Welton Gaddy: July 2008 Archives

O God, here we go again, I thought as news wires began to sketch the tragedy played out in Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church last week.  My reaction would have been the same had the needless loss of lives occurred in a university, a business office, a government building or elsewhere. The basic ingredients are the same in whatever place the shootings take place--hatred, a gun, grief, and countless questions of why.  As a religious leader, I hear most often the question "Why?"--Why did God allow this to happen?  Why can we not stop such senseless tragedies?  Well, I am not an ombudsman for God dedicated to defending the Almighty's ways.  However, I would hope that both religious and non-religious people understand that what happened in that church sanctuary in Tennessee was not about God but about the destructive power of human hatred, the danger of a readily available gun, and irrational actions of prejudice and intolerance spinning out of control. 

Is there anything we can do to help?  Yes, by all means.  First, we can grieve with those who are grieving.  I do, and my guess is that you do as well.  Second, if we pray, we can embrace with our compassionate thoughts and prayers members of that congregation, members of the families of the victims of the shooting, and the family and friends of the man who repeatedly pulled the trigger.  Third, we can respond to yet another shooting of innocent people by building public support for legislation that thoughtfully regulates guns and seeks to stop hate crimes.  The problem involved in this tragedy as in so many others we have seen lately is not the absence of God but the silence of advocates for laws that can accomplish what will never be the result of good intentions and fond hopes alone.  

What cruel irony it is that a man would shoot-up a Unitarian Universalist Association congregation because of a level of anger that may have been psychotic and a mind that perhaps had moved from disturbance to serious illness.  No group of religious folks that I know is more likely to be united in fighting poverty, advocating justice, and seeking to help the weakest, the poorest, and the most ill among us.  Unitarian Universalists are faithfully present among all of us who understand how difficult times are and how, subsequently, a mass of humankind is hurting badly.

No good can come from identifying this tragedy as a consequence of the ongoing ideological struggle that is dividing our nation into good and bad, right and wrong.  This shooting, like many others, however, does remind us of the powerful impact that the rhetoric or the literature of hatred can wield.

Personally, I am confident that the Tennessee Valley congregation of Unitarian Universalists will reach out to help others grieve even as they manage their own grief and seek to offer healing to a troubled community.  As that happens in the Volunteer State, my hope is that members of the Interfaith Alliance all across this nation will join scores of other people in renewing efforts, at a minimum, to establish tolerance while not ceasing until the goal of inclusion is reached and to allow your voices to be heard and your influence felt in relation to domestic policies, judicial rulings, and legislative actions aimed at a civil society literally--literally--committed to liberty justice and all.

Ever since I listened to reports of the deaths in Tennessee, the words of an ancient Hebrew prophet have been pounding in my head: "How long, O Lord, how long?"  How long will we hand people the guns they need to kill their fellow citizens?  How long will Congress stall before passing meaningful hate crimes legislation?  How long will lies be told about an abuse of freedom as a strategy to stall or kill legislation that moves us closer to civility?  Please understand, I repeat the prophet's rhetorical question not looking for an answer from heaven, but waiting for the demonstrated will of people coming together to achieve in this nation a kind of compassion and justice that unfortunately we have not seen in a while from our leaders.

Please know that the Interfaith Alliance will not grow weary caring about tragedies such as this one.  And, we will not cease asking you to help us in creating communities of inclusion as a result of mutual understanding, respect, and civility among neighbors, calling on our representatives in government to do their rightful part in helping to eradicate hate-based violence, and seeking to model by the fellowship in our organization the kind of life that we commend to the nation.

I pray for you comfort for you grief in the face of tragedy and restlessness in your hearts and wills until actions are taken to eliminate the horrible causes of grief that can be avoided.  For all who pray, it is fitting to say with sincerity, "God, help us."  But it is also fitting for all of us to say to each other, "Let us not falter or stop until our healing work in this nation is done."

First of all, I want to thank BeliefNet for assembling such an outstanding panel for this blog.  I am grateful to be included, and I am looking forward to spirited debates in the weeks and months to come.

While Senator Obama tours the Middle East this week, his campaign is still making news back home in the U.S.  According to Politico on July 21, the Obama campaign has hired a staffer to conduct outreach within the Muslim community.  This development is both positive and dangerous.

On the one hand, Senator Obama needs to do more to embrace the Muslim community.  The New York Times reported in June that many Muslim leaders have felt snubbed by the Obama campaign.  Senator Obama has had to deal with persistent rumors that he is secretly a Muslim, and he has responded by stressing that Obama is a "Committed Christian."  In Kentucky and South Carolina, the campaign distributed brochures showing Obama preaching from the pulpit of a church with a stained glass window and giant cross behind him.  I have criticized those brochures in the past for two reasons: first, Obama is trying to make it look like God has endorsed him; and second, stressing Obama's Christian heritage sends the implicit message that being a Muslim is a bad thing.

Islam is the third largest faith tradition in America, behind Christianity and Judaism.  It is a religion of peace, despite the actions of a tiny minority of extremists.  Even President Bush has gone to great lengths to say that we are at war with terrorists, not Islam itself.  And what if Obama were a Muslim?  Should that matter?  The Constitution provides an answer - NO!  Article VI states: "No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States."

I wrote a letter to both presidential candidates in June urging them to do more to make the Muslim community feel included in this election.  Thus on the surface, the hiring of this campaign staffer appears to be a step in the right direction.

But on the other hand, I am deeply troubled by the notion of having campaign staffers whose sole mission is to conduct outreach to people of faith (from any religious tradition).  Of course, I should not place too much blame on the Obama campaign.  Senator McCain has similar faith outreach staff members, as did Senator Clinton (and President Bush and Senator Kerry before them).

Look, this is a political campaign, not an evangelistic crusade.  Neither Obama nor McCain have opened outreach offices to seek religious conversions of nurture .  They are running for president of the United States.  They are seeking voters who will vote for them.  The point is this: religious people should not be reduced to just another partisan constituency that can be herded into polls and expected to pull the lever for a particular candidate. That kind of campaigning shows disrespect to the sanctity of religion.  God does not endorse candidates.  It is arrogant of any political campaign to say that if you are a good Christian, a good Jew, a good Muslim, or a good Sikh, you are compelled to vote for their candidate.  

Every citizen can and should vote for the candidate of their choice regardless of the religious identities involved, or the lack thereof.  Just as people of faith have the power to make their own interpretation of their sacred scriptures, they should have the power to make their own electoral judgments as well.

I hope that this hiring is an indication of Senator Obama's efforts to reach out to all Americans.  I pray that it will not become a campaign to manipulate religion and politics by suggesting that a particular religious posture on the part of a candidate or a voter demands a specific partisan allegiance.