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Roman Catholic Priests are the surprising voices of clarity and conviction in Michael Moore's new film Capitalism: A Love Story.   The Priests in this documentary, one of whom married Mr. Moore and his wife, aren't ambivalent - they characterize capitalism as evil.   This must be jarring for most moviegoers who have not had the pleasure of interacting with radical priests who, unfortunately, seem to be something of a dying breed these days.   Most of us are used to the recent steady stream of religious voices praising our free market system as part of God's plan for prosperity.  In Moore's opinion we have been hypnotized to believe that capitalism and Christianity must go hand in hand.

In one of the funnier segments of the film, Moore adapts one of the early Jesus movies by dubbing over foundational teachings of Jesus such as "You cannot worship God and wealth" (Luke 16:13); "Blessed are the poor and woe to the rich"(Luke 6); Let the oppressed go free (Luke 4), and changing them to pithy endorsements of such stock capitalist principles such as the profit motive.  One immediate classic is the scene of Jesus refusing to heal the sick man because of what this new improved capitalist Jesus describes as his "pre-existing condition." 

While the views of the priests in this film may seem strange to some, Christians have been questioning Capitalism's ethical compatibility with Jesus since the effects on the poor of capitalism and industrialization became tragically clear in the 1850's.  Many of us who are above thirty-five will remember the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) movement among Evangelical churches in the 1980's and 90's.  Seen from the outside, WWJD seemed a laughable effort to improve individualistic Christian morality.  However the history of WWJD dates back a century before when Charles Sheldon wrote the Christian novel "In His Steps," which asked the question What Would Jesus Do to an American society rife with social inequalities and ills  due in part to the rise of industrialization and the capitalist exploitation of the poor by the wealthy.  While the book has undeniably patronizing tones, it compellingly tells the story of a prosperous church whose members respond to the challenge of living their life by the question: What Would Jesus Do?  The characters in the book include a business man who decides to make his factory a cooperative, a tenement owner who repents of his policy of neglect towards his tenants, and a heiress who gives up her fortune to give housing and religious instruction to the poor women of the slums.

The priests in Michael Moore's film are part of an even more radical tradition that includes Father Edward McGlynn from the 1890's, as well as more recent Catholics such as Gustavo Gutierrez and others shaped by liberation theology and its socialist economic principles.  My great grandfather Walter Rauschenbusch, was a Baptist pastor who, while never a socialist, was sympathetic to the Christian Socialist tradition.  He wrote this remarkably piece in 1908 which seems as though it could be written today:

            In the same way we shall have to see through the fictions of capitalism.  We are assured that the poor are poor through their own fault; that rent and profits are the just dues of foresight and ability; that the immigrants are the cause of corruption in our daily politics; that we cannot compete with foreign countries unless our working class will descend to the wages abroad.  These are all very plausible assertions but they are lies dressed up in truth.  There is a great deal of conscious lying.  Industrialism as a whole sends out deceptive prospectuses just like the single corporations within it.  But in the main these misleading theories are the complacent self-deception of those who profit by present conditions and are loath to believe that their life is working harm. 

-          Christianity and the Social Crisis

Moore's film isn't clear what system he is suggesting to replace capitalism.  Instead of socialism he suggests democracy (a system of governance for which an editor from the Wall Street Journal has stated his distaste earlier in the film.)   But does democracy cover it?  Moore promotes small, self owned cooperative businesses, safeguarded by a supportive government that provides for the basic needs (rights) of the population.   But Mr. Moore's answer to the problem of capitalism is never completely clear.   He seems happy with leaving it to the democratic process to come up with the solutions.

The real value of the film Capitalism: A Love Story is that Mr. Moore turns the spotlight on places in America of suffering and degradation that we would rather ignore.  Some of the scenes of eviction are too painful to watch and your heart aches for the people in their struggles.  This is where the true Christian message finds its most potent voice as it is in those very struggles where we find Christ,  and it is in those places that Christians must serve. Jesus is not in the houses of the wealthy and the comfortable, he is in the suffering cries and crisis of the poor.   If the church should be anywhere, it is there proclaiming release to the captives and redemption of the oppressed.

In one of the most poignant moments of the film the Bishop of Chicago joins the workers who refuse to leave their factory until they are paid what they are due and treated with dignity.   As he serves them communion, the Bishop says to the gathered people - 'we will not leave you, you are not alone.' 

Just what Jesus would do.   

Rev. Carol Howard Merritt is the Pastor at Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation.

I walk through the shiny car salesroom, down the hall, into my comfortable business manager office, and find a file waiting on my desk. I thumb through the forms that I see regularly, but notice that the numbers that are filled in are quite unusual. The cost of the car is well above the Blue Book recommendation, the interest rate is twenty-two percent, and to top it all off, there's a high-priced warranty attached. I enter my boss' office with the papers in hand and ask, "What is this?" She continues looking down and shuffling papers as she answers, "The deal's done, Carol. You just need to have them sign." "It's done?" I say, closing my eyes and letting out a weary breath. "Yup." "What bank would do this? It's way above Blue Book and the rate's too high. And what about the warranty? What company covers a seven-year-old Yugo, with so many miles on it? We all know this is going to be repossessed in a couple of months." "It's done," She emphatically puts down her newly stacked files and finally looks up at my worried face. "Listen, Carol, with their income, they're lucky to be getting a car at all. Now go do your job."

