Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The Pope of Hope!

Listening to Pope Francis almost swayed me to join the Catholic Church! The ethics and pastoral spirit he embodied shone the Spirit of Christ in profound and refreshingly grace-filled and faith-filled ways. The rigor of Catholicism and spiritual arrogance accompanied with the accoutrements of ecclesiastical power were significantly lessened, though not completely absent, by his words and actions. What shone brightly were his many words and actions of hope. Here are a few memorables, along with personal comments.

INCARCERATION IS NOT EXCLUSION: When addressing prisoners and speaking of Jesus washing the feet of the poor, Pope Francis emphasized the grace of God still including the prisoners within God's sphere of grace and redemption. Being INCLUDED in God's grace empowers re-entry into society and positive reconciling lives. Never give up on the possibility of hope and rehabilitation. Abolish the global death penalty. ALL of life must be honored.

4-DOOR FIAT 500: Pope Francis was driven around in a small, average looking, non-descript, middle class, gasoline skimpy Fiat.  There was no Lincoln, Mercedes, Continental, up-armored modified Hum-Vee for transport. The message: Moderation is adequate. Spend money on helping others. Being church is not to be extravagant. I am like you. Care for our natural resources because they are finite.

LOVING THE CHILDREN: There were many times when Pope Francis took the time to touch children, smile at children, talk with children. His affection for children was heart-warming. His visit to the school was an education in the value of education. The family is essential for the building of this country. 

POLITICS IS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR NEED TO LIVE AS ONE: Politics is a gift from God to order and make real national comity, justice and opportunity. Politics writes the laws which direct structures and guarantee civil liberties. We must confront every type of polarization in order to confront violence. Good political leaders initiate and minimize armed conflicts.  Politics involves the effective distribution of power for the sake of ALL.  No group can consider itself absolute.

CONGRESS: YOU ARE THE FACE OF THE PEOPLE: The people elected you to guide and provide for the common good, to satisfy the common needs.  The people reflect and expect the common good. The task of Congress is to reflect the will of the people for the common good. The elected officials are to work for the benefit of all people. You are not elected to live within the perks of the office and neglect doing the responsible good for the people. Insure the human dignity of all people. Real human beings take precedence over partisan ambition. A nation can be considered great that fosters liberty. If you fight among yourselves you will be devoured by those outside.

FOUR EXAMPLES OF AMERICA'S GUARDIANS OF LIBERTY: Abraham Lincoln: Liberty for all; Martin Luther King, Jr.: The call to dream and create a good life for all. Dreams awaken the future of freedom. America is a land of dreams; Dorothy Day: Social justice for all; Thomas Merton: Capacity for dialog and contemplation.

REFUGEES AND IMMIGRATION: Most of us were once foreigners. We must not be taken aback by the sheer numbers.  We must see refugees as persons. Remember the Golden Rule. If we want security, let us give security.  If we want opportunity, let us give opportunity. We must allow refugees to be dignified persons of their own destiny. Refugees must have the right to an education. Governments must provide for a minimum of lodging, labor and land, as well as civil rights and religious freedom.

ENVIRONMENT: The earth is our common home. We need dialog about environmental degradation caused by human activity.  Nature must be protected. Our human survival depends upon environmental care. The environment is a fundamental good. We have a culture of waste. Waste excludes others from life. Exclusiveness focuses on ourselves at the expense of others. When we see only ourselves we abuse creation. Creation is to be used for ALL of God's creation. There are ethical limits which humans must acknowledge.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE: There needs to be international equity, sustainable development, and elimination of oppressive lending systems which generate more oppression. Justice is essential for development. Opportunities must be open for all people. We must pool our resources, foster fraternity and solidarity for the common good. Business is a noble vocation if it creates jobs for the common good. Wealth and power are only the products of man. Religious freedom is a pillar of development.

WAR AND WEAPONS: Why are deadly weapons being sold? We must stop the arms trade. War is the negation of all rights. The real danger comes from man.

SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION: The spiritual supports ands sheds light.  Know that we attain God when we love. Our future rests in affirming the sacredness of all of life.  This leads to the creation of our common home. The voice of faith is that of fraternity and love. We are to care for one another, have respect for one another and be close to one another. Full meaning in life is found in selflessness and service.

PEACE!

Ron Letnes




Tuesday, September 15, 2015

America: Waning Democracy-Rising Fascism
Part II
A Theological-Political Response

Part I presented a description of fascism. Part II presents a theological-political response. Why unite theology and politics? Because a grace-centered, faith-filled theology is naturally political. Theology leads to action in the world, action that challenges personal decisions and structural realities. Theology always calls for renewal and change. Politics is about action, renewal and change. 

