Economic justice

A friend posted a link to a blog talking about the One Issue for Evangelicals: abortion. http://livelydust.blogspot.com/2008/09/plea-to-pro-life-voters.html

This sparked a conversation with my like-minded co-workers, and led to some rantalicious bloviation. Note: The class I refer to is Christian Ethics at Fuller Seminary. We join my conversation/monologue about abortion already in progress.

What would happen if Christians went about the country trying to change hearts through the Holy Spirit's power and their martyring (or witness as the case may be—our sacrificing ourselves in love so that it feels like we're being martyred)? At that point, maybe there would be a chance of outlawing abortion. But in the interim, the average evangelical will continue supporting the systemic injustice that causes abortion in the first place. I think if we had 30 years of Democrats who were serious about making a difference with their programs (fully funded with money not being dumped down the offense/war drain), poverty and abortion and Bristol Palin's situation would generally cease. Thank God Sarah Palin opposes this sort of remedy.

Last lesson and this one in my ethics class address exactly these issues. Glen Stassen, my professor, is an unbelievably clear-headed thinker. I also read an essay last night entitled "The Prolife Credibility Gap" by John Perkins' son, Spencer. And I quote: "As for answering the question, 'Where do black Christians stand on abortion?' it looks to me as if we are on the same side of a moral issue. But if, from where you stand, you insist the battle is against abortion, while we believe the battle is against injustice, our strategies must remain different. We believe your plans for an all-out -war on abortion will prove to be short-sighted. When and if you win the abortion battle, the war will be over for you and you will be able to return home [to the suburbs]. Then we will be left to undertake the reconstruction. Therefore, our strategy must continue to be the fight against injustice—a war with many battlefronts. Where abortion will rank in our battle plan will depend on the strength of the relationship we can establish in the future and on how much your burdens and concerns, because of that relationship, can become ours."

My first comment is, "Damn." My second is that I think he's exactly right. Let's eliminate injustice, and let's go with the people who already believe there is injustice: the Democrats. We should lobby them to take more reasonable governing approaches and more sustainable program practices so that there may come a day when we won't need the programs. Maybe the only program we'll need at that point is nursing care for old, white Republicans because the cursed, unjust economic system they've constructed for themselves has finally collapsed under the weight of its moral turpitude.

Btw, my professor notes that after the wall fell, the East Germans were absolutely flabbergasted at how much money America was swimming in (Texas ten feet deep in quarters anyone?), and how many people were completely shut out from a just and sustainable economic life. They set up a capitalistic/market system where mothers got two years off with 80% pay after the birth of their first child, and 18 months off with same pay after the birth of their second child. They actually had plans in place to prevent teen pregnancy, infant mortality, abortions and poverty in general. But the red scare makes us (meaning them, the Republicans) say that that smacks of communism to be avoided at all costs. There are so many other statistics and anecdotes that support the idea of a market economy with significant governmental intervention not only bringing economic justice to all, but actually sustaining economies more robust than 'Merica's. But that's all just liberal lunacy. Now what am I going to do with my next raise? Oh wait, our economy is too volatile for our company to afford that.