Who cares what Jeremiah Wright preached from his pulpit at the Trinity Church of Christ on the south side of Chicago during the 35 years he filled it?

Not this old geezer.

Why, then, spend so much time talking about the content of those sermons and the philosophical basis (and perhaps the theological basis) for them?

A long-time parishioner of his -- who identifies Wright as someone who had great influence in shaping his own world view -- is contending for the opportunity to be the Chief Executive of the USA.

So what? The fact that someone attended there -- was married by Jeremiah Wright -- had his children baptized by Jeremiah Wright -- doesn't imply agreement with the preachings of Jeremiah Wright.

Now that is where I disagree. Jeremiah Wright moved into the pulpit of the Trinity UCC in 1972. It had 87 members. When he retired at the end of 2007, Trinity UCC had more than 5000 members and was the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ. Those 5000 members did not join there to protest the preachings of Jeremiah Wright. They joined because they visited there, heard what the preacher had to say, responded to it and decided, because of what they had heard, to make Trinity their church home.

Well, it seems reasonable that that is the basis on which the membership grew and on which individual members were attracted to the church. What formed the basis of his preachings?

Essentially, white people suck and so does the United States of America.

Wow! That's pretty strong! Are you certain that's what he preached?

Yeah. He was given a chance to showcase his "theology" the other morning at a breakfast sponsored by the National Press Club and he laid it out pretty clearly.

And you say that one of his adherents is trying to become President of the US?

That's right.

Seems to me that to elect someone with views like those to be President of the US would be like naming a pedophile to head the Boy Scouts.

Damn straight.