The characteristics of fascism in Part I contain many touch stones which are contrary to the Biblical witness. That's what scripture does! The Word is always focused on a contrary transformation of the world! What is the contrary Biblical witness to fascism?

TRADITIONALISM: Sitting for dinner at Levi's house, the scribes of the Pharisees asked, "Why does he[Jesus] eat with sinners and tax collectors?" Jesus was breaking with the traditional religionists, the conservative status quo, the rigid keepers of the Law, the righteous. Jesus' response: "I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Fascist traditionalists do not see themselves as "sinners." They are the "righteous." Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation, everything old has passed away...." Fascists protect the old, the established powers.

NATIONALISM: "You are the light of the world" says Jesus in Matthew 5:14. "God has established the world"-Psalm 93:1. "For God so loved the world...." - John 3:16. There are over 300 references to "world" in scripture. The Biblical witness gives testimony to God's creative affection for the entire world! God is global! No boundaries! Fascism urges an isolated native nationalism as the center of values.

INTOLERANCE: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." - Matthew 25:35. "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God." - Ephesians 2:19. Fascists are part of the "in group" which blames the "outsiders" for problems. Fascists look for scape goats. Intolerance is tolerated for the sake of control and profit.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: "If there is among you anyone in need...open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need." - Deuteronomy 15: 7-8. The Parable of the Good Samaritan stresses compassion for the wounded stranger. - Luke 10:25ff. Fascists nurture corporate power whose purpose is to support the dictatorial power of the state. All are expendable at the state's powerful mercilessness.

PASSION OVER REASON: "A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh, but passion makes the bones rot." - Proverbs 14:30. "For the grace of God trains us to renounce worldly passions...to live lives that are self controlled." - Titus 2:11-12. "While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death." - Romans 7:5. Fascists do not want people to think deeply, to contemplate the nuances and consequences. Fascists want only to tickle the emotions of entertainment, to keep us laughing while the mind sleeps.

XENOPHOBIA: "You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice...." - Deuteronomy 24:17. "I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger." - Job 29:16. "There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear." - I John 4:18. Fascists create a fear-filled environment in order to maintain a powerful, militaristic control.

CORPORATION: Leviticus 25 declares a Jubilee Year in order to level the economic playing field and stir economic equality and equal opportunity. Luke 6:24-26 declares "Woes" to the wealthy and powerful because of their injustice and lack of kindness for all. Fascists control and cooperate with corporate elites for financial control and employment control of the people. People are tools of the corporation and state functionaries. The state and corporations control the levers of power and expression. The corporate boardrooms and government departments crush democracy.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION: Genesis 1:28 calls us to have "dominion" over creation meaning to care for, to be good stewards of the environment. Creation is an inter-relationship between people and the earth, each to nurture the other for life! Romans 8:21 - "...that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." "...for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created...." - Colossians 1:16. Fascists are the "gods" of creation. Fascists use creation, degrade creation, destroy creation for the sake of profit.  The environment exists at the mercy and purpose of the corporate state, for profit, for control of the people. 

AUTHORITARIANISM: I Corinthians 13 speaks of love in gentle terms, of humility, of listening to each other. I Corinthians 12 speaks of the various gifts within the Body of Christ.  All are valuable. There is a collegiality and equality, an interdependence. In Romans 13, love brackets the injunctions of the state. The state is to function out of love, towards a love that nurtures, demonstrates justice and creates peace. Fascism is not concerned with people love, but only corporate profit and control for the sake of goals established by corporate and state rulers. Ruling trumps love.

Holy Scripture is contrary to fascism. The Biblical witness is about God's grace alive in love, justice and mercy; whereas fascism demands obedience and controls the levers of life for the sake of corporate dominance and profit. Scripture is anathema to fascism!

The essence of American democracy is nurtured by a faithful following of the Biblical ethic of love, justice and mercy. The trend of our government is away from this Biblical theological-political ethic and towards a demonic fascism which exists for its power and profit controlling self. Democracy is waning.

The way forward is for Christians to be Christians, to insist and give witness to its Truth. The Biblical witness is clearly contrary to fascism. Before it is too late it is time to be contrary and nurture democracy.

Peace!

