||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sam Smith
I've received a promo from Jim Wallis of Sojourners that reads in part:
"There are very few moments when we have the opportunity to turn the
eyes of the nation away from the three-ring circus that our electoral
process resembles and onto the concerns of those whom Jesus called the
'least of these.' Tonight is one of those moments, as Hillary Clinton,
John Edwards, and Barack Obama join us for a conversation about faith,
values and poverty broadcast live on CNN.
"And in hundreds of churches and homes across the country, people of
faith like you will be gathering to watch the candidates and help us
issue a prophetic challenge to put poverty at the top of the political
agenda. . . We're calling the event 'Faith Guiding Our Votes,' because
it will be a unique forum to ask questions not just about issues, but
about values. Not just what policies the candidates propose, but why.
Not just whether they believe privately, but about how they live out
their faith in public life."
I understand what Wallis is up to; he is attempting to seize the faith
and values brand from the right. This would be a worthy goal were it not
for the fact that it just makes liberal faith-mongers like Wallis look
as hypocritical and unctuous as the people they oppose. Anyone who goes
to a politician for faith and values is a damn fool - not unlike taking
part in a mud wrestling match to wash your face.
While politicians have always abused religion, it has reached epic
proportions even as they have become demonstratively deficient in both
faith and values. The decline of American civilization and official
sanctimony have had a direct inverse relationship.
But beyond the absurdity of talking to a Clinton or Obama about such
matters is another problem: the assumption by politicians, the media and
religion that the latter owns faith and values.
While it is not likely that we can cure either pols or theocrats of this
illusion, the media should be more than a little embarrassed by its
participation in the faith fraud. Over and over again, the press
projects religious faith and values as a higher existence even as these
values threaten the future of the globe as never before. This is not
only non-objective, it is outright evangelism parading as news.
In fact, one can find useful faith and values outside of religion as
easily as you can find it inside. To say otherwise is hypocrisy. Whether
religion is a good place to look for faith and values seems to vary over
time. For example, in the 1960s, ministers were among the most valuable
voices of change because they found the best parts of the Bible and
acted on it. Now, even in the milder sects, clergy is so busy keeping
their budget up and vestry happy that you hardly see a white collar at a
demonstration any more. When America finally decides to ditch the
disastrous faith and values of the neo-colonial, neo-corporate,
neo-corrupt Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush years, I suspect that the preachers
will return to help lead America's revival, but at present religion
collectively is a predominantly evil force in the world and until a lot
more religionists become embarrassed about this, it will stay that way.
As for politicians, I can't think of many who directly used their
religion's values for the better of the rest of us. Gene McCarthy and
Father Drinan come to mind, the latter ironically having to leave
Congress because of a papal ban on religious faith and values being
directly involved in politics. For most of the rest, faith and values
were mainly good for a nice Monday morning news shot of them leaving
church on Sunday.
Where we have far more commonly find useful faith and values in politics
is among those who come out of cultures such as secular Judaism, the
Irish community, the progressive upper Mid West and New England. To be
sure, religion was an element but the values mainly come from the
community and not the pulpit.
As a recovering Episcopalian, quasi-Quaker seventh day agnostic who
signs his mail, "Keep the faith" I take more than a little umbrage at
the pretences of contemporary religion and its advocates in the media.
To be sure, my sign-off comes from a minister, but a rather different
one - the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, a sinner who got more good
legislation passed in less time than any member of Congress in history
and whose farewell was, "Keep the faith, baby." Jim Wallis would never
had dared to have had him on his show.
One of the things I learned from people like Powell was that faith and
values come in many different forms, from many different places and can
appear and disappear on the same day. The key is what one values and in
what one places the faith. This is an empirical and not a theological
matter, based on witness and not clever branding.
I also learned to watch out for the sanctimonious prigs, those who
constantly talk about faith, values and hope - as though it was one more
yellow ribbon pasted on their butts - but are no shows when the going
gets rough.
I've been keeping a faith based on a number of values for a good many
years, only darkening the church doors in the latino tradition of navi
pasqua - Christmas and Easter - and drawing on patron saints of a
diverse and unsanctified nature such as the Three Initials - EB White,
HL Mencken and AJ Leibling - whose works form as fine a triptych as you
will find in any cathedral.
I get along fine with many people of religious faith, but I do so in
part because I admire their witness, rather than their public
declarations. They seem to regard me in much the same manner. Once you
do away with pronouncements, pretence and proselytizing, it all gets a
lot easier.
So, I'm sorry, Jim Wallis, but I'm not going to play your little game.
