Scott Freeman

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More on the Minimum Wage

Jul 31

Posted by Scott in Loving People, Politics, Scandal, Social Conscience | 8 Comments

Further assistance in getting a leg up in the world will ultimately be denied to the working poor, I’m afraid. 

In a blatant election year move, Republican members of the House tacked on an estate tax rider to a bill that would increase the minumum wage from 5.15 to 7.25 over the next 3 years.

Now, with full knowledge that it will be defeated in the Senate, the GOP can lay claim to having voted for a minimum wage hike in the upcoming elections.

Couldn’t we have dealt with the minimum wage issue first, and then worried about giving Paris Hilton a 3 million dollar tax break? Oh wait, that 3 million will trickle down to her bodyguards.

We have gone the longest without raising the minimum wage since it was initiated in 1938.

And we are not talking about giving teenagers in their first jobs more money. Most of those affected are adults.  And over a third of them are the sole bread winners in their families.

61% are women, many of them trying to raise families on their own.

And it’s the fiscally responsible thing to do.  There is historical evidence that poverty and unemployment actually drops when the minimum wage is increased. 

Here’s some more numbers from the Center for American Progress and Sojourners:

5.4 Million–NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE FALLEN INTO POVERTY SINCE THE MARCH 2001 RECESSION.

5.15 per Hour–FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE.

28.6 Percent–HOW MUCH THE INFLATION-ADJUSTED VALUE OF THE MINIMUM WAGE HAS ERODED SINCE 1979.

0–NUMBER OF TIMES THE MINIMUM WAGE HAS INCREASED SINCE 1997.

8–NUMBER OF TIMES THE CONGRESS HAS INCREASED ITS OWN PAY SINCE 1997.

31,600–HOW MUCH MORE A YEAR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS MAKE TODAY COMPARED TO 1997.

0–HOW MUCH MORE A YEAR PEOPLE EARNING MINIMUM WAGE EARN TODAY COMPARED TO 1997.

10,700–AMOUNT A PERSON MAKING MINIMUM WAGE WILL EARN IN A YEAR.

5,900–AMOUNT BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL WORKING 40 HOURS A WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR AT MINIMUM WAGE WILL LEAVE A FAMILY OF THREE.

7.3 Million–NUMBER OF WORKERS WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE.

11 Million–NUMBER OF JOBS ADDED TO THE ECONOMY IN THE FOUR YEARS AFTER THE LAST MINIMUM WAGE HIKE.

72%–PERCENTAGE OF MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 20.

1.8 Million–NUMBER OF PARENTS WITH KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE. 

$8.88–AMOUNT MINIMUM WAGE WOULD HAVE TO BE TODAY TO HAVE THE SAME PURCHASING POWER IT HAD IN 1968:

2.5 Years–AMOUNT OF HEALTH CARE FOR TWO CHILDREN WHICH COULD BE BOUGHT BY RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE FROM $5.15 TO $7.25.

86%–PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WHO SUPPORT RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE.

Barbara Ehrenreich on Poverty

Jul 27

Posted by Scott in Loving People, Scandal, Social Conscience | 23 Comments

One of the usually trotted out arguments for refusing to have a greater heart for the poor is that so many are there by choice or laziness.

That if they really wanted to get ahead in this free country where “all your dreams can come true,” then they could.

These types of arguments are largely presumptive.  It presupposes knowledge of individuals that we don’t have.

And it vastly underestimates the chronic ferocity of poverty. Once it has you in its clutches it does not let go easily. Those of us who do make more the federal poverty level have experienced our own financial setbacks.

Those setbacks can be devastating.  Try it when you have no safety net and it can be cataclysmic.

And 6-7 bucks an hour for any entry level job will not provide any source of long-term security.

About 5 years ago Barbara Ehrenreich wrote the classic Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.  As research for the book she held several entry level jobs to see how unskilled laborers lived their lives.  It is a highly informative and eye-opening read.  I highly encourage it.

In her most recent blog entry Ms. Ehrenreich asks the question “Can you afford to be poor?” She writes:

…(I)t’s expensive to be poor. In fact, you, the reader of middling income, could probably not afford it.

A new study from the Brookings Institute documents the “ghetto tax,” or higher cost of living in low-income urban neighborhoods. It comes at you from every direction, from food prices to auto insurance. A few examples from this study, by Matt Fellowes, that covered 12 American cities:

  • Poor people are less likely to have bank accounts, which can be expensive for those with low balances, and so they tend to cash their pay checks at check-cashing businesses, which in the cities surveyed, charged $5 to $50 for a $500 check.
  • Nationwide, low-income car buyers, defined as people earning less than $30,000 a year, pay two percentage points more for a car loan than more affluent buyers.
  • Low-income drivers pay more for car insurance. In New York, Baltimore and Hartford, they pay an average $400 more a year to insure the exact same car and driver risk than wealthier drivers.
  • Poorer people pay an average of one percentage point more in mortgage interest.
  • They are more likely to buy their furniture and appliances through pricey rent-to-own businesses. In Wisconsin, the study reports, a $200 rent-to-own TV set can cost $700 with the interest included.
  • They are less likely to have access to large supermarkets and hence to rely on the far more expensive, and lower quality offerings, of small grocery and convenience stores.

So let’s have a little less talk about how the poor should learn to manage their money, and a little more attention to all the ways that money is being systematically siphoned off. Yes, certain kinds of advice would be helpful: skip the pay-day loans and rent-to-pay furniture, for example. But we need laws in more states to stop predatory practices like $50 charges for check-cashing. Also, think what some micro-credit could do to move families from motels and shelters to apartments. And did I mention a living wage?

If you’re rich, you might want to stay that way. It’s a whole lot cheaper than being poor.

Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us.  He said that because that is where the disciple of Christ is called to go and minister.  He did not say that so we could throw up our hands and say our work is done.

May we develop a greater heart for the poor and the forgotten.

(HT: Aaron Monts)

I Had a Blog Post Today…

Jun 7

Posted by Scott in Immigration, Jesus, Loving People, Politics, Scandal, Social Conscience | 21 Comments

…but I deleted it.

Therefore, I will not blog today.

I was going to blog about the anger I feel about the injustice, hatred and mean-spiritedness I witness all too often in the world today.

But, I removed it, because it seemed too angry and mean-spirited on my part.

So, I’ll just keep quiet and lay low. I’ll remain quiet out of the fear of offending. I’ll still my voice in order to avoid stirring the waters of public debate and frustration.

Nope, no blogging today.

I’m probably wrong anyway.

  • I’m probably wrong to care less about the USA than I do the Kingdom of God.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that war is wrong and violence is never the answer.
  • I’m probably wrong to view children of Iraqi’s to be as precious as my own.
  • I’m probably wrong to want my children to go to public school (even though I support Private education and have benefited from it) so they can learn at an early age to be salt and light.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that laws are often misguided and the health of a nation depends upon dissent against civil rights abuses. Maybe Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr shouldn’t be heroes of mine.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that it means something that the one time Jesus talked about judgment He did so in regards to how we treat the poor and the forgotten.
  • I’m probably wrong to interpret grace into Old Testament laws of dealing with sojourners and aliens.
  • I’m probably wrong to worry about genocide and AIDS in other lands when there is so much here to be concerned about like Brangelina’s baby.
  • I’m probably wrong to want to love more than I judge.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that hatred runs deep into the fabric of American society–against gays, illegal immigrants, the French, Democrats, Republicans, minorities, or whatever group catches our ire at this particular point in time.
  • I’m probably wrong about worrying about having too much “stuff.” I should just suck it up and buy a new car since the one I’m driving doesn’t have air conditioning in this Texas heat.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that the words of Jesus should propel us to make peace, love enemies, and deny self.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that political parties cannot be champions of the Kingdom due to differing agendas.
  • I’m probably wrong to feel so discontent with the state of the church’s compassion, love and humanity for the lost, disaffected, poor and foreigner.
  • I’m probably wrong to feel so much regret for all the times I’ve harbored hatred, hurled ethnic slurs, branded sinful people with vitriolic names, and supported agendas that suited me at the expense of others.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that being stewards of God’s creation means care for the creation and not just domination of it.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe the greatest terrorist threat is not one of flesh and blood.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that it is a travesty that so many cannot afford insurance.
  • I’m probably wrong to believe that liberals can be Christians despite what some might say.

So, instead of blogging today, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.  I’ll not unburden my heart.

Cause, I’m probably wrong.

Although I sure don’t feel like I am.

In fact, I feel like I’m getting closer to the heart of Jesus.

And I really pray I’m not wrong about that.

The Risk of Preaching

May 9

Posted by Scott in Church, Preaching, Scandal | 17 Comments

Back in the day, when I was a youth minister, we found ourselves without a preacher.  We proceeded through a long, arduous process of gathering resumes and interviewing candidates.  I think we phone interviewed over 60 individuals (I told you it was long.)

I remember having a “congregational meeting” to interview one of the finalists.  One of our members made the statement that “we don’t want a preacher that will make us feel bad.  His job is to make us feel good.”  The candidate handled the statement well.

But I remember thinking at the time how poorly conceived that thought was.

When I transitioned to full-time preaching I wrestled with what my role would be.  The need to be liked and well-received was overwhelming.  I wanted people to love every one of my sermons.  I wanted them to be impressed with my preaching ability.

Working too hard to be a good preacher is a sure-fire way to become a very bad one.  Ineffective at best, relying on emotional ploys to garner response.  Dangerous at worst, forcing others to rely on the messenger for insight rather than the message.

I needed to relearn a lesson that I had been taught back in 1991.  I had been interning as a youth minister for about a year at my congregation.  It was time to take our kids to the annual Uplift camp at Harding University.

As I walked through Benson Auditorium that first day, I was grabbed by the director of the camp and told that I was needed to teach a class that week.  I was simultaneously thrilled and terrified.

I had never taught at a youth rally before.  I was not a Harding student.  I was a philosophy major at a state school.

I spent all that night preparing to the best of my ability.  My first class? 6 kids showed up.

I was discouraged.

But, apparently, they liked it and told other kids about it.  Through the week my class grew.  I was elated.  Maybe I had a future in this Youth Ministry thing after all.

At one point in the week one of my mentors, Mike Harris, pulled me aside and asked me how it was going.  In my excitement I began to tell him how great the class was.

He then gave me a bit of wisdom that I have never forgotten.  He said, “Right now, you are doing this for yourself.  Keep at it and you will eventually start doing it for the kids, and that’s good.  But if you commit to this in prayer you will eventually start doing this for God, and that is when your ministry will really mean something.”

I was angry at the time.  Over the years, however, I have learned how right Mike was.  I was doing it for myself.

15 years later, I still battle that.  Am I preaching for myself? To make people like me? So they can say how great a preacher I am? To become known in the “brotherhood?”
Or am I preaching for the people?  That their ears will be tickled?  That they will feel fulfilled with another decent Sunday service?

Or am I preaching for God?  If so, I must preach truth. No matter how difficult it might be.

No matter how hard it is to understand, I must be faithful to where God is leading me.

I have had some suggest that maybe I say too much.  That there is risk in saying all that I do.  Yet if I follow the leading of God, don’t I preach my (imperfect) understanding of Scripture?

Is my job just to make people feel better?  Is it to be safe?  I can preach (and blog) competely innocuous sermons (and posts).  But is it truly to the glory of God?

The gospel is not safe.  It is not always an easy message.  To be the inbreaking of the Kingdom we must live sacrificial lives.  We must seek to embody the message of Jesus in our daily affairs.

My job is to proclaim Jesus and His Kingdom come.  To be honest, it does make me nervous.  It is unsettling at times to encourage people to delve deeper into their understanding of the Christ.  Every week, I tremble with the full import and impact of the message.

This calling is both a burden and a blessing.

It’s scary to teach a message that got the original messenger killed.

But if I am preaching for God, don’t I preach the totality of the Word, no matter how uncomfortable it might make us?

Picking up our crosses, dying to ourselves is not a message that you can preach if you are preaching merely for yourself or your audience.  You must be preaching for the glory of God to reach that level.

I’m not there yet, but I am striving for it.

How Did I Get Here, Part 6

Apr 26

Posted by Scott in Family, How Did I Get Here, Politics, Scandal, Social Conscience | 20 Comments

Or, Insurance

Health insurance had never been a problem for me personally.  I had been covered throughout my adult life either through self-employment or by the church I worked for.

Now, granted, I did not have any grandiose notions about the benevolence or the ethics of health insurance companies.  For three years BCBS tried to stick us with the bill for Chloe’s birth, despite the fact that Tracy had been covered throughout her pregnancy and delivery. It took years of attorneys, threats of litigation, and stress to get them to pay what they rightfully owed.
When I moved to Michigan and began pastoring a congregation of less than 100 people, the luxury of provided insurance was no longer viable.  I now had to secure coverage for me and my family.

Tracy and Chloe were no problem.  I got them insured soon after we arrived in Port Huron, although at astronomical rates.

