Overcoming Bitterness and Contempt

Every so often, I catch myself simply grandstanding for the Democratic Party, behaving very much like those with whom I so sharply disagree. It does not solve anything. Of course, people of both parties and all stripes have contributed to the problems we face. So how do we tow the line between blind partisanship and passionate involvement?

One of the common mistakes we all tend to make is assuming that one major party is always the direct opposite of the other. Hence, if one party has an irresponsible record on an issue, then the other must be saintly and squeaky-clean. The President does something foolish or dishonest; the opposition is therefore wise and true.

We all know in our hearts that it is simply not true. The parties operate independently of one another, often falling victim to the same corrupting influences. If the Democrats take one or both houses of Congress, or even the Presidency, nothing magically changes. Our problems will not vanish. If they repeat the mistakes of the present leaders, allowing the same level of corruption and incompetence, our country—and the world—is no better off. And if Democratic leaders use religion as a tool to pit some against others, to keep us divided, to justify, excuse and even conceal unethical policies, we are right where we started.

It is also a common mistake to root for political parties as if they were football teams. A good fan will stick by a team no matter how poorly they perform, simply because he likes them better. We often treat our parties likewise, sticking by them even when they give us terrible government, simply because we like their slogans, style, and subculture better than that of the other team. We sometimes even take it a step farther, refusing to accept or acknowledge that our favorite team has performed the way it has. Witness diehard Republicans’ unwillingness to have an honest conversation about Katrina last year.

As people of faith, and as responsible citizens, we must hold all public officials accountable. The need of the country must remain more important than the interests of a party. I sense there is nothing I could tell the average Bush supporter about the botched gulf coast response, the causes of poverty, the selling of the Iraq war, the suppression of free speech, the flaws in our health care system, the way elections are conducted, or the degradation of our environment that they would be willing to hear. Nor would most of them seek to find honest answers to those questions for fear of what they would discover.
But they would be right to point out that many Democrats have contributed to these failures, acting out of political self-preservation or conflicting interests. And some Republicans have worked to address them, though sadly, they are usually attacked and marginalized within their own party for doing so. As I malign the poor performance of the other party, I need to urge my own party to live up to its promises.

No, the Democratic Party is not the perfect answer. In fact the organization is often infuriating in its ineptitude. But they do promise to tell the truth about the problems we face, to work for fairness, justice, and equality, to end the pay-for-play system in Washington, and to adapt when approaches fail. At least they are willing to try. That has to be better than what we see today. My moral values tell me so.

That is a term Republicans have co-opted for years, sometimes to justify profoundly immoral actions. We have watched them transform the common connotation of the word “Christian” from one of charity and peace to one of prejudice, hate, and exclusion. This is maddening to progressive Christians like me. Our priorities are driven by our faith, and we are no less Christian, less moral, less loving of families, less values-conscious than anyone else. Non-Christians I know feel the same way.

As people of all faith traditions watch “morality” be misused time and time again for partisan purposes, we often fall into the traps of bitterness and contempt. This is natural and understandable—we are only human. But we also need to remember that there is a better way for us—a more difficult way. We must counter not with our own rage, but with compassion. It is a tall order, but we can and should hold each other to that standard as we continue to engage those of a different philosophical persuasion. Perhaps if we created more honest dialogue and reduced “wedge issue” gamesmanship, we would be able to truly bring Americans together.

Family? Values?

This week, several Republican groups will hold a “Values Voter Summit” in Washington, D.C., where they promise to discuss ways to “fight for the family” and “defend Christian Values”.

Like most Christians, and most people in general, I love my family. And I embrace many values, among them honesty, fairness, compassion, justice, and peace. I also value transparency and accountability in governance, and ethical behavior in our public policy here and abroad. Without question, these values are rooted in my Christian faith, and strengthened by my loving family. But I am not invited to Washington this week.

I am not welcome at the gathering because people like me do not hold the politically convenient set of values, or sufficiently limit our definition of “family.” For decades, fundamentalists have used these universally positive terms as weapons to further a political agenda—specifically, to inject a narrow interpretation of religious scripture into our laws. Those who hold different values—even if they are driven by the very message of Jesus Himself—are marginalized at best, and demonized at worst. We find ourselves derided as “anti-family,” and “anti-values”—phrases that make no sense, if one really thinks about them.

