By chance I studied theology with some of the last of our great
theologians (e.g. Reinhold Niebuhr) as well as social/political/legal
philosophy and, thus, I am aware of the historical roots of the five
long-standing vicious American prejudices to which the Republicans
appealed in order to get red state residents to vote on 'moral' grounds
against morality and their own vital interests. I will leave it to
others to determine whether they also fiddled the voting machines --
they seem capable of any despicable action to benefit themselves!
The five fundamental prejudices:
1) The Abortion ATTACK ON WOMEN: In response to the women's revolution
during the late 19th century both the right wing of the Catholic Church
and the developing medical profession in the U.S. went on the attack
with the sudden claims that: a) the fetus -- not a born alive baby --
was a 'person' and b) midwives were no longer qualified to carry out
abortions -- only doctors. The hypocrisy of this attack on women
deigned to keep them captive (barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen) is
still belied by comparable lack of concern for human life (including
children) by this Republican scam operation -- now presumably determined
to cut back on food, decent housing, medical care, funded public
education -- and to use the proceeds diverted therefrom to kill, kill, kill!
Abortion Remark by G.O.P. Senator Puts Heat on Peers
By CARL HULSE
Conservatives demanded that Republicans prevent Senator
Arlen Specter from presiding over the Judiciary Committee.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/06/politics/06judges.html?th
2) GAYS were viciously ATTACKED by Saint Paul in his Letter to the
Romans where he also attacked Jews (culminating in the Nazi Holocaust
effort to exterminate both). Gays leave red states for our blue state
cities -- ordinarily to find refuge from murder and stigmatization for
which they are targets. The Republicans have upgraded this deadly game:
Health Textbooks in Texas to Change Wording About Marriage
The Texas Board of Education approved new health textbooks
after the publishers agreed to depict marriage strictly as
the union of a man and a woman.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/06/national/06texts.html?th
3) RACIST Exclusions: Perhaps little noticed have been the Bush and Co.
support for attacks on Affirmative Action such as the ugly challenge by
right wing philosopher Carl Cohen to the University of Michigan's
admissions policies. Needless to say jobless whites -- as during
Reconstruction -- can be appealed to by a renewed attack on minorities!
The Southern churches were formed at the time of the Civil War to
defend slavery against the northern abolitionists. Reconstruction
exploited Jim Crow rivalries for jobs thereafter!
4) ANTI-MUSLIM Assault: The riskiest move has been the coded equation
of 'terrorist' with Muslim. Iraq is the totem here that falsely
identifies those mainly (15 of 19) 9/11 Saudi dissidents with ALL
Muslims. Here again, as with their annual portrayals of zany gay parade
antics, the media feature Muslims as enraged young men on the warpath
and we are all to be persuaded thereby that the only good Muslim (or
gay) is a dead one!
All Sides Prepare for American Attack on Falluja
By DEXTER FILKINS and JAMES GLANZ
The U.S. ratcheted up preparations for what appeared to be
an imminent assault on Falluja, while rebels set up a
perimeter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/06/international/middleeast/06falluja.html?th
5) The CRIME OF POVERTY: Red state fundamentalism began challenging
traditional East coast theology in the 19th century with hate oriented,
make-it-up-as-you-go-along 'revivalism', operated then as today by scam
artists. See Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, by Richard
Hofstadter. This latter day degenerate Calvinism argued that God
rewarded the worthy with wealth and punished the undeserving POOR with
poverty and all the suffering associated therewith! Calvin's doctrine
of double predestination maintained that EVEN the newborn baby was so to
be rewarded/punished. It is sick and cruel, but it is this reborn
travesty which Bush and Co. are pushing to sabotage our social support
programs -- particularly for our kids!
Europe Still Unhappy With U.S. Tax Subsidy
By ELIZABETH BECKER
Just when lawmakers thought a thorny tax dispute was behind
them, the European Union raised objections to parts of the
corporate tax bill that was passed last month.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/06/business/worldbusiness/06trade.html?th
All of the above traduced not just the right wing evangelicals, but many
others immersed unconsciously in these sick cultural hangover prejudices
into voting against both themselves and their neighbors. The
crucifixion of Jesus was carried out by the ROMANS, NOT JEWS of his day
-- to protect their empire against an alleged zealot ('terrorist") --
and is now being replayed by our neocons protecting their own greedy
interests (Halliburton, religious scams, oil, whatever.) against human
need -- here or there.
Bottom Line: These poor red state folks have been conned once again by
gross appeals to their emotive well springs of our grossest U.S.
prejudices: racism, fear of women, religious bigotry, jealousies of
class, race, gender, ethnicity. Brutal, cruel, unscrupulous -- but this
was/is the Republican formula for conning Americans. We shall see this
game plan unfolding daily -- and will have to fight it tooth and nail!
In the words of two of the remaining authentic Christian groups (I am no
longer associated with institutionalized religion) -- traditional and
progressive evangelical:
a) Traditional East coast denominations:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
“An election is not the final word – it is the first step.”
