WWJS

WWJS. That's "What would Jesus say?" It provides the basic premise of a sermon preached by the Rev. Dr. George F. Regas, Rector Emeritus at All Saints (Episcopal) Church in Pasadena, California on October 31, 2004. The title of his sermon was "If Jesus Debated Senator Kerry and President Bush." In his sermon, Jesus gets to do all the talking, as would seem appropriate in a church (but which seems to happen on a surprisingly infrequent basis). Reminds me of the lyrics from a John Prine song about Jesus:

He spoke to me of morality, starvation, pain and sin.
Matter of fact, the whole dang time, I only got a few words in.
But I won't squawk, let 'im talk, heck it's been a long long time.
And any friend who's been turned down, is bound to be a friend of mine.

But back to our story...This sermon, later referred to in an article in the Los Angeles Times as a "searing indictment" of Bush administration policies, prompted a letter from the IRS threatening to pull the church's tax-exempt status. Apparently, they asked for an apology and a promise that such activity ("which may constitute intervention in a political campaign") would stop.

The church did not choose to take that route. In a reply to the IRS, their attorney wrote, in part: "The congregation has asked me to assure you that it has a longstanding policy against campaign intervention and will continue to maintain its non-partisan stance. However, it also takes pride in a long history of active involvement in the community and a steadfast and theologically-based commitment to alleviating poverty and promoting equality, social justice and peace." That, of course, is the tightrope that all churches find themselves walking. But the sermon (and it is available online) simply offers Revas' understanding of Jesus' teachings, supported with the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament, and encourages those listening to think about the values these words represent when they vote.

The absurdity of the over-reaction by the IRS is aptly exposed elsewhere in the letter: "It seems ludicrous to suggest that a pastor cannot preach about the value of promoting peace simply because the nation happens to be at war during an election season." Indeed it does.

And another passage: "The Church does not believe the law requires it to preview or edit every guest's remarks -- much less mandate that a preacher's sermons may not discuss moral values during the congregation's time of worship." That was particularly nice wording. This is a gathering of a religious community to worship, after all...have the decency to leave your moral values at the door.

A more recent letter from the church questions the substance of the IRS "reasonable belief" that this sermon amounted to "campaign intervention," and includes many examples of cases that the IRS dropped that were far more substantial. It points out that in this particular case, the sermon itself is never quoted in the IRS letters, only the LA Times article that was written about it.

So here's my new bumper sticker: WWJDKIMTIRCROTPAORO. What Would Jesus Do Keeping In Mind The Internal Revenue Code Restrictions On The Political Activity Of Religious Organizations? Yes, you'll have to devote your whole bumper to this one. And those tiny little hybrids may just be out of luck. But it's a question worth considering, and one that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

Good to the last drop...

Those poor credit card companies...so many years, having to put up with people who got way behind on their payments and then declared bankruptcy, leaving the creditors holding the bag. Isn't that how it worked? Isn't that why the creditors campaigned (with $100 million worth of lobbying) for the new, stiffer repayment provisions in the bankruptcy bill that Congress passed?

Well, so, it may be mildly surprising that the very same credit card companies are sending pre-approved cards to the recently bankrupt, right? I mean, certainly the poor creditors have learned their lesson.

It's true. The lesson they've learned is that the poor pay more. They don't have a whole lot of choices. If you haven't sapped every cent you can get out of them before the first bankruptcy, you can always go back for a second round. And the pickin's are swell this year, with over two million bankruptcies declared. Credit card companies, payday lenders, pawn shops, rent-to-own stores will be having record profits, no doubt about it. And for those trying to get their financial lives back in order, the credit card offers just keep piling up. "You were born pre-approved," one advertisement says, like a promise of salvation itself...and why shouldn't you respond affirmatively to such an uplifting message?

I know, I know...it's all about individual choices. But this practice, shamelessly preying on the poorest and most vulnerable, cannot help but sicken us, can it? What kind of society do we wish to live in?

I remember a bar I frequented (before I quit drinking) where they would give you a free drink of your choice if you handed over your AA medallion (one month, one year, ten years...that may have gotten you a couple drinks). Illegal? Guess not. Immoral? Do I even have to ask?

Just because you can talk people into something ("just sign, date, and send...card will be sent within ten business days"), gain their assent because of the desperation of their situation, doesn't mean that you should be allowed to do so. I am reminded of the plot of a Johnny Depp movie that I've never seen...and once having heard the plot, I didn't have an overwhelming desire to see it...but it's called, The Brave, and, according to IMDB it is the story of "a down-on-his-luck American Indian recently released from jail [who] is offered the chance to "star" as the victim of a snuff film, the resulting pay of which could greatly help his poverty stricken family." Cheery stuff.

And what's most upsetting is that I recall this plot-line every time I hear of creditors preying on the poor, Congress passing insane budgets that funnel yet more money to the rich and cutting vital programs for those who need them, stories of people working full-time (or more than full-time, with patched-together part-time jobs) who cannot afford the basic necessities of life. People "choose" to dig themselves deeper into despair every day, because there doesn't appear to be any options...and there are plenty of folks (and corporations...and I am told that corporations are people, too) more than willing to profit off of their dire situation.

But, hey, get a hold of yourselves, poor folk. America's the land of opportunity. Doesn't help to play the blame game. And, oh, by the way, remember, if you pay after the 15th, there's a $29 late fee.

Happy Holidays and God bless Visa...oops, I mean America.

"He knows when you're awake..."

I know, Christmas is over. But the fact is: it's not only Santa who's running surveillance. No, no, the present U.S. Administration is helping Santa out with wiretaps of apparently any overseas phone calls (without court orders), video surveillance, undercover (or plain-clothes) infiltration into the by-all-accounts harmless activities of various groups (including the Catholic Worker, a "faith-based" group by any stretch of the imagination)...the list goes on.

And did we receive a sheepish apology from Administration officials? A reasonable explanation of what had been occurring and why? Not hardly. In a now-familiar strategy, Bush, when caught doing something wrong (and by wrong I mean dishonest, illegal, mistaken, and/or immoral), charges ahead more brazenly than ever! The headlines at Yahoo News a couple weeks ago, soon after a piece of the scandal broke, read, "Bush Vows More Eavesdropping." He was angry, yes...at the person(s) who had the gall to leak his quite-possibly-criminal-deeds to the press. One would think his supply of brazenness has gotta be running low.

Thankfully, "Brazen Bush" doesn't appear to be an effective strategy with the public or a portion of the media anymore. As unlikely a source as the editors of Barrons magazine, as reported on Democracy Now, have dared to mention the "I" word. (And I don't mean "intelligence." We gave up on that a while back...)

Here's a portion of what was published in Barrons:

Putting the president above the Congress is an invitation to tyranny. The president has no powers except those specified in the Constitution and those enacted by law. ... Willful disregard of a law is potentially an impeachable offense. It is at least as impeachable as having a sexual escapade under the Oval Office desk and lying about it later.

So you go right ahead, Mr. President. You do what you think needs to be done. But guess what? Turns out you're being watched, too.

And so it is Christmas...

Is Christmas under attack in our society? Is Christianity under attack? I don’t think so.

I remember when people used to worry about the “commercialization” of Christmas, and now one of the primary worries seems to be that Christmas is not sufficiently commercialized.

I believe that most of the controversy in the schools and other public forums can be traced back to confusion rather than conspiracy. School officials, parents, and other members of the community are doing their best to figure out the proper way to address the separation of church and state (an idea that has actually increased the vitality of religion in the U.S.) and to make room for the diversity of religious expression in our society.

It may be that this renewed focus on the celebration of Christmas could lead to more clear-eyed discussion on the pagan origins of the holiday and how Christianity has adapted itself to culture. It’s worth noting that not all Christians celebrate Christmas, and many people celebrate Christmas who are not Christians. Also, it strikes me that Easter is a more important holiday in the theology of the Christian church, yet I don’t encounter expectations that public school choirs will sing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” or that stores will display crosses or representations of the Resurrection.

As far as popular culture goes, it seems that a form of evangelical Christianity is in ascendancy. The hugely popular “Left Behind” series, along with a number of other Christian bestsellers like "The Purpose-Driven Life," can be found in bookstores, department stores, and even grocery stores. “The Passion of the Christ” proved that Christian themes are hugely profitable, and the first installment of the film version of the Narnia books by Christian author, C.S. Lewis, is apparently forthright about its religious symbolism, hoping to attract that same religious market along with lovers of fantasy.

The fact is that the marketplace is responsive to what people buy. Christians are in a majority in our culture and thus are able to have a huge societal influence, in what they choose to purchase, how much they consume, where they choose to shop, and what policies and politicians they support. The question is: how will Christians choose to leverage that influence? By forcing stores to display manger scenes, or by pressuring the corporations who own these stores to pay a living wage, provide healthcare, and institute family-friendly policies? By making sure that school choirs sing “Silent Night,” or by making sure that education is well-funded, accessible to all, and of the highest quality? By counting the number of times “God” is mentioned in the State of the Union address, or by working toward policies of social justice in keeping with the word of God as expressed through the great Hebrew prophets? By making sure that the society “appears” Christian, or by living out the teachings of Jesus?

One thing about Christmas that any child can tell you: it’s not about the wrapping paper…it’s about the gift inside.