My values may not be theirs, but they are values, nonetheless. They are the same values I learned in Sunday School, and from my family. They are the values of the Jesus I know.

Jesus did not have much to say about abortion or homosexuality—the issues of choice for the Summit crowd. But he was very clear on how we should treat the poor, the underserved, the meek, the hungry, the sick, the naked, the imprisoned. Of those most vulnerable souls among us, he said “Most certainly, I tell you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

So what will be the talk at the gathering? How to eradicate poverty? The fight to guarantee healthcare for everyone? The best way to end the suffering of this war? Not likely. No, we will hear sound bites attacking gay people, and women who value their right to choose.

I will not be in Washington this week. Like most people, and even a great many Christians, I am excluded. Exclusion, you see, is real mission of the “summit.” After the criminal negligence of Hurricane Katrina, the widespread poverty that continues around us, the grossly immoral drive for war, and the profiteering that followed, perhaps we should ask ourselves: Does Christ have a better mission for us? What are the real Christian family values?

Five years later, what could have been...

It has long been said that each of us, upon death, could be reduced to the most painful of tears if our heavenly maker showed us the life we could have lived.

Everyone who cares about our country and our world needs to read Jonathan Alter's brilliant piece in Newsweek this week. It tells us different story of the last five years--one of leadership, unity, peace, and progress. A chronicle of what could have been.

It may not reduce our current leaders to tears, because they will never read it. But it should cause the rest of us to pause. Just think about the opportunities we have missed. These are not fantasies. We could have had this kind of leadership. Our country has seen it before. How can we find it again? What qualities should we look for in the occupant of the oval office? How can we find and elect someone with the strength of character to make this alternate history a reality?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14753927/site/newsweek/

Faithful Democrats

Faithful Democrats is here! Please tell any and everyone you know about this vital organization. The Republican Party has exploited the fear and prejudices of Christians for years, to the detriment of our country. Help put an end to it.

Christianity teaches us compassion, peace, charity, fairness, and justice. These are the values the Democratic Party has worked for decades to instill in our public policy.

Whatever your beliefs, please support this effort to overcome the appalling religious hypocrisy that currently dominates the values debate.

Check it out at www.faithfuldemocrats.com

Any questions?

We are now completely through the looking glass. Up is down. Wrong is right. And only the chosen few have the answers. The rest of must be silent.

Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld accused his critics of “moral and intellectual confusion,” a shameless assault on countless elected officials from both major parties and a vast majority of Americans. Those who doubt him are assisting the rise of a new brand of fascism, he explained.

President Bush followed on Thursday by telling us all that we did not start or choose this war. We are defending ourselves against the ruthless forces that attacked and killed 3,000 of our citizens. We must defeat totalitarianism, the President warned.

To review:

The people who planned a war by ignoring and overruling the advice of military leaders and advisors are brilliant. Those who question them are intellectually confused.

The deaths of at least 45,613 civilians in a country which had no involvement in the 2001 terrorist attacks represent payback for the 3,000 killed in the attacks. The folks responsible for the attacks are still at large, and that is okay. Those who question this are morally confused.

We attacked the aforementioned country, a secular regime which had not attacked or planned to attack us, after falsely alleging they had stockpiles of forbidden weapons and connections to fundamentalist terrorist networks. But we didn’t choose to.

A corrupt nationalist administration, which first achieved power through a fraudulent election, regularly suppresses human rights and the freedom of speech, controls large portions of the media, aligns itself firmly with corporate power, uses opponents as scapegoats, and is rampant with cronyism is busy fighting against fascism. Their critics are the fascists.

The President who repeatedly asserts that he has no obligation to follow laws he dislikes and that he may imprison anyone at anytime for any reason tells us we must conquer totalitarianism.

Any questions? Feel free to keep them to yourself.



For more, check out the incomparable Keith Olbermann at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12131617/#060830a