Yet, no one would cover me.  I was 34 years old and without insurance. With one child and another one soon to be on the way there was no safety net if something happened to me. I was deemed too much of a medical uncertainty for ANY insurance company to take a risk on me.

Sure, I was overweight with elevated cholesterol.  I was on synthroid for hypothyroidism.  During the final days of my disastrous youth ministry in Texas, I had taken some anti-depressants.  But come on, Zoloft is like candy in our prescription happy society.

But, I was healthy.  I had no serious problems.  I had never been sick a day in my life.  There was no alarming family history of medical problems.

Yet, no one would cover me. 

And in the state of Michigan, no one had to.  That’s capitalism, friends.  Competition is good, right?

3 miles away, across Lake Huron, however, my Canadian neighbors had insurance. They had quality coverage, cheap prescription benefits and access to expert care.  Everyone was covered.
Yet, on the streets of America, I was one of 44 million uninsured people.  The richest, most powerful country in the world offered little to no protection to its citizens in the event of a medical catastrophe.

The game was driven by HMOs caring more for profit and competition than for patients and care. These organizations proscribe choice and hamstring doctors from providing complete and total treatment.

Fortunately, I found one doctor who made it easier for me to navigate this period.  She continually waived large portions of the office visit fee and kept me stocked with samples so that I did not have prescription costs, which would have been sizeable without coverage.  To me, she was the epitome of what American health care should be.

Eventually the prospect of what could happen forced my wife to return to work.  She works, to this day, for the sole purpose of providing health insurance.  Her paycheck usually amounts to less than we pay for child-care.  (But that’s another issue, entirely.)
My experience was a wake-up call to see the health care crisis that we face in this country. My first-hand encounter with the heartless pursuit of capitalistic competition was enough to give me pause.

We can spend billions of dollars a minute on a war, we can send rebates and “economic stimulus” checks but we can’t provide better coverage for hard-working Americans?

I became a proponent of health-care reform.

Next-OIL and Lee Camp

For further reading, I suggest Critical Condition : How Health Care in America Became Big Business–and Bad Medicine.

Jesus Excepted

Apr 4

Posted by Scott in Jesus, Loving People, Scandal, Social Conscience, Theology | 17 Comments

In reading Taylor Branch’s masterful account of the early civil-rights years, Parting the Waters, one story has stuck with me.  Vernon Johns, the controversial predecessor to Martin Luther King at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, was invited to speak at a bi-racial gathering of preachers.

When Johns got up to speak, nerves were already heightened.  Preachers of both races had never met together before.  And now, they were meeting to talk about unity.  Dismissing the opportunity to be a uniter, Johns upbraided his white brethren for caring only about Jesus after his death:

“The thing that disappoints me about the Southern white church is that it spends all of its time dealing with Jesus after the cross, instead of dealing with Jesus before the cross. The church has not formally denounced the Sermon on the Mount. It has merely let it slide. I want to deal with Jesus before the cross.”

That hits close to home.  For, I feel that is exactly what I have done. I have misunderstood Paul when he said “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).”  That “and” is important.  What Jesus said should hold for us added weight.

But often in our preaching to lead others to accept Christ we have encouraged others to except Christ.  “Believe in His death, burial and resurrection, but feel free to qualify His harder sayings.”

Instead of timeless truths, we produce a watered down version of the gospel.  We have Jesus excepted rather than Jesus accepted:

  • Blessed are the meek, except for those of us in need of a healthy dose of pride and self-esteem.
  • Blessed are the merciful, except for those who don’t deserve mercy.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, except for when we need to protect our own, defend our borders, or make the world safer.
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, unless their view of righteousness disagrees with our political position.
  • Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, except for your enemies and terrorists.
  • Love your enemies except for your enemies.
  • Give to the needy except those who don’t need it or take advantage of it.
  • Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, except a big house, huge car and all the accoutrements your heart desires.
  • Do not be anxious about your life, except for when you are really worried about something.
  • Judge not, except for those whose sins we especially despise.
  • Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, except for when pre-emptive measures call for violence.

This is harsh, I know.  But how often have we done just that?  How often have we qualified the words of Jesus applying our conditions to what He said?  How often have we thought we had a better handle on it than Jesus Himself did?
“Yes, Jesus said that, but…”  If Jesus said it, there should be no buts.

And if we applied what He said to our lives.  If we truly lived His teachings, what would happen?  What would the world look like?  If only we knew whether or not that would work.

Wait, we do:   Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

I am commiting to live my life more in acceptance of Jesus and what He said rather than excepting what He said.