Ron Letnes


Saturday, September 5, 2015

America: 
Waning Democracy - Rising Fascism
Part I 

I recall an early Pilgrim clergy calling America a "Light on the Hill." I nod affirmatively reading the words "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence. I smile reading the Preamble of our Constitution and the words"We the people..., in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity...."

Alas, I feel these democratic commitments waning, being blown way in the hurricane of rising fascism. I am fearful and saddened, because the good, the spark of liberty, the energy of creativity, the standards within our Bill of Rights are being flushed.  Yet, I believe the way of hope and healing lies in seeing the truth of what is happening, acknowledging its cancerous negativity, and deciding on correctives. 

PART I in moving us towards the sunrise of hope and healing will focus on an analysis of fascism. I will use the fascist portrait within an article in SALON, 26 July 2015. PART II will be a theological response to each portrait color because I see the Biblical witness as possessing a socio-political way forward. 

PART I
What is Fascism?

TRADITIONALISM: Fascism is an appeal to traditionalism.  Look to the past, look to the original meanings, look to the literal intent, look to fundamental truths. There is a negation of change unless change is deemed consistent with what has always been. Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia hangs his hat on "originalism" when voicing an opinion, asking "What was the original intent of the Founding Fathers within their context as if to deny that contexts change.

NATIONALISM: "My country right or wrong, but right or wrong my country" can be the fascist nationalist mantra. The fascist believes their nation can do anything it wants as long as it is in their national interest. International, global thinking is secondary to national will. Our thinking, our actions are dictated by whatever we understand WE need to do from our understanding to achieve OUR goals. We are supreme! Our gaze is narrow. Nationalism is all about US. Respect for other nations is secondary to our will for ourselves. War is always an easy possibility.

INTOLERANCE OF IMMIGRANTS: The fascist is protective of its power elite, its culture, its color, its religion. Any people who would want into the country due to economic necessity or asylum for fear of death, are not welcome unless their presence will enhance our national interest. Compassion and justice are sacrificed in the cauldron of fear. Walls are constructed to keep the foreigner out. The immigrant is blamed. Only those who nurture the established powerful status quo are welcome.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: The poor and vulnerable, the unproductive be damned. Only the strong and well connected survive. Citizenship becomes an extension of "The Hunger Games." Watch your back, stick your fork into the other person, slice and dice if necessary. "God is on the side of the biggest battalions." Competition is the norm for advancement. The other person is a potential enemy, a threat to your survival. All is fair because your own survival is paramount. Violence is as common as a latte'.

PASSION OVER REASON: Think Donald Trump. Think Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Tse Dung, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Idi Amin, Osama Bin Laden and.... Living by passion means living by what makes me feel good, feel right, what justifies my sense of righteousness. Passion is the drug of hubris, the grandiose ego eruption.  Passion is the quick fix, the feel good answer to challenges, the narcissistic triumph of the will! Consideration of the other is blackened out.  The nuances of relationships are annoyances. The complexity of connections are nullified.  Education is restricted and becomes propaganda. Thinking is group think. The Internet is controlled to allow only ideas that support the corporate-political elite. Only the "now" and what justifies the passionate desire is acceptable. Unchecked passion leads to justifiable violence.

XENOPHOBIA: Fear of the foreigner or stranger is paramount. They are the enemy. Justice and compassion, a welcoming spirit are squelched because of the need to protect, to survive. Violence is justified to preserve the corporate-political estate.

CORPORATISM: The political operatives and corporate CEOs run the country.  What is good for the bottom line, for the powerful elite is what is good for the nation. The political decisions are captive to what will assist and protect the profit of the corporation.  The workers are tools of the corporation for the good of the wealthy political leadership and corporate CEOs. The worker is slave to the profit makers. Political decision are made to further corporate profiteering interests nationally and globally.  Justice is defined by what is good for profit and obscene salaries for the political and corporate elite.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION:  The environment is a tool to be used and abused for the benefit of the corporate state.  Whatever it takes to generate profit is justified: deny climate change, prevent development of solar and renewable energy sources, poison our water with chemicals, over fish the oceans, encourage use of coal and fossil fuels, clear cut the rain forests, drill for oil in the Arctic, all are justified for the sake of profit.

AUTHORITARIANISM: (This is my personal addition) Democracy is denied.  decisions are made by the corporate and political elite. National will is decided by a select few.  The people are victims of the few. War is on the table as long as it fits the national goals of the corporate-political cabal. The people are the cannon fodder, the expendable. Militarization is paramount and takes the majority of the budget.

Democracy is dead.

Ron Letnes