The Democrats' "God Squad"

Rob Christensen writes in today's N&O about the new "God Squad" that has formed among Democratic members of the U.S. House. A member of that caucus, Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, was in a couple of North Carolina House districts recently dragging N.C. Reps. Etheridge and McIntyre from black church to black church.

"I think in years past those of us who are Democrats are so conscious of First Amendment rights and the separation of church and state, and so conscious of not insulting and violating people's religious beliefs, we have left that issue alone and spoke in secular terms," Clyburn told Christensen -- a sensible assessment.

God talk is not a bad thing (though I make a major exception for Hillary). In fact, maybe given the shape of the world and the fact that the opposition political party has so habitually wrapped itself in self-righteousness, God talk is flat-out demanded, since we appear to be dealing with no less than cosmic issues and can justifiably call on Higher Powers for help.

But there's also a huge stumbling block lying in the path of righteousness ... being perceived as "faking it," or worse, faking it. (An Episcopalian candidate for office whooping it up in a Pentecostal Church is bound to be a segment on "The Daily Show.")

I've spent a large percentage of my life in church, and I know in my marrow that good church people can spot a phony by a generous country mile. And they know very well when politicians are trying to use them. They decide to go along with some politicians and get "used" when the outcomes they expect are great enough to off-set the harlotry they're committing in the name of God.

Too many good church people have sold out their judgments because they want to be protected from gay people and women having out-of-wedlock sex. They want to be protected from those things because they genuinely believe those things spell the end of civilization as they have known it. What's the "God Squad" gonna do to counter that? They can't sell out principle and promise to rid the earth of what offends church people. But they can change the subject. They might well seize the moment and defend what good rural church people also cherish ... the safety nets of Social Security and Medicare, which the Republican Party demonstrably want to end, once and for all.

A social responsibility for our human community is also Biblical. More specifically, it's very Christian. Get yourself a Concordance (there are several good ones on-line) and look up how often Jesus Christ spoke of the poor (and while you're at it, take a gander at how often he bashed the rich).