ATDTDA (17): liberal causes + the Church

[Michael Lee Bailey]

> From: Tim Strzechowski 
> Subject: Re: ATDTDA (17): liberal causes + the Church
>
> But wouldn't support of liberalism and radicalism be, in effect, a direct
> threat to the tradition that is at the heart of the Church's belief system?
>
> Can you give an example of what you mean here?
>
> 

there ought to be at least one good one here:

Archbishop Oscar Romero, gunned down by graduates
of the School of Americas -  & the Liberation Theology
movement in general

Protestant churches contributing to the Angela Davis defense fund

Currently, CIW - Coalition of Immokalee Workers, churches
supporting the effort to get 1 cent more per bushel of tomatoes
from fast food places so the migrant workers can have closer
to a living wage

Divestiture from South Africa among church endowments

Martin Luther King's platform for social change was
the church; many of the people drawn into the desegregation
movement heard that call because of their religious beliefs

Likewise, Bishop Tutu...

religious conviction played a huge part in Wilberforce's
ultimately successful effort to ban the slave trade in England

The religious passion of Cromwell's followers was
literally revolutionary and succeeded in ridding England
of its monarch, temporarily.  

The Quakers resisted the encroachment of government
into many areas, creating tidal pools of liberty w/r/t
the military draft, "solemnly swearing", etc,
which continue to be respected by the government.

Sojourner Truth simply by preaching was able to turn
an angry mob away, when they were bent on killing her.

In Mason & Dixon, Pynchon writes of the unusual power
of a revival, though it ebbs...

The YMCA, YWCA, YMHA and many other groups formed around
religious notions, and although they weren't necessarily
radical, they were influential in bringing enrichment
to people who weren't rich to begin with.

Rabbi Hillel and William Blake wrote from the 
urgings of their religious faith, but certainly
didn't buttress a worship of gold.
 
To the extent that the church is a physical and financial
institution, it's subject to the same tendencies to abuse
power as business and government.  But to the extent that
it's a repository of utopian thought, it's among the sources
of progress.  (business and government have redeeming
qualities, too, of course)

"Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother"