Some excellent writing from Walter Wink on the subject of “The Powers”, which is a direct hit from a theological perspective on the very systems against which Occupy rails (with only a few theological caveats and some fine theological tuning) when evil ran roughshod through corporate boardrooms and even churches, unnoticed and unnamed, while “Satan” was relegated to superego reinforcement Continue Reading
I was just thinking about Biblical themes that conure up the present economic scenario, and Occupy Wall Street movements. I thought of Walter Wink and his series of books on “The Powers”, and how we are face to face with those he identifies as “Principalities and Powers”, which are the systems of “theis world”. These systems take on a life Continue Reading
University of Massachusetts at Amherst emeritus economics professor Richard Wolff speaks about some of the roots of, and solutions to, the economic inequality that’s finally being acknowledged On OWS: It’s clearly a very, very popular movement right from the beginning, thereby giving the lie to those had felt, and thought and said that there’s no left wing base in the Continue Reading
It is something that should cause those of us who consider ourselves to be “in the church” to be simultaneously embarassed and hopeful. Embarassed because it seems to many of us that the church should be have been conscious and mobilized about these issues long ago (it’s been in motion for 30 years, and I was, of all places, in Continue Reading
Really good article here from David Henson (via Mike Morell) on encounter with other religious faiths. and how this can have a renewing effect on one’s own faith. I thought as I read the following line from a Hindu to a Christian who had begun a conversation with some thoujghts about “Hindu scripture”, that this reply would not be received Continue Reading
I thought when I heard the jobs report, that this might give many cause to slack off with the efforts to jump start jobs; to insititute a jobs program that will give more than nominal job growth; which we definitely need to have. After all, behind these “better” numbers is the sobering fact that we’d have to continue such “better” Continue Reading
the Occupy movement, through its steadfast refusal to respond to police provocation, resonated across the country. Losing this moral authority, this ability to show through nonviolent protest the corruption and decadence of the corporate state, would be crippling to the movement. It would reduce us to the moral degradation of our oppressors. And that is what our oppressors want. — Continue Reading
Where is the church now? Where are the clergy? Why do so many church doors remain shut? Why do so many churches refuse to carry out the central mandate of the Christian Gospel and lift up the cross? Some day they are going to have to answer the question: “Where were you when they crucified my Lord?†—Chris Hedges, from Continue Reading
This is really disappointing to see and hear. I saw tweets to this effect last night, that Maher had bad mouthed #OWS, and now I heard it on this video (and read the transcript) ….Just as Bill tends to get a bit cyncial and testy about religion, he’s going to say what he thinks at just about any moment. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/02/04/bill_maher_tells_occupy_protesters_to_get_a_job.html Wes Continue Reading
It was painful listening to the condescending, ignorant characterizations of the Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday, late afternoon. Particularly Eric Watson, who mouthed the same elitist disdain for the expression of free speech and expression of outrage that we have been getting from the likes of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. Consider this: state Rep. Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, whose office at Continue Reading
Jeremy Johns has written a post for Red Letter Christians that Tony Campolo just tweeted. It expresses some things Chrisatians need to hear, and to adopt for ther own journey (IMHO) What does it mean to be a Christian when organizations like The Family create a Jesus that does not hear the prayers of the poor? An organization that prays Continue Reading
From the Opinion column of The Tennessean by Bill Howell of Nashville. Occupation makes a powerful statement about the depth of one’s commitment to obtaining a redress of grievances that cannot be made in another manner. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120131/OPINION03/301310012/Fight-bill-will-quash-assembly-rights My agreement with this goes as follows: The country, the state, and the people in it deserve to know, and must know, what Continue Reading
Environmental activist and Sojourners contributor Bill McKibben on OWS Because they didn’t quickly say “we want this bill passed,†commentators have had to grapple with the actual message of many Occupiers: Our economy is unfair. It gives too much power to corporations, who abuse that power for their own ends. They’ve not just cheated us financially; they’ve cheated us out Continue Reading
Ughh. This article is so typical. Bank CEO “talks some sense” into a strawman OWS person. Most #OWS peopel would see this as just the kind of impasse at which we presently find ourselves. http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/47776/what-if-a-bank-ceo-and-occupy-wall-street-sat-down-over-coffee/ Now doesn’t that make sense when you “settle down” and realize that we do this for EVERYONE? Yeah. Right.
The Occupy movements around the world often bring to the fore many churches who have quietly been supporting movements of alternative values and confrontations of unjust government economics. The Occupy LSX camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral has meant that that the church’s relationship with causes of political and economic justice has been front page news in recent months in an unprecedented way. Continue Reading