John Lewis Reflects on Tea Parties

While John Lewis was in town to discuss the Athenian constitution, he also shared a few thoughts about the Tea Parties. Listen also to Dr. Lewis's outstanding Tea Party speech from April 15.

God's Stimulus

Karl Kappler wrote a peculiar letter to the Rocky Mountain News:

As our nation increasingly turns away from God, we are seeing the tragic results of our infidelity ("Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people," Proverbs 14:34.)

God is the one who bestows blessings on a nation. The proposed economic stimulus package is not the answer. We need to turn back to God if we want to see his stimulus plan unfold. And it's free!

But what is the mechanism by which "God's stimulus" is supposed to work? I take it he won't drop manna, or oil, or power lines from Heaven.

Usually, when one claims a particular cause for something, this is followed by some explanation of how the cause functions. For example, when I claim that the primary cause of the modern economic recession was political meddling in the economy, I point to easy-money Federal Reserve policies and other federal encouragements of risky mortgages (and other investments). But Kappler suggests a cause without explaining how it's supposed to work.

At least "LetsThink" does add some sort of causal theory in the online comments: "Humanists (John Dewey, etc.) took over our educational system, and taught Evolution theory (there is no God) to our youth for several generations. Their strategy worked. There has been an frightening explosion of crime, sex before marriage, homosexuality, pornography, abortion, gambling, and teen suicide."

With respect to crime, "LetsThink" is simply wrong: crime rates generally have fallen. But, even if the other trends are as stated, what does that have to do with the economic recession? Apparently there's a general loss of responsible action, which would feed into irresponsible lending and political decisions.

I actually think "LetsThink" is on to something. Obviously there are deeper ideological roots to the mortgage meltdown; why is it that politicians thought it was a good idea to try to manipulate the economy in certain ways? I do think that a breakdown of education has a lot to do with why so many people greet Obama's grand claims with credulity.

However, notice that America's left has essentially proposed a secular version of religious altruism. It is our duty to serve our fellow man, both lines posit. They merely differ in the details on how to promote that end.

It is a common error of Christian apologists to point to naughty atheists and pretend that they represent atheism. But atheism is not a positive philosophy; it rules out supernaturalism without suggesting a replacement. John Dewey -- whose religious views I won't attempt to summarize -- is as much my enemy as is the religious right.

Evangelicals Leverage Downturn

An article in the New York Times verifies what many of us suspected: economic downturns are good for certain churches. The paper notes that "evangelical churches around the country... have enjoyed steady growth over the last decade. But since September, pastors nationwide say they have seen... a burst of new interest..."

There seem to be two main reasons for this. As one pastor told the paper, "When people are shaken to the core, it can open doors." The article also discusses an economist who sees the increased attendance as more related to economic concerns: churches provide a safety net, and people without jobs aren't busy on Sundays.

The article mentions "Good Sense," a church-based financial management program. A downloadable document reveals some of the details. It praises "avoiding consumer debt and saving for the unexpected" -- good advice -- but it also advocates greater political control of the economy, demonstrating yet again that evangelicals hardly advocate economic liberty as a rule. The document states:

On a macro level, increased regulation of certain sectors of our financial markets, about which some have warned of excesses for some time, will become reality and will hopefully prevent repeats of the abuses that have led to the situation we are in now. Capitalism must have moral restraints and while those can’t be legislated, regulations can at least make it harder to do wrong and easier to punish those who do.

Most significantly, we are reminded that earthly treasures can succumb to rust, moths, thieves and to economic upheavals and that it is our treasures in heaven that are safe for eternity.

This also shows the tension within the Christian movements for financial planning. I've heard claims that God wants us to be rich, that the Bible counsels hard work and the prudent accumulation of wealth. Yet the stronger Biblical strain is egalitarianism and the call to renounce wealth. One televangelist told the Times we're living in a "time of fear and greed." Yet this fails to distinguish the "greed" of political manipulations and wealth transfers from the self-interest of free markets and individual rights.

Thus, the evangelical movement offers two conflicting messages: be responsible in how you accumulate wealth, but realize that wealth doesn't matter relative to an eternity in heaven.

I did find this line from the Times humorous: "At the Life Christian Church in West Orange, N.J., prayer requests have doubled -- almost all of them aimed at getting or keeping jobs." Yes, all we need is a divine stimulus package.