Poli-pastors
Monday October 8, 2007
Beware the poli-pastors. Politicians have always been chided for promising anything during a campaign, even the moon in the form of manned lunar bases, and metaphorically in the form of economic bliss, health care nirvana, and two-sentence solutions to Iraq....
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A first-rate essay, David, although it reminds me of Martin Marty's assertion that Lincoln, not known to have ever belonged to any church, is the central religious figure in American history. There's no easy solution for the seperation of church and state, which is how we know it's important and holy. We are called by Jesus and the fundamental Americans to be vigilant against those who seek earthly power in God's name, but we're also called to serve the kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven.
All those considerable theological, philosophical and legal questions aside, though, I could do with less invocation and more application from our political muck-mucks.
Yikes. I like Obama, but that's a frightening quote. That's been the whole problem of the last six years-- we thought that since we had History, Righteousness, and Jesus of America on our side, we could create Iraq in our image. (Spoiler alert for those who haven't read the paper in a while: it turns out not to be true).
In general, though, Obama's been much more humble and thoughtful on this sort of thing.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/06/obama_on_faith_and_politics_an.html
"Let’s hope it doesn’t require crystal meth and gay prostitutes to set everyone straight"
That is hilarious.
But hey, Jesus was always palling around with prostitutes. So maybe it makes sense.
It seems to me that one of the great ironies of life is that two forces that can seperately achieve so much good, when put together brings out the worst in both.
Charity, that is stunningly succinct. That's what I've been trying to say all year.
Thanks. :-) This is an issue I've thought a lot about - partly because of my study of the reformation. Government - the recognized law making and enforcement body - has a lot of power over people. Religion - the recognized moral force - also has a lot of power over people, albeit in a different way. When they are separated, they tend to play and balance each other. But when one has too much dominance or power, individual freedom suffers. And that's part of what makes the various cultures in the west value the individual. If you put government and religion together, they both work sustain themselves at the expense of the individual. Basically, it doesn't matter if one person or even a whole groups suffers, as long as everything keeps chugging along.
Don't know if that makes sense or not....
Wow. I can't believe Obama said that.
I need to find my old "immanentize the eschaton" button!
Not a wise choice of words by Obama, but ...
Doesn't the sentiment, at least, come out of (I assume) not only Obama's own faith in the UCC, but also the political -- from the Democrats -- AND RELIGIOUS, from folks like you, calculation that we are better off as a country to have people of faith in both parties, rather than monopolized by the Republicans?
Well now David, starting to get around to good old fashion Bible Truth? Your old pal George Bush knows how to take a stand.
"Increasingly, however, promising the moon just isn’t enough. Politicians – regardless of party, policy, or standing in straw polls -are making promises of harmony, unity, even salvation."
Salvation is only from Jesus and it came at the expense of great dis-unity and dis-harmony, as Matthew reports:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."
And Luke brings us a similar statement:
"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. "They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
\\\
Now who is it that derides President Bush for "NOT" uniting us all? Christians are not supposed to be like pimps or used car salesmen. They are supposed to stand for what is right.
Now click on over to places like "God's Politics," and see the attempt at uniting opposites.
Wow, Charity - Doug's right. Stunningly succinct.
And Donny, - Goerge Bush knows how to take a stand - and that is the problem. He doesn't know when it is time to come to the table and make peace. Take a look at the cross - it is the collision of opposites - with Jesus holding it together in pain and suffering. Someday - somewhere - it will make sense to you.
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