CHARLES PIERCE: Bernie Sanders Gives Liberty University a Lesson in Christianity

[kpete]

Bernie Sanders Gives Liberty University a Lesson in Christianity
The senator from Vermont reminds his audience that there's more to being Christian than being pro-life.

..............


This would seem to me to be a bigger deal than it has been made out to be in a political year in which people seem perfectly willing to believe that Donald Trump is going to knuckle hedge-fund managers in the name of economic justice. Bernie Sanders went down deep into Jeebusland on Monday and gave a speech at Liberty University where he dared the assembled—and their personal Lords and Saviors—to start pushing the gospel plow a little harder.

"I am far, far from a perfect human being, but I am motivated by a vision which exists in all of the great religions–Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and others–and which is so beautifully and clearly stated in Matthew 7:12. 'So in everything, do to others what you would have them to do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets.' The Golden Rule. Do to others what you would have them do to you. Not very complicated. Let me be very frank. I understand that issues such as abortion and gay marriage are very important to you and that we disagree on those issues. I get that. But let me respectfully suggest that there are other issues out there that are of enormous consequence to our country and the world and that maybe, just maybe, we don't disagree on them. And maybe, just maybe, we can work together in trying to resolve them…there is no justice when the top one-tenth of 1 percent own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. There is no justice when all over this country people are working longer hours for lower wages, while 58 percent of all new income goes to the top 1 percent. There is no justice when, in recent years, we have seen a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires while, at the same time, the United States has the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world. Twenty percent of all children—and 40 percent of African-American children—now live in poverty."

He did something that liberal politicians—and, especially, liberal Christian clerics—have been unable or unwilling to do, which is to demonstrate to the audience in question that there is more to the gospel than merely the glandular. He made them look at him, an anomalous figure at best in their college careers, and that was how he made them listen. And why not? Bernie Sanders is Jewish and a public employee. So, as it happens, was St. Matthew.


http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a37928/bernie-sanders-liberty-lesson-christianity/


hat tip:
Fawke Em

[Fawke Em]

1. You're welcome.

K & R.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Seek the Truth,,Go Bernie!!!

[reformist2]

3. It's not that they don't care about the poor, they are afraid of using government to do it.

They're very big on private charity, but they just don't get that when the wealth inequality gets as large as it is now, that you need institutional change - that the economic structures and policies that determine income, wealth and poverty are themselves unjust and need to be addressed.

They are comfortable with government that polices, keeps the peace, enforces morality by saying no - don't do this, don't do that. They aren't comfortable with government that takes positive action, like redistributing wealth, mainly because there's nothing like that in the Bible. We need to get them to understand this is OK. It's a big job, but I have a feeling they're starting to see the light. And people like Bernie who reach out the way he did today are tremendously helpful in helping them along.

[markpkessinger]

9. If you think "there is nothing like that in the Bible" . . .

You should have a read of The Acts of the Apostles,

Acts 2:44-45

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds* to all, as any had need.

Acts 4:32, 34

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. . . . There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.

Conservative Christians will argue -- rather disingenuously I think -- that this was a call to private charity. Well, maybe. But by the same token, it is rather a stretch to suggest that Jesus would have been opposed to government doing such things. In the time in which Jesus lived, the notion that government would undertake significant social welfare programs was mostly unknown.

[Enthusiast]

14. Huge +1!

[reformist2]

17. What's sad is the Fundies' inability to make decisions on issues beyond what's explicitly laid out

for them in the Bible. Whenever a problem arises, they look it up - what does the Bible have to say about this? You might think: well, the Bible is clear on charity. And it is. But as to whether the government should be involved in charity? It's silent, and so the Fundies fall silent on this issue. Seriously, this is how they think (or don't think, as the case may be). Instead of getting mad at them, though, we need to help them see a way out of this foolish consistency. The fact that they even invited someone like Bernie Sanders to speak at their Mecca indicates some sort of awakening may be in the works...

[markpkessinger]

25. Oh, they can make such decisions when they want to . . .

. . . and they are actually quite selective about when they choose to hide behind the excuse of, "But the Bible doesn't explicitly say _____."

[reformist2]

26. I don't know what issue(s) you're referring to.

[A Simple Game]

37. I don't think the problem is who provides the charity, I think it is who is in charge of the money.

Organized religion is little more than a self-imposed layer of government. The problem is that the organizers of the religious layer don't want to be in the lower tier, they want to be the upper tier. Do they complain in the same way about paying taxes and tithe?

What is government but just the person, or people, in charge of the mass. Take the bread and fishes for an example. Jesus as the leader took control when the masses were hungry and took the bread and fish to redistribute for the common good. This could be spoken of in a socialist light, but it never is. In this case was Jesus any different from a benevolent monarch, or any benevolent governing body providing for the needy? Is socialism any different if it is done by a religious institution than by a governmental one? Isn't the main concern that the deed gets done? Or is the main concern that the needy beg and become beholding to the providers?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

21. Plus charity alone doesn't solve the problems

[merrily]

16. They are big about talking about how charity should be only private. That does not mean they put it

into action. That doesn't mean they put it into action. Differences between private charity and taxes include no one keeping tabs on much private charity one engages in and you do not risk jail if you fail to donate. Beside, private charity includes supporting their church and missionaries, and a host of other things, not only taking care of needy people.

Besides, it's not only vastness of wealth inequality that warrants government action. Private charities are just not designed to, or able to, reach everyone in need--or even assess need in an objective way.