First, thank you. Your involvement through FaithfulAmerica.org has
helped to strengthen the democratic process and bring the voice of the
faithful to the American political process. That is indeed something of
which to be proud, and something we will need even more in the months
and years ahead.
On November 2, America’s voters chose their political leaders. In the
midst of a sometimes bitter and divisive campaign, the people of our
nation spoke in record numbers. Now we come together to do the good
work of forging our national future, recommitting to the vision of a
nation that embodies the highest and best of who we are and what we
believe. Election rhetoric notwithstanding, we stand together at the
threshold of a new day in our lives together as Americans, and we hold a
powerful promise – that in a democracy, every voice is important. Every
person is vital. Every act of faith is blessed.
Progressive faith, speaking clearly and boldly in the public arena, was
never more important to our nation's future than right now.
Broad-minded, deeply committed persons from many faith traditions and
practices are coming together to forge a new power in American political
life. They know that the integrity of our public debate depends upon
the engagement of people of progressive faith who speak with courage and
conviction, rooted in compassion and love.
As a member of FaithfulAmerica.org you have a unique and powerful
opportunity to make a difference as never before. In the coming weeks
and months you will be invited to participate in efforts that will help
fulfill the vision of a nation that is truly “blessed to be a blessing.”
Here is FaithfulAmerica’s pledge to you! We will provide you:
* A vital hotline to your elected officials
* Thoughtful insights and resources into the toughest issues of our
day, including background briefs and discussion starters.
* Opportunities to serve in your community and around the world!
* The collective voice across faith lines, bound by a common
commitment to a progressive, inclusive, and courageous vision for our
nation.
Thank you for putting your faith into action through your ballot! Now –
together – let our work begin! Through involvement in your house of
study and worship, through your prayers, through acts of courage and
love, and through FaithfulAmerica.org, the dream of a nation united,
just, compassionate, and faithful – can be fulfilled. In the words from
the book of Esther, “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom
for such as time as this?” (4:14)
It all begins with you. Right here. Right now!
Deep peace and blessings,
Your FaithfulAmerica.org Team
PS: Why not take time right now to give a friend the GIFT OF VOICE? To
invite a friend to become part of FaithAmerica.org just send them to
www.faithfulamerica.org .
b) Sojourners -- progressive (non right wing) evangelicals:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Progressive faith did not lose this election
by Jim Wallis
Religion was a big factor in this election, and "moral values" were
named as a key issue for voters in the exit polls. On the Republican
side, George W. Bush talked comfortably and frequently about his
personal faith and ran on what his conservative religious base called
the "moral issues." On the Democratic side, Senator John Kerry invoked
the New Testament story of the Good Samaritan, talked about the
importance of loving our neighbors, and said that faith without works is
dead - but only began talking that way at the very end of his campaign.
We've now begun a real debate in this country over what the most
important "religious issues" are in politics, and that discussion will
continue far beyond this election. The Religious Right fought to keep
the focus on gay marriage and abortion and even said that good
Christians and Jews could only vote for the president. But many moderate
and progressive Christians disagreed. We insisted that poverty is also a
religious issue, pointing to thousands of verses in the Bible on the
poor. The environment - protection of God's creation - is also one of
our religious concerns. And millions of Christians in America believe
the war in Iraq was not a "just war."
So in this election, one side talked about the number of unborn lives
lost each year, while the other pointed to the 100,000 civilian
casualties in Iraq. But both are life issues - according to the Pope,
for example, who opposes both John Kerry's views on abortion and George
Bush's war policy. Some church leaders challenged both candidates on
whether just killing terrorists would really end terrorism and called
for a deeper approach. And 200 theologians, many from leading
evangelical institutions, warned that a "theology of war emanating from
the highest circles of government is also seeping into our churches."
Clearly, God is not a Republican or a Democrat, as we sought to point
out, and the best contribution of religion is precisely not to be
ideologically predictable or loyally partisan but to maintain the moral
independence to critique both the left and the right.
It is now key to remember that our vision - a progressive and prophetic
vision of faith and politics - was not running in this election. John
Kerry was, and he lost. Kerry did not strongly champion the poor as a
religious issue and "moral value," or make the war in Iraq a clearly
religious matter. In his debates with George Bush, Kerry should have
challenged the war in Iraq as an unjust war, as many religious leaders
did - including Evangelicals and Catholics. And John Kerry certainly did
not advocate a consistent ethic of human life as we do - opposing all
the ways that life is threatened in our violent world.
We didn't lose the election, John Kerry did, and the ways in which both
his vision and the Democratic Party's are morally and politically
incomplete should continue to be taken up by progressive people of faith.
In a deeply polarized country, commentators reported that either
political outcome would "crush" the hopes of almost half the population.
So perhaps the most important role for the religious community will come
now, when the need for some kind of political healing and reconciliation
has become painfully clear. In the spirit of America's greatest
religious leader, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., the religious
community could help a divided nation find common ground by moving to
higher ground. And we should hold ourselves and both political parties
accountable to the challenge of the biblical prophet Micah to "do
justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God."
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort
to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
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