President Obama has been in office 100 days and apparently that means that we get to evaluate him.  I don't know when this time frame was established but 100 days doesn't even equal a semester so it seems pretty early to be giving "report cards."  However, why not weigh in on how it is going?  I should say that at Princeton, where I serve as Associate Dean of Religious Life we have instituted policies to combat grade inflation, so President Obama shouldn't expect "A" s across the board.   

Cabinet and Advisors: B

For all the talk about how carefully people were going to be vetted, President Obama had a hard time.  There was a pattern of nominating people and then having them bow out, either for corruption reasons - Bill Richardson and Tom Daschle; or political ones - Judd Gregg.   Tim Geitner and Larry Summers still seem like weak choices.   Even though it is clear that both are intelligent men, they have not been convincing as public figures and that is part of what that job requires right now.  On the other had, Steven Chu (energy), Hilary Clinton (state) and Robert Gates (defense) were inspired choices; as is Kathleen Sebellius (HHS) once the republican silliness dies down.

Economic Recovery: B

This inherited mess is still the major issue facing our country and it is hard to say what effect Obama's efforts will have.   The stimulus package, according to almost every serious economist, was the way to go.   As a layperson when it comes to the economy it is hard to compare the talk of a strengthening market with the rising unemployment.  Let's hope that money gets used to put as many people to work as possible.   While the republicans put on a show of tea bagging for tax day, I am not sure their efforts resonated with those many more people who are hoping that the stimulus package can help them get or keep a job so they can pay taxes to begin with.  It is surprising and telling the amount of Americans who now approve of socialism. 

Foreign Policy: A-

It is very nice to again see huge crowds gathering to cheer not protest when our president visits a foreign country.   He is enormously popular abroad, including in countries which are traditionally viewed as our enemies.  He has promised to lead by listening and being part of a global community and all of that plays well abroad and (contrary to the outrageous bullshit that Dick Cheney is spewing these days) it will make us safer. His outreach to the Muslim world including an interview on al Arabiya news, and a speech in Turkey has begun to shift opinions about American in that part of the world.   He and Secretary Clinton appear to be serious about maintaining pressure on Israel and Palestine to restart efforts at peace after years of neglect under George Bush.    The main issues still to confront the President are Afghanistan and Iraq and it is not clear at all that he has an exit plan from either of those countries or is clear that we should have one.

The issue of torture almost rises to its own category but let's just say that Obama is doing a very good job on this (B +).  He is balancing his promise of transparency with trying not to get enmeshed in a protracted political battle around prosecution of the previous administration.   I hope we can avoid that battle but if the republicans continue to insist that there was no wrongdoing (Bill Bennett was especially disgusting on CNN when he compared the water boarding that our own troops endure from one another in training to the actual practice of water boarding of prisoners for which we prosecuted the Japanese for after WW2)  then prosecution may be the only way forward. 

Culture Wars: B+

Barack Obama has taken the steam out of the culture wars somewhat by his efforts at reaching across the aisle on questions such as abortion and gay rights (which, lets face it, are the culture wars). While there is no question that Barack Obama supports full rights for gay people, hopefully he will have the courage soon to voice that opinion vis a vis marriage although it is probably wise for him to hold off until after the 2012 election. While some are claiming he is the most radical pro-abortion president ever, he also has defenders among the pro-life crowd who appreciate his abortion reduction strategy. Largely he has his Council on Faith Based and Community Partnerships to thank for the muted tone of the culture wars.  The President appointed a diverse group of people to help advise him on religious and social policy - throwing almost too many olive branches towards the right in my opinion (but I guess that is why it was a good idea from the stand point of calming the culture wars).    Still, it will remain to be seen how this council actually functions and whether they can agree on anything. 

Environment: A-

While the President has not been able to implement major reforms yet, it is clear they are coming.  For the first time we are taking climate change as well as oil independence seriously and putting money behind it.   

American Sense of Hope: A-

In a recent AP poll, 48 percent of Americans believe that we are headed in the right direction - that is up 8 points from February and 30 points from last October!  This is an extraordinary turn and it may provide the key to our long-term recovery as a nation.  From my own perspective, turning on the television and listening to our president share his viewpoints clearly and intelligently after 8 years of cringing has made a huge difference.   It is clear we have elected a man of integrity who is slowly turning our nation in the right direction. 

Overall grade:  B+

Barack Obama has done a remarkable job - but there is room for improvement.  Let's check back in 2010 - oh yeah, there is an election then.

Ps

Grade for Republicans: C-

Does America really still want Newt and Cheney and their disproven ideas?  It will be interesting to see what comes of the Grand Old Party.