Sunday, November 13, 2005
Does it?
Does Christian "realism" mean resigning ourselves to an endless future of "pre-emptive wars"? Does it mean turning a blind eye to torture and massive civilian casualties? Does it mean acting out of fear and resentment rather than intelligence and restraint? Does it mean accepting without query a political idolatry in which significantly unaccountable power of state control and surveillance is surrendered to national government under cover of a politics of fear?
Reading this statement coincided with finishing Roy's The ordinary person's guide to Empire and my first ever Michael Moore book, Dude, where's my country. It's been a while since I've read in politics, but I am convinced that Jesus didn't die for a strong economy that is based on military force. As a I consider continuing to study the Old Testament, I am drawn to consider ideas of power and empire in the contemporary world.
Perhaps this is the time to mention an interesting looking organisation, A Network of Christian Communities with Anarchist Affiliations. Although I have discarded anarchism as an option for me in Aotearoa/New Zealand, this maybe quite an interesting event.
To finish, a quote from Roy (2004):
But modern democracies have been around for long enough for neo-liberal capitalists to learn how to subvert them. They have mastered the technique of infiltrating the instruments of democracy - the 'independent' judiciary, the 'free' press, the parliament - and moulding them to their purpose. The project of corporate globalisation has cracked the code. Free elections, a free press and an independent judiciary mean little when the free market has reduced them to commodities on sale to the highest bidder. (Roy, 117)
Does it? I think not!
Filed in: politics
Craig (mars-hill) Sunday, November 13, 2005
2 Comments:
On a bit of a tangent here...
I've seen and read too many "prophetic" messages tainted by idols of political idealogies and "flavour of the month" crap which makes God sound like a callous xenophobic - which of course He is not.
I know what "we all see dimly", but... right now the situation within prophetic camps appear to be the same as what the prophets have charged against "mainstream media" for some time - no sense of accountability?
I've seen and read too many "prophetic" messages tainted by idols of political idealogies and "flavour of the month" crap which makes God sound like a callous xenophobic - which of course He is not.
I know what "we all see dimly", but... right now the situation within prophetic camps appear to be the same as what the prophets have charged against "mainstream media" for some time - no sense of accountability?
Yeah, I guess many clergy are really undercover Team America operatives :D K'yeah.
Thanks for your book suggestion, I'll definitely look it up!
Thanks for your book suggestion, I'll definitely look it up!