I think I will be better off.  And more will see Him in me.

 

Sunday Sermon

Apr 2

Posted by Scott in Church, Loving People, Preaching, Scandal, Social Conscience | 18 Comments

(For what it is worth, this is the sermon that I preached this morning. In light of some of the press that the Church of Christ has received this week, I thought it was timely. I usually post this solely on my sermon blog. However, I am considering moving it over here and collapsing the two blogs together. Let me know what you think.)

He Was Swallowed Up
Jonah
April 2, 2006

Prophets make us uncomfortable. Read the rest of this entry »

Do You Know My Church of Christ?

Mar 30

Posted by Scott in Church, Family, Scandal | 34 Comments

It seems there has been a lot of publicity recently about my particular tribe of Christians. If you have watched the Nancy Grace show the last couple of evenings, you know that there has been much discussion as to whether or not the Churches of Christ are a cult.

According to last night’s episode it appears that Ms. Grace has made up her mind that we, indeed, are a cult. I have no beef with Nancy Grace. This will not be one of the blogs that hurls stones at her. We benefit no one, including God Himself, if we disparage her. But the mischaracterization of my church family saddens me greatly.

It saddens me that we have not always been the salt and light we need to be. It saddens me that people might actually think this about us. It saddens me that some might have had experiences with us that might have led them to characterize us so harshly.
But it saddens me most of all that it might dampen the potential ministry to people who could be reached by a member of the Church of Christ.

We have our flaws. We are sinners. We don’t have it all figured out. I have my own criticisms and struggles with some of our positions and some of our past.
But we most definitely are not a cult.

So, I ask you, do you know my Church of Christ? Let me tell you:

  • Each church is self-governed with no centralized headquarters.
  • Each church is different.
  • We proclaim to be Christians Only, but NOT THE ONLY Christians.
  • We believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
  • The Church of Christ is dedicated to spreading the Good News of God’s Grace throughout the world employing thousands of missionaries supported by local churches.
  • We give millions to disaster relief, children’s homes, inner-city ministry, prison ministries and other charitable institutions.
  • The Church of Christ is where I came to love Jesus Christ. It is where I gave my life to Him.
  • The Church of Christ is where I have chosen to minister.
  • The Church of Christ is where I have chosen to raise my children.
  • The Church of Christ is where I met my lovely wife.
  • The Church of Christ is where my father has served as an elder for 40 years.
  • It is my home, my family, warts and all.
  • We have many quality colleges and universities that teach and educate at a level with the finest institutions in America.
  • Those colleges do tremendous work. To date, Abilene Christian University is the only Christian College to fully accept Soulforce onto it’s campus in the spirit of Christ.
  • Many in the Churches of Christ are working to restore unity in relationships that have been fractured far too long.
  • Some of my personal mentors and heroes are members of the Church of Christ: Fred Gray and Rubel Shelly to name just two.
  • We preach grace and the love of Christ.
  • The Church of Christ allows me to minister and preach and to work out my own salvation.

I could say so much more, but allow this to be just a start. We are not perfect. But praise God, we don’t have to be.

May God shed His grace upon us, the Church of Christ,

May God shed His grace upon the Winkler family.

May God shed His grace upon His precious child, Nancy.

And may He be glorified through the work of this group of people.

Scandalon

Mar 17

Posted by Scott in Bulletin, Jesus, Scandal | 2 Comments

Everywhere you turn today there are allegations and hints of improprieties. It seems that somewhere along the line we turned into a society that produces a precipitous amount of scandal.

Here is just a partial list of the things in recent months that have fallen under the mantle of suspicion and scandalous behavior:

  • Barry Bonds and the rampant use of Steroids in Major League Baseball
  • Crash winning the Best Picture Oscar and the resultant cries of homophobia for those who thought Brokeback Mountain deserved the prize.
  • The ongoing Enron trials and allegations of corporate malfeasance among Fortune 500 Companies such as Worldcom and Tyco.
  • Abu Ghraib and torture
  • Lobbying improprieties

The list could go on and on of the crimes and misdemeanors of public figures. The more visible that you are the more tragic your fall will be when it occurs.

Part of that is due to our insatiable curiosity when it comes to the trials and struggles of others. We rubberneck, we gawk and we discuss. It’s a 24 hour news cycle. If it bleeds it leads. And if it smells it sells.