They aren't comfortable with government that takes positive action, like redistributing wealth, mainly because there's nothing like that in the Bible.

Untrue. Taking spoils of war re-distributes wealth. Tribute was paid to conquerors and monarchs. So were taxes. Those things re-distributed wealth, usually to the ruler. What the ruler did with it after that was the ruler's business. In the story of Joseph, Joseph's prophesy that a famine was coming resulted in the ruler taking food from the people and putting it into store houses--a form of taxation, just taxes payable in grain instead of cash. And, when the famine came, the ruler distributed the grain to those who needed it most. Finally, Jesus very clearly instructed believers to pay taxes, again without regard to what the ruler did with the taxes. Is it somehow more Biblical to pay taxes so Caesars can live in whatever degree of luxury they choose, than it is to pay taxes to keep poor people alive?

Besides, who says people have to be comfortable with government action? Or that it has to have some counterpart in their religion? There are no counterparts for public schools or food inspection or a police force or a standing army in the Bible.

[reformist2]

18. True Fundies are probably very leery of a lot of American institutions, you'd be surprised.

If it's not explicitly in the Bible, they tend to be against doing it. It's ridiculous. Fortunately, I think many of them are starting to see the light, at long last.

[merrily]

22. No, I would not be the least bit surprised and, as I've said, re-distribution of wealth was

prevalent in both Old and New Testaments anyway. I'm uncomfortable with government catering to religion, but it does. I have to deal with it. Neo Theos have to deal with things with which they are uncomfortable as well. That's what living in a society means. We all put up with something.

[WillyT]

4. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[Uncle Joe]

5. The Golden Rule over the Golden Calf, that was Bernie's message.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[liberal_at_heart]

10. I absolutely loved what he said about needing to stop the idol worship of money and

start helping the poor. That was absolutely brilliant!

[merrily]

23. Well put.

[blm]

6. This approach is exactly what has been needed.

.

[markpkessinger]

7. Kudos to Bernie, but Pierce's statement about liberal Christian clerics is nonsense . . .

Many of the more liberal denominations (Episcopalians, UCC, ELCA, etc.), and oftentimes their clergy more so than their laity, have been trying for decades to move people beyond what one Episcopal priest friend of mine calls "pelvic Christianity." But the media doesn't pay much attention the sermons of a rector at the local Episcopal or Luthern Church or UCC minister. Rather, the media focuses on the evangelical mega-church clergy (none of whom are what I would call "liberal&quot . Certainly in the Episcopal Church (the history of which I am intimately familiar with) for many years the clergy were WAY out in front of the laity on these issues. And to their great credit, have worked to bring about change.

[AzDar]

8. We NEED this man to be our President.

[ladjf]

11. Simply put, Bernie's speech emphasized the core essence of the

Christian philosophy as put forth throughout the New Testament. If the students know their Bible, then they will recognize that the Senator was speaking from their sacred book.

[artislife]

12. sermon on the mount? nt

[merrily]

13. We really have to stop using the lie "pro-life." Most are anti-abortion or

anti-choice, period. Please let's not pretend that groups that oppose the govt providing medical care and other necessities, yet support the death penalty, are pro-life.

Catholics seem to the most pro-life religious group in that they do oppose the death penalty and Pope Francis has come out for government handling things that help sustain life. However, they are anti-choice and anti LGBT and that results in misery and deaths.

People have to do something to support and nurture life in order to deserve the name "pro-life." Let's stop giving it out like so many complimentary mints in a bowl at a restaurant cash register.

[barbtries]

32. that's a pet peeve of mine.

anti-abortion or anti-choice are more descriptive. I am pro-life and pro-choice and despise the way "pro-life" has been appropriated by the anti-abortionists with the acquiescence of the media and common nomenclature following.

and while i'm at it, "illegal alien." NO. How can a person be illegal - undocumented is not only a more humane description but more accurate. i try to comment on the usage of "illegal alien" when possible, but it's become absolutely common.

[Enthusiast]

15. Kicked and recommended!

[The Jungle 1]

19. So here is the thing.

Christian or not Christ's teachings make sense for society. But you shouldn't pick and choose them.

Christ did not ask us to help the poor.
He demanded we help the poor.
He said nothing about judging the poor first.
In fact he was real clear about who would do the judging.

No society has ever been a success with all the wealth at the top. It has never worked and it won't work now. Feel the Bern cause he will make things better.

Conservatives hate this passage.
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” [Matthew 19:24 KJV}

[MsLeopard]

24. Well said, I couldn't agree more

And welcome to DU!

[kpete]

35. thanks, i needed THIS today!

“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

[pangaia]

20. The guy is real. I mean REAL !

[Babel_17]

27. Interesting, and funny

Thanks for this different take on Sanders excellent speech.

[Doctor_J]

28. well put, Charlie

Rec

[Betty Karlson]

29. Mr. Sanders certainly seems gearing up to reach across the aisle

and heal unnecessary divides over cultural issues by focussing on issues that encumber all young people. Remember: this is the millennial generation, and the 'cultural appeal of Paul Ryan' (as Howard Fineman called it) did not register with them.

[Live and Learn]

30. K&R nt

[barbtries]

31. according to NPR, it was pretty much in one ear and out the other.

i think they're all bots, but maybe a few actually heard and will heed his words.

[deutsey]

33. I don't doubt it, but I'm also leery of NPR

[barbtries]

36. you mean nprr?

national public republican radio? don't blame you one bit.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

34. A million recs if I could.

Maybe, just maybe......