Ethics, Health Care and Comfort Zones

Blogging is a new thing for me, so I have no idea how long it will take to get a response on this one. Basically, today I was asked how the church can support current health-care reform legislation, since so many people don't like it.

Interesting question. Should the church support only those things most people like? Should the church refrain from ANY ethical conversations, unless we get a 50% or greater public approval rating on the ethical positions expressed? Since, as Lincoln said so eloquently, we are (at least hopefully) a nation of, by, and for the people, should we not as Christians simply and authentically express valid cares and concerns through political influence? Can this nation ever be totally spiritually neutral?

Should the church just stick with salvation-chat and leave the other things alone?

We are in a strange season, if that is the case. What would it look like for the church to espouse only popular causes? Would we advise this as a part of Christian education, advising teens to "always go along with the crowd", so folks will like you?

It's not new, of course, just one moment's reflection on one of life's "ain't this wierd" events.

In a weightier sense, isn't it amazing that the church of Jesus Christ should grow "ethics-less", dedicated to the providing of larger and larger comfort zones for folks. Is that our task?

Just a Book Review

The Chaos Scenario, by Bob Garfield, is a celebration of huge social change in the collapse of the funding base for the last several centuries of newspapers, and the last several decades of movies and television.

The power has moved, Garfield says, from the old ivory towers to the consumer-driven communications, just like this one. He's right. In huge terms.

To touch and relate this to the news, the current scandal (taking its place in the long, long line) concerning Catholic power structures and pedophiles is an enormous example. To use Ireland as a microcosm, it only takes a minute for credibility to evaporate. No matter how much history, tradition, rationale, and articulate re-hashing is offered, credibility is the only "coin of the realm" that can preserve a future.

Spin-offs?????

First, EVERY proclaimer of religious truth and claimer of authority now has the issue of credibility, at the top of the list.

Second, if there was any doubt about consumer-driven loyalties to denominations and local congregations, doubts have disappeared.

Third, those who doubt the power of "word of mouth" can now test the power of "vote with the feet" in response to this.

Is this an ongoing conversation? Let me know.

I'm always like the word says: BCurious