Just a brief moment of contemplation about faith and Kansas City politics for Sunday . . .
As fewer Americans believe in God, there is empirically lower confidence in Democracy and "journalism" is mostly a bad joke . . . The sordid intersection of faith and politics becomes even more sketchy.
Throughout Kansas City a few religious banners connecting Christ, Mary and Joseph with the plight of immigrants, refugees and illegal aliens have either offended or inspired the last remaining people of faith.
The banner is the handiwork of this organization . . .
"The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) is a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform that reflects our mandate to welcome the stranger and treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Coalition members work together to advocate for just and equitable immigration policies, educate faith communities, and serve immigrant populations around the country."
The point of contention for many is the Flight Into Egypt by Jesus, Mary And Joseph . . . It's either a parable about Christ The Lord signing up for a census OR escaping the wrath of King Herod in a foreign land. Biblical scholars might even claim that the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire Trumps any modern day refugee connections whilst really getting into the details of the story might not be as productive as asking . . . How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Rather than engaging in theological debate that's not going to convince anyone. Let's look at the facts . . .
- Christian values upheld slavery but also inspired its abolition.
- Some Christians supported segregation but also led the way in the fight for Civil Rights.
- Most mainstream Christians condemn the practice of homosexuality while holding that homosexual persons "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity."
Truth is, powerful rhetoric can utilize religion and the teachings of Christ to convince people of just about anything. Just ask Jim Jones.
Piety and politics should make people uncomfortable for a lot of reasons and possibly remind Americans of the very good reason for the separation of Church And State alluded to in the First Amendment which at least attempts to keep the two institutions at arm's length.
Still, there's no denying that cruelty, outright hatred and seething contempt for humankind DO NOT represent the best of Christian values . . . At least until after Church services are finished and the faithful are competing for the best spot at the buffet line.
Fact is, the Trump Administration is further to the right than most mainstream Republicans and can legitimately be called anti-immigrant NOT JUST opposed to illegal immigration given their targeting of highly skilled tech workers, legal travel visas and limiting numbers of immigrants overall . . . Again, these are all policy proposals and not nearly as fun as yelling "Build The Wall!" at a campaign rally or denigrating an entire group of people by calling them drug dealers and rapists.
But I digress . . . And offer just one quote featuring classic Mexican cynicism on the topic of faith and politics despite the fact that the Democratic Party have now adopted the Muslim Community as their pet cause given that Latinos didn't turn out for Hillary in much the same way that the Black community stayed home during election 2016 . . .
Porfirio Díaz: "Poor Mexico, so far from God, so close to the United States.
In the final analysis, there's a bible verse that people can connect to just about every political agenda whilst The Almighty remains silent on matters of policy and partisan slap fighting.
Further reading:
WaPo: Franklin Graham said immigration is ‘not a Bible issue.’ Here’s what the Bible says.
Huff PO: Who Would Jesus Deport?
USCCB: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) opposes "enforcement only" immigration policies and supports comprehensive immigration reform.
The Blaze: Yes, of course Christians can support Trump's immigration and refugee policies
Slate: Christian Leaders Nearly Unanimous in Opposing Trump’s Muslim Ban
You decide . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment