Glenn Beck and Social Justice

A few weeks ago, radio personality Glenn Beck, advised people to flee their churches if their churches had a commitment to social justice. From the accounts and transcripts that I have read, I'm not sure I understand what Mr. Beck was trying to say or urge his listeners to do. His remarks generated a fair amount of conversation. Because I'm not sure what Mr. Beck is advocating, I will not respond to him directly, but instead offer a brief positive word.

I believe that Christians ought to carefully consider and participate in the political process. I believe that churches and denominations have a perfectly legitimate role in helping to form both the conscience and particular policy judgments of its members and legislators and political leaders. Since the time of Moses God has raised up people to influence governmental actions. The Hebrew prophets denounced the abuse of the poor by the rich and spoke up against unjust economic practices. This is part of biblical religion.

Because political issues are complex and often involve competing interests which cannot all be satisfied, we may well disagree about what particular laws or policies will promote social justice. It is just because these matters are complicated that conversations about them are so important. We need help to see these issues in the context of a commitment to God's vision of justice that takes particular account of the poor and the weak.

God expects us to be committed to social justice. Christian and other religious leaders have a responsibility to help people understand what social justice means in particular situations. Many churches and other religious organizations are committed to providing resources to help us do that. We may not always agree with each other on what is socially just with respect to any given issue, but that doesn't mean that religious leaders should ignore these questions.

Billboard Beliefs

I'm not a particular fan of billboards. They sometimes relieve the monotony when driving long distances. I am sometimes grateful for the opportunity to think about something I wouldn't have thought about had I not seen a particular billboard.

By and large, I agree with the Pentecostal pastor in the film clip who said that raising the question about God on a billboard or by some other venue is a good thing. As a pastor, I would be glad for the members of my congregation to reflect on the existence and nature of God on their daily commute. It might even lead to prayer!

Theology by billboard is not plausible, but posing questions by billboard can certainly be helpful.

Betting on Cowardice Again

Again Republicans take the lead in undermining American values of judicial due process out of fear.

In railing against the Obama administration's decision to bring five suspected 9/11 conspirators to trial in New York City. Rep. Boehner and Senator Cornyn, among others, have objected saying that such a plan undermines US safety. I would remind those who object to this decision out of fear, that the rule of law requires courage. My expectation from those who would lead our nation is that they call us to such courage, not subvert the Constitution on the basis of the fear they are able to stir up.

Delegitimizing the President

I am troubled that our last three presidents have not been more broadly seen as legitimate. The attempts to delegitimize Bill Clinton through scandal mongering undermined his capacity to be a more effective national leader. George W. Bush's failure to win the popular vote and the legal controversy around the awarding of Florida's electoral votes cast doubt on his legitimacy in many quarters until 9/11/01.

Likewise, attempts to delegitimize President Obama are most clearly articulated in the so-called "birther movement" which calls into question his constitutional qualification for the office. Then there is the attempt to equate his support of health insurance reform with Nazism or some form of socialism is also an attempt to put him outside the US mainstream. This bears fruit in what I take to be the bizarre objections to his speech to schoolchildren.

I hope that President Obama and his supporters in the Congress will begin to take a stronger line, recognizing that the opposition is not simply disagreeing. They are fundamentally questioning his legitimacy to be President. That makes for a different kind of contest.

The Shame of Shona Holmes's Story

Mediacurves' research on the two health care ads http://www.mediacurves.com/HealthCare/J7470-HealthCare/ is instructive. Shona Holmes makes a startling testimony about being denied timely treatment in Canada that she claims put her life in jeopardy. This does not accord with the Mayo Clinic's account that can be found here http://www.mayoclinic.org/patientstories/story-339.html.

It is alarming that despite the fact that we are familiar with years of stories about Americans denied care because of their insurance companies' restrictions, dropped from the ranks of the insured because of unemployment, or denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, respondents could be hoodwinked by an exaggerated story.

It's shameful.