My previous post on Chuck Colson's odd response to Deep Throat spurred some interesting commentary. Hokie suggested that Watergate really only caught people's attention because of the weight of previous issues--namely Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers. He wonders if Bush will face a similar fate. Eventually.
I hope so. I certainly hope for our republic that there is some cost to a fraudulent war--that future politicians might rethink something because they don't want to pull a "W." But I wonder. One of the things Rove and Co. have been so very effective at is manipulating the Religious Right. Of course, most Christians I know take lying very seriously, and war even more so, but for some odd reason they are steadfastly in Bush's camp. The moral values that they waved with such righteousness when Clinton got a Lewinsky are no where to be seen. Well, not exactly. They are still displayed and waved, but not at the President. Gays, abortion, Ten Commandments, and teaching evolution are the focus of that "moral fervor."
Christianity is in crisis--at least the American version of it. The most dominant voices in the faith come from the far right where the tenets of Capitalism must be etched on their copy of the 10 commandments. Sin has been redefined to be mostly about sex, while the "sins" of this administration--arrogance, self-righteousness, greed, anger, war, violence--have faded into some kind of religious museum.
There are a lot of things we can talk about and even negotiate. You want to talk about abortion? I am listening. You want to discuss my gay friends? I will talk. You want to talk about an over-sexualized society and popular culture? I am here. But to paraphrase Kasey Chambers, if you aren't pissed off about this administration's activities, then you aren't paying attention. And that goes doubly for people of faith. If you can watch this administration play fast and loose with the truth and not be concerned, then you are not paying attention. If you watch Bush bully people who disagree with him and don't wince, you are choosing to do that. If you listen to him mouth the tenets of your faith but never look for "fruit" then what is the point?
3 comments:
And while that didn't work, they had successfully used the press to demonize liberals and anything associated with Clinton so that while people saw through the impeachment effort, they still had lingering doubts in their mind.
Great points. I heard Frank Rich on Terry Gross talking about how the media has simply lost credibility--even when the clear culprit is the administration (of course the media is also responsible for their shoddy work). Jeff Gannon has no credibility, and asks the President stupid and leading questions--yet it is the media who takes the hit, not the administration who clearly oversaw that.
I think Jim Wallis and the Sojourners crew are doing a great job in showing folks that Christianity is neither Dem or Rep. It's the job of the WHOLE church to confront the distortion of the faith.
While I swing left politically, I'm no theological liberal. When theological liberals challenge conservatives Christians, they can be easily dismissed, "Look at their declining churches, their bloated bureaucracy, how they deny basic Christian doctrines and support immoral lifestyles."
It's when the challenge comes from within that Christians take notice. Billy Graham and TD Jakes have much more credibility within conservative Christian circles than Jack Spong and the Nat'l Council of Churches. They need to speak out with more strength.
If they do, then maybe the cause of justice won't need a Deep Throat.
kgp
We also have to keep a historical perspective on the developments of white USEvangelicalism and how it came into present situation of being culturally captivated.
If you haven't yet, please do read my notes from Mark Noll and Randall Balmer's presentations at the conference on the Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience.
Also, Streak, I think you might like the boook by Dr Nigel G. Wright titled, "New Baptists, New Agenda". It describes the Baptist movement in Great Britain/Europe.
dlw
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