There have been many scandals in my life. I have seen seemingly countless leaders, ministers, politicians and sports figures fall. That is one of the reasons that so many in my generation have struggled trusting public figures. We have felt betrayed and lied to.
But there is one scandal that trumps them all: the Scandalon.

A Scandalon is a stumbling block. It is something that caused people to fall and to flounder.

It can be something so small as an irregularity in the sidewalk.

The message of Jesus. His Good News. His life and His death are the ultimate scandalon. The beauty and the power of the message of this God in the Flesh is just how almost unbelievable it is.

That God would come and lower himself to the status of man, endure humiliation and torture is unthinkable. But He did.

And because He did, we are forced to look into our own lives and see the scandal of sin, to recognize our own moral bankruptcy. For we are scandalous people:

  • We are juiced on our own pride and ego.
  • We are guilty of our own hatreds and prejudices.
  • We have lied, cheated and stolen far too often.
  • We are sinners.

And we must look at the Christ and abandon our own pride. Lay aside our ego and confess that He is Lord. We must cling to Him as the sole hope for our lives.

And for many to do that is scandalous. It is unthinkable.

It means dying to self. And that is a tall order. Instead, oftentimes, we hide behind our meager defenses, offering excuses for our offenses that provides little justification of our behavior.

Let us look at the Scandalon. Let us live. Let us leave behind our attempts to be good, holy and right and allow Him to be good, holy and right through us. Maybe we in the church need to be a little more offended.

Offended by our ego. Offended by our self-righteousness. Offended by our sins.

Scandalon

Michael Card

The seers and the prophets had foretold it long ago That the long awaited one would make men stumble
But they were looking for a king to conquer and to kill Who'd have ever thought He'd be so weak and humble

He will be the truth that will offend them one and all A stone that makes men stumble
And a rock that makes them fall Many will be broken so that He can make them whole
And many will be crushed and lose their own soul
Along the path of life there lies a stubborn Scandalon And all who come this way must be offended
To some He is a barrier, To others He's the way For all should know the scandal of believing

A Quote on War

Feb 15

Posted by Scott in Politics, Scandal, Social Conscience | 2 Comments

The Christian Chronicle has just included a quote from Lee Camp on its website regarding the war. Lee Camp is the author of Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World. That book is one of the most profound and life-shaping books. I have read in recent years. Read this quote. I believe that Camp is dead on in his analysis. Especially the last paragraph.

(From the Chronicle) Lee Camp is associate professor of theology and ethics and
senior faculty fellow for the Center for International Peace and Justice at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn.

“To families who have
loved ones in Iraq, or who
have lost family members in Iraq,
the church should certainly grieve with them, pray for them and uphold them. It
is, in this sense, that we should most definitely ’support the troops,’ and it
is terribly important work to do.

“Simultaneously, we
have before us a variety of painful questions with which Christian discipleship
requires us to wrestle: First, whether war-making is a Christian calling. It
simply takes a great deal of hermeneutical gymnastics to avoid the clear
witness of Scripture, which teaches us a manner of dealing with enemies
entirely different than the manner employed by modern nation-states, including
the U.S.A. Jesus has called us to love our enemies; President Bush has called
us to ‘hunt down’ our enemies. Moreover, most of our 19th century forebears in
the Stone-Campbell restoration movement contended that war-making is not a
legitimate Christian practice. And well before that, the first three centuries
of the early church fathers entirely contended that war-making is not a
legitimate Christian practice.

“Second, even for
those who nonetheless embrace the so-called Just War tradition, we are faced
with the terribly difficult reality that the most trusted interpreters of that
tradition have, at best, raised serious questions about the legitimacy of
calling the pre-emptive war in Iraq a justifiable war; at worst, the Just “War tradition
interpreters have stated without reservation that this war makes a mockery of
the Just War tradition. That is, though
many Christians in the U.S.A.
claim to be adherents to the Just War tradition, the moral requirements of that
tradition are not being taken seriously.

“If that’s true,
then, third, we should question whether we have not been simply taken
captive
by waves of blind nationalism. As one
example, consider that President Bush has employed millennial sounding
hopes in
describing the U.S.: ‘When
we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness
of America,” (reelection speech), or that the U.S. actually takes on
the Messianic role of
“ending tyranny in our world’ (‘The State of the Union,’
2005). Such language, and the popular
support of Christians that has gone with it, suggests that we are here
flirting, if not outright in bed with, idolatry. Perhaps the third
anniversary
of the war is a good time for us to practice repentance.” (Emphasis Added)