In fact, I'm annoyed you're adding your voice to the overflow crowd of
those using the once useful terms - faith and values - for such crude
and hypocritical purposes - keeping them under lock and key in the
church rather than out on the streets where they belong.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sam Smith
I've received a promo from Jim Wallis of Sojourners that reads in part:
"There are very few moments when we have the opportunity to turn the
eyes of the nation away from the three-ring circus that our electoral
process resembles and onto the concerns of those whom Jesus called the
'least of these.' Tonight is one of those moments, as Hillary Clinton,
John Edwards, and Barack Obama join us for a conversation about faith,
values and poverty broadcast live on CNN.
"And in hundreds of churches and homes across the country, people of
faith like you will be gathering to watch the candidates and help us
issue a prophetic challenge to put poverty at the top of the political
agenda. . . We're calling the event 'Faith Guiding Our Votes,' because
it will be a unique forum to ask questions not just about issues, but
about values. Not just what policies the candidates propose, but why.
Not just whether they believe privately, but about how they live out
their faith in public life."
I understand what Wallis is up to; he is attempting to seize the faith
and values brand from the right. This would be a worthy goal were it not
for the fact that it just makes liberal faith-mongers like Wallis look
as hypocritical and unctuous as the people they oppose. Anyone who goes
to a politician for faith and values is a damn fool - not unlike taking
part in a mud wrestling match to wash your face.
While politicians have always abused religion, it has reached epic
proportions even as they have become demonstratively deficient in both
faith and values. The decline of American civilization and official
sanctimony have had a direct inverse relationship.
But beyond the absurdity of talking to a Clinton or Obama about such
matters is another problem: the assumption by politicians, the media and
religion that the latter owns faith and values.
While it is not likely that we can cure either pols or theocrats of this
illusion, the media should be more than a little embarrassed by its
participation in the faith fraud. Over and over again, the press
projects religious faith and values as a higher existence even as these
values threaten the future of the globe as never before. This is not
only non-objective, it is outright evangelism parading as news.
In fact, one can find useful faith and values outside of religion as
easily as you can find it inside. To say otherwise is hypocrisy. Whether
religion is a good place to look for faith and values seems to vary over
time. For example, in the 1960s, ministers were among the most valuable
voices of change because they found the best parts of the Bible and
acted on it. Now, even in the milder sects, clergy is so busy keeping
their budget up and vestry happy that you hardly see a white collar at a
demonstration any more. When America finally decides to ditch the
disastrous faith and values of the neo-colonial, neo-corporate,
neo-corrupt Reagan-Bush-Clinton-Bush years, I suspect that the preachers
will return to help lead America's revival, but at present religion
collectively is a predominantly evil force in the world and until a lot
more religionists become embarrassed about this, it will stay that way.
As for politicians, I can't think of many who directly used their
religion's values for the better of the rest of us. Gene McCarthy and
Father Drinan come to mind, the latter ironically having to leave
Congress because of a papal ban on religious faith and values being
directly involved in politics. For most of the rest, faith and values
were mainly good for a nice Monday morning news shot of them leaving
church on Sunday.
Where we have far more commonly find useful faith and values in politics
is among those who come out of cultures such as secular Judaism, the
Irish community, the progressive upper Mid West and New England. To be
sure, religion was an element but the values mainly come from the
community and not the pulpit.
As a recovering Episcopalian, quasi-Quaker seventh day agnostic who
signs his mail, "Keep the faith" I take more than a little umbrage at
the pretences of contemporary religion and its advocates in the media.
To be sure, my sign-off comes from a minister, but a rather different
one - the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, a sinner who got more good
legislation passed in less time than any member of Congress in history
and whose farewell was, "Keep the faith, baby." Jim Wallis would never
had dared to have had him on his show.
One of the things I learned from people like Powell was that faith and
values come in many different forms, from many different places and can
appear and disappear on the same day. The key is what one values and in
what one places the faith. This is an empirical and not a theological
matter, based on witness and not clever branding.
I also learned to watch out for the sanctimonious prigs, those who
constantly talk about faith, values and hope - as though it was one more
yellow ribbon pasted on their butts - but are no shows when the going
gets rough.
I've been keeping a faith based on a number of values for a good many
years, only darkening the church doors in the latino tradition of navi
pasqua - Christmas and Easter - and drawing on patron saints of a
diverse and unsanctified nature such as the Three Initials - EB White,
HL Mencken and AJ Leibling - whose works form as fine a triptych as you
will find in any cathedral.
I get along fine with many people of religious faith, but I do so in
part because I admire their witness, rather than their public
declarations. They seem to regard me in much the same manner. Once you
do away with pronouncements, pretence and proselytizing, it all gets a
lot easier.
So, I'm sorry, Jim Wallis, but I'm not going to play your little game.
In fact, I'm annoyed you're adding your voice to the overflow crowd of
those using the once useful terms - faith and values - for such crude
and hypocritical purposes - keeping them under lock and key in the
church rather than out on the streets where they belong.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No comments:
Post a Comment