await the confirmation process to determine whether his support for Judge Alito was justified. “I may be wrong on Alito, I don’t know that, but I know I’m right on George W.,” he said. “He’s always done what he’s told me he would do.”
Rev. Herbert Lusk is not a blip. He is standing at the breach in the wall between church and state that he and George W. Bush helped knock open. And if you fool with his church, the Rev. Herbert Lusk has promised to make funeral arrangements for you.
Pingback: imprisonbush.com » Bush Advisor Gives Death Threats From Pulpit
And I stand by my “blip on the radar” comment. I would hope that you all hope I’m right, correct? I’m keeping my eye on this guy; I’ll check back here in month or so (I reserve the right to comment between now and then unless y’all kick me off), but I’m interested to see where this guy is in a month. Or two. Or thirty-six.
Three months after Kevin wrote this statement, Herbert Lusk began a term on one of George W. Bush’s presidential advisory councils.
This is no blip on the radar, Kevin. Reverend Herbert Lusk is an advisor to the President of the United States of America who is in frequent communication with the White House about important policy issues.
Do you really think it’s wise to allow a man who makes death threats against his critics to be so close to the President of the United States?
In July, 2001, President Bush called Herbert Lusk a “great American”. What does this say about President Bush’s ability to judge character?
Pingback: Cu Sith Myth » Blog Archive » Update on Update on Gog and Magog
You’re right, JCifford. If Bush has any brains, he’ll distance himself from this nutjob. That’s a fact.
But I ask you: Did Lusk make these latest comments in 2001? I knew people 10 years ago that were nice at the time but turned out to be not so nice later. Does my association make me a bad person? I severed all ties with those people once their true colors were revealed.
I would expect Bush to do the same. If he doesn’t, well, he’ll have to accept the consequences.
Do you really think that Herbert Lusk has gone off the deep end just recently? I don’t. But suppose he has. George W. Bush and the other very powerful Republicans who are closely tied to Reverend Lusk have not lifted a finger to denounce Lusk’s death threats against religious dissidents in America.
JCliff: They need to denounce this guy. I hope you understand that it’s not my fault they haven’t; but I’m here to tell you that I denounce his views. There simply is no place for his viewpoint.
I don’t agree with 90% of what you believe; however, I don’t wish you to die because you don’t agree with me. You have every right to believe as you do. In fact, I’m glad you believe as you do; our PEACEFUL difference of opinion is what makes this country great. You do understand that, correct? There IS room in this country for your viewpoint (as twisted as it is…. haha) and mine.
I sincerely hope that you at least take that from our discussion.
I think you guys need to go the focus on the family website and hear what he said. In the bible there is a commandnent to touch not his anointed. If you talk about clergy
in a dismissive or disrespectful manner the lord God is obligated to come to the defense of anointed. I have seen the rath of God come down on several people who said very bad things about clergy. Rev Lusk was simply referring to this and not a real death threat. Check it out you will see that I am correct.
Obligated? Obligated? Dearie me, the Lord God is obligated? That doesn’t sound like the Lord God, it sounds like the Employee of the Month God. It sounds like God is a bottom, not a top.
Well, dearie dear dear. I’ve been disparaging, dismissing and disrespecting clergy since the age of 8 and I’m in tip-top shape.
I think obligated is too strong a word. Maybe it’s more like a suggestion, or a helpful tip.
Seriously, R.E…. no, I can’t muster a seriously. I’m laughing too hard. I know, you’re sincere, but please. Oh, sweet Jesus’ nipple. If people don’t stop fooling with the church, God will strike them down? It’s not me who’s feeling aggressive, it’s my obligated personal deity? Wee hee hee!!!! We hear that from a new group of fundamentalists every six months or so. The last time, it was the Kabbalah scholars threatening Madonna with divine retribution. You all get so serious about your fictions, and about projecting your own homicidal urges onto your deity. It would really be quite charming if you hadn’t started dozens of wars as a result.
Ho, ho, ho. Aaaaaah. Thanks for the laugh, R.E. It was a good one. And don’t worry, we go over to see the Focus on the Family folks all the time, whenever we need an expectorant.
I googled his name, and found a govenment site where Lusk is listed as having pled guilty to several felony counts of fraud – is it the same guy? http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/da/2002%20pressrelease.htm
Jim, will you please stop touching God’s anointed? How would you like it if someone just came up and touched your anointed without asking first? I mean, tell me you wouldn’t defend your anointed too if people kept coming up and grabbing it!
from the Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets:
“Christos: ‘Annointed One,’ a title of many Middle-Eastern sacrificial gods-Attis, Adonis, Tammuz, Osiris-derived from Oriental cults of the sacred marriage. In the east, the god’s lingam or the erect penis of his statues was anointed with holy oil (Greek chrism) for easier penetration of his bride, the Goddess, impersonated by one of the temple virgins.”
Vegas, you mock ancient mystical sacred rituals.
DJM,
It’s his dad, Herbert Lusk Sr.
GLORY BE TO GOD! I know personally by being a church member at Greater Exodus Church, that Pastor Herbert Lusk is anointed by the Holy Spirit. The work he has perforomed in the community and church. He is a compassionate preacher that speaks the truth from the Holy Bible and courageous enough to stand on everything he believes to serve the church and community. I pray to GOD in JESUS NAME Pastor Lusk continues to do GOD’s work and brings people to GOD’s Kingdom for the GLORY OF GOD!