Ike Loc: Minnesota Iron Range

Jay Michelson in The Daily Beast for November 30th:

Dear Evangelicals: You’re Being Had
Why are you trying to solve a cultural problem with a political solution? Because the Republican Party is using you.
Dear Conservative Evangelicals,

I drive a Prius, enjoy Vanilla lattes, and am married to a man. I know it’s unlikely for me to be writing you this letter, and even more unlikely for you to read it.

But unlike most of my Obama-loving, liberal friends, I am no longer afraid of you. It’s clear to me that “your side” is losing the battle for public opinion, and I know that many of you agree with that assessment.

So why am I writing you this letter? Because, also unlike my liberal friends, I’m actually on your side, in some ways. I’m an ordained rabbi, and someone deeply concerned with the vulgarization and sexualization of our society. You and I disagree about the solution to this problem, of course, but we agree that there is a problem.

The trouble is, you’re trying to solve cultural problems with political solutions—because politicians have convinced you to do so. I am referring here to establishment Republicans, which for 150 years have consistently been the party of the rich and ungenerous.

In the first half of the twentieth century, most Christians distrusted this party, controlled as it was by “urban bankers” and others opposed to the Jeffersonian values of rural America. But in the wake of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the switch began—and by Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, it was complete. Republicans catered to conservative social attitudes on racial integration, and eventually moved rightward on issues like abortion and feminism, too, although you know as well as I do that they never really believed in them. They just realized that they could gain power by uniting two very different groups: the same moneyed elites as always, and you.

Now, let’s see who has won, and who has lost, in the ensuing 34 years.

You’re trying to solve cultural problems with political solutions—because politicians have convinced you to do so.
It’s clear that the rich—call them the 1 percent if you like, but I prefer to think of them as the moneylenders whom Jesus threw out of the Temple—have prospered enormously. In 1983, the wealthiest 1 percent were 131 times richer than the average American. In 2009, they were 225 times richer. In 2012, the top 20 percent made $13.5 trillion in income; the entire bottom 80% made $1 trillion.

These are disparities not seen since before the Great Depression. Whether for better or for worse, the ultra-rich have done extremely well in the 30 years you’ve allied with them.

How have you done, in the same period? Not well at all. Not only is gay marriage now the law for over two-thirds of Americans while the value of marriage in general has been declining for decades; not only are television, film, music, and video games more vulgar than we could have imagined in 1980; but more Americans are declaring themselves “Nones,” that is, people of no religious affiliation, than ever before in our history. Sure, some churches are expanding, but overall, your way of life is in steep decline. In short, you are losing horribly.

So, who is using whom here? Have the rich Republicans been good for you, or have you been good to them?

I look at the alliance you’ve forged with these people, and I don’t understand why you’re in it. Their agenda keeps winning, and yours keeps losing.

Moreover—and I don’t want to speak out of turn here—their agenda is even eating away at yours. What happened to the Christian concern to “love the least of these,” the most vulnerable, the most destitute? In my opinion, supply-side Republicans have convinced many Christians not merely that the welfare state is a bad idea, but that generosity itself is a vice, that public assistance equals dependence, and that giving the wealthy even more breaks is the way for benefits to “trickle down” to the rest of us.


That theory, by the way, has never been proven. When it’s been put into practice, it’s only made the ultra-rich richer. It’s done nothing for the middle class, the working class, and the poor. And its mean-hearted message, in my opinion, has corrupted the social gospel. Of course, prosperity is a good thing. But our current moment isn’t one of prosperity—it’s of inequality on the scale of ancient Rome.

Now, I’m not saying that you should jump on board with the Democrats’ agenda either. I’m saying that this Republican claim that you can build a Christian nation through politics is bogus, and only serves their goals.

You’re fighting the wrong fight. You should be making your case in culture, not in Congress. Look around. Atheism is highest in Europe, where there are established churches involved in the political process. But according to most historians, America is the most religious country in the Western world precisely because of the separation of church and state.

That “wall of separation” that liberals like to talk about? The original metaphor was: erect a wall to keep the garden of the church free from the wilderness of politics. The more you try to force your beliefs on others, the more people dislike you.

Of course, there are now multi-billion-dollar organizations dedicated to Christian politics. But how effective have they been? What has all that money bought?

I’ve worked in the LGBT movement for 15 years. At first, we, too, tried a political approach, talking about equal rights, civil rights, and so on. But the movement’s PR people found these messages weren’t working. So, in the 2000s, we shifted. We worked in the cultural arena instead, with pioneers like Ellen and Will & Grace. We went into churches and synagogues, testifying about our lives and our families. We changed people’s hearts, not their laws.

We also found messengers who could communicate the truth of our lives. Sure, there are radicals in the LGBT community who really are opposed to mainstream values—and some of them are my friends! But there are also moderates, even conservatives. The LGBT movement looked for places where we could find common ground, and focused there.

But because the public face of Christianity is now made up of the political operatives who can shout the loudest, your “wingnuts” are in center stage. I know that most Christians are not bigots or homophobes. I read the data, and I have Christian friends. But you have to admit: you’re putting your worst feet forward. Many of your spokespeople are loud and mean, because they can turn out the votes.

This all feeds into that devil’s bargain with the Republican Party. They stir you up about social issues in order to get you to the polls, and then they don’t really do anything about them. Because, in fact, they can’t. These are cultural questions, not political ones, and they have to be solved in the cultural arena.

To be clear, I’m not alleging any vast, right wing conspiracy to hoodwink Christians into voting Republican. I know that many of your values do, indeed, align with Republican policies.

But from the outside, from my side of the aisle, the situation seems very clear. The Republican rich are doing very well, and you’re losing badly. There’s only one conclusion I can draw from that: you’re being had.

Rufus Loc: Deep South

:thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown: Faggot.

migeli

He's right on .So either you're an idiot or you are one of the hoodwinkers.Matter of fact both parties are hoodwinking everyone.Wait until you cant find a public beach because the wealthy scum with all their tax breaks bought all the coastal property.You wont even be able to jump in the lake,so why not do it now?

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

That's exactly right. The problem is, no one wants to hear it. Why, you ask? Because folk have been conditioned to avoid admitting mistakes. Anytime there's a conflict - someone else is at fault - never themselves.

The idea of separation between Church and State was meant to work both ways, in other words, Church would deal with spiritual matters and the State with everything else. Somewhere along the way, Church leaders came up with the idea of using their personal voting blocks, their "flocks", to influence politics, ostensibly as a way to ensure "godly" concerns were introduced into the political process. The problem with that is, politics is a tool ( or used to be ) whereby compromise and agreement could be reached between disparate entities, causing the "Godly" concerns to ALSO be subject to compromise and agreement. So, Church becoming involved in politics had the opposite effect, meaning, that the message of the Gospel or other teachings became diluted - and subject to debate.

Here where I live is a university ( Harding ) which is sponsored by the Church of Christ. I have heard, with my own ears, their orientation speech which proudly proclaims that " you cannot be a Christian and a Democrat at the same time ". I was shocked, to say the least, but after further investigation, I discovered that this type of indoctrination is in no way unique. I have been non partisan all my life, but I was raised as a Republican and am married to a Democrat, so I do see all sides of these things. To be frank, both of those parties are about as evil as it is possible to be, without charges being filed and all religious entities that identify, support and endorse them - are evil by association, if not active partners.

In short, every American has been had and is being had, by either and both parties. Both of them cater to and slavishly serve the upper class and the corporations they own. The people they take care of do not care about the rest of us, as long as there are enough of us to do their bidding in their homes and businesses - as virtual slaves. So slavery is back and has been back for some time, all of us serving those who have the money, both with our bodies and our votes, because our political representatives are ALSO slaves to the very same people. Religious leaders have done their level best to ensure that God also has become subject to them, by trying to align religious tenets with political ones.

grace scott

I wish I could argue with you, but I cannot. You are correct.

cant beleve Loc: Planet Kolob

I don't think Christians should or will take a page out of the "Sodomite Book on How to Get Away With Anything You Desire."😷I will wear my surgical mask for protection around them!

Ike Loc: Minnesota Iron Range

Who are the "them" that you think might infect you? Sodomites? Or do you equate "sodomites" and liberals? And how exactly might they infect you? By putting ideas in your head?

Kirk

Ike it is you that has been had. Your perspective is typical rhederic or narrative the democrats have been spewing for years now. Are you truly a Rabbi? Your view seems to be shallow. I would expect more from a Rabbi. I know many Orthodox Jews and have often wondered why they were democrats. Most were business owners, but most also didn't follow the rules created by the democrats. They would cheat the system wherever they could. There is one word that comes to mind regarding your post. Hypocrocy.

Ike Loc: Minnesota Iron Range

No, I am not a rabbi. Jay Michelson, who wrote this for the Daily Beast (see beginning of the article) is. I thought it made some points that "social conservatives" need to think about. The narrative we Democrats have been "spewing" is that the Republican party as it is constituted today does not have the working class's interests at heart. But by hiding its economic policies behind the screen of anti-abortion, for school prayer, anti-gay rights, anti-global warming, anti-evolution, they make those social conservatives think they are on their side. We keep spewing it because it's true.

Rufus Loc: Deep South

Bless you Migeli. I am sorry you were raped as a child.

Ike Loc: Minnesota Iron Range

I guess this is one way of avoiding actually getting into a conversation about whether there is any truth to what Jay Michelson says. It's closely related to the famous question, "So how long ago did you stop beating your wife?"

Rufus Loc: Deep South

I actually own some coastal property. But i have worked hard all my life to do so. I am proud to say that my county voted 95% Republican. Well at that particular location. It is very beautiful and I can relax. We have good security and the police must ask permission to speak with us. I like it. I never stopped beating my wife. I had her put to sleep. She was difficult.

migeli

Good for you Gufus,and hopefully you are on the coast that breaks off into the sea,next time you have a tremendous gas attack(which is how you put the Missus to sleep ,I presume)and try not to keep thinking about homosexuality,you might get tears all over that new pink dress.

Rufus Loc: Deep South

Bless you Migeli. I can tell you are a good decent God fearing Christian man. I pray God continue to bless you , your female wife and your children. God in His wisdom was correct to make male and female so we could procreate as He instructed us to do. Can you imagine if your parents had been fags ? You would have never been born. Can you imagine fags adopting children ? I hope not. Statistics tell us that children adopted by faggots suffer much child abuse and even faggism abuse that they surely do not deserve. Let us join together my friend and kill any ungodly fags we encounter. Let us do this for God , country and for mankind. Bless you.

migeli

Up late masturbating again Gufus ,and thinking pretty intensely about homosexuality it seems.You need to step out of the closet and get it all off your chest.You know plonking all those young men while you were serving time makes you as gay as any.Just so you know.Try to get some sleep and stop thinking about men.All in good time,you know.