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16 Oct 2011 - Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Some of the people hearing you preach today may feel very strongly about keeping the church out of politics. Others may be very supportive of the church speaking truth to power in a very public and even political way. Both will feel today's gospel justifies their position. Follow Jesus' lead and avoid getting tripped up in an impossible argument by looking at the deeper message of today's gospel: How well do we each recognize God's authority in our lives?

politics power god's authority

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Believers do not vote religiously

09 Sep 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The second reading this Sunday encourages early Christians to “adhere to the faith” but also to “show no partiality” among believers. Contemporary Christians appear to be taking that counsel to heart, with a large number of evangelicals willing to support a Republican presidential ticket headed by a Mormon and a Catholic. Voters care more about issues such as social justice or gay marriage than they do about denominational brands, commentators say."If you had told Jerry Falwell back in 1980 that by 2012 that there would not be a white Protestant on the ticket—he would have died right there," said Shaun Casey, professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. But the same dynamic doesn't bother David French of Columbia, Tennessee, blogger for an evangelical website that supports Romney. He wants a candidate who shares his values, not his theology. "The real questions are: Is this person pro-life? Are they pro-marriage? Is this person really conservative?" French said.Americans in general no longer worry about denominational labels, said French, who grew up attending a Church of Christ and now attends a conservative Presbyterian church. A Pew Forum study in 2008 found that 44 percent of Americans have changed faiths at least once. "We are moving well past being obsessed with religious affiliation or denominational labels," he said.Bill D'Antonio, a senior fellow at the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America, looked at roll call votes on abortion from 1977 to 2010. Before 1980, the votes followed denominational lines. But after 1980, the pattern changed. Most Democrats became supportive of abortion rights, and most Republicans became anti-abortion. "Party now trumps religion," D'Antonio said.Casey, however, who worked on religious outreach for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, said the prospect of voting for a Mormon candidate may keep some evangelicals at home. "I am not looking for a record evangelical turnout this time," said Casey, who wrote a book about the anti-Catholicism in 1960 that nearly kept John F. Kennedy out of the White House.Not all evangelicals vote Republican in any case. According to 2008 exit polls, a quarter of evangelicals voted for Obama, who joined a United Church of Christ congregation in his 20s. Among them was John Lamb, a Southern Baptist from Nashville who plans to support Obama again. His main concern is immigration reform. "I am dismayed at the lack of concern for the poor and for disenfranchised immigrants in this country," he said.In recent years, in fact, Democrats have tried to woo evangelical voters on the issue of social justice. That makes sense to Marcia Pally, author of The New Evangelicals: Expanding the Vision of the Common Good. "When the ordinary person in the pew starts working in a prison ministry program or food pantry, or goes to Haiti or Uganda and works to prevent malaria or build houses—their priorities change," she said. Source: An article by Bob Smietana for USA TODAY

voters presidential candidates shaun casey david french bill dantonio politics and religion

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Can we disagree without being disagreeable?

13 Jan 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The optional reading from the Acts of the Apostles this Sunday reminds us that “God shows no partiality.” Church leaders in Wisconsin would like to remind politicians and the public at large of this fact and encourage more civility in political debates as well as everyday life. Let’s hope the rest of the nation is listening.The Wisconsin Council of Churches kicked off its “Season of Civility” in 2011 after religious leaders were disturbed by sharp political rhetoric dividing the state. At the time, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faith organizations and hundreds of religious leaders pledged to foster civil conversations which they hoped would rub off on politicians.Wisconsin Council of Churches volunteer Helene Nelson said the months following the recent presidential election have been a perfect time to reflect on what's working. She said having a civil conversation requires listening and trying to find the common good and doesn’t require a person to give up their core beliefs. She also said it works best in small groups and takes a lot of practice.Tom Thibodeau, director of the Servant Leadership Program at Viterbo University, a Catholic Franciscan university in La Crosse, Wisconsin, said eventually leaders will have no choice but to civilly work together. “Politics has to be about leadership and what’s leadership? Bringing people from different perspectives together to work together," he said.Homily hint: As suggested in the preceding article on gun regulation, humanity really has only two choices in the end: to settle our differences by peaceful cooperation or by violent conflict. We’ve tried the latter approach ad nauseum and seen the damage; let’s give cooperation a chance! Source: An article by Maureen McCollum for Wisconsin Public Radio

politics helene nelson tom thibodeau season of civility wisconsin council of churches civility

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Control of Senate in play this fall

31 Aug 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist has seen the power and the glory of the Lord, we hear in this Sunday’s responsorial. Republicans, yearning to regain majority power in the Senate in this fall’s midterm elections, are hoping for a glorious fall and believe that momentum is shifting their way. The election is still 10 weeks away, however, which is an eternity in politics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has worked to reassure fellow Democrats during the August recess that his party would not lose control of the Senate if the election were held now. "They'd have to pick up six seats; it'd be very, very hard for them to do that," Reid told Reno's KTVN earlier this month. However, with the election 10 weeks from Tuesday, Democrats who once felt the party would retain their majority are now worried the GOP's momentum could cost them even more than the six seats necessary for Republicans to retake control. "We all thought four were in the bag [for Republicans]," Democratic campaign strategist Joe Trippi said. "But right now, it's looking like the bottom end of that scale isn't four anymore, it's five or six. And that means the entire Senate majority is on the bubble." In several states, Republicans are pulling away from their Democratic rivals, among them South Dakota, Montana, and West Virginia. Several other battleground contests remain close but show Republicans gaining steam, including Arkansas, North Carolina, and Louisiana. The sixth year of a two-term president is typically the point of greatest weakness for the incumbent party, and President Obama's relatively low popularity at the moment hurts the party's candidates in Republican-leaning states. If 2014 becomes a referendum on the president, and a GOP wave sweeps across the country, at least four more Democrats in other states could be in trouble, including New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado, and Alaska, Republicans believe. Democrats aren't sitting back though. They are targeting the red states of Kentucky and Georgia, though recent polling has Republicans leading both races. Homily hint: Whatever your own political preferences, staying involved and engaged in political life is the only way citizens can protect the democratic tradition. Take the time to become informed of the issues and to support candidates who share your values and priorities. Source: An article by Carl Cameron and Jason Donner for Fox News

politics civic duty

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Poll reveals desire for faith-friendly politicians

28 Sep 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the long version of this Sunday’s second reading Saint Paul asserts that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Most Americans today, however, say religion’s influence in society is declining, and most Christians view this as a bad thing, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. Almost three-quarters of Americans—72 percent—believe the influence of religion is waning in the public square. That’s up 5 percentage points from 2010, and the highest level in Pew polling over the past 10 years. At the same time, a growing segment of the U.S. population wants religious figures to speak out on political and social issues—now 49 percent, up from 43 percent in 2010. The portion of the American public that sees too little public expression of faith from political leaders has risen from 37 percent to 41 percent. In addition, nearly one-third (32 percent) of Americans now want houses of worship to endorse candidates for office. “People still see religion as one of the foundational sources of morality. They still want to see that in their leaders,” said John Green, professor of political science at the University of Akron and senior research adviser for the Pew Research Center. “The findings reflect a widening divide between religiously affiliated Americans and the rising share of the population that is not affiliated with any religion,” the Pew report says. “The public’s appetite for religious influence in politics is increasing in part because those who continue to identify with a religion . . . have become significantly more supportive of churches and other houses of worship speaking out about political issues and political leaders talking more often about religion. Those unaffiliated with religion are “much more likely to oppose the intermingling of religion and politics.” Homily hint: Values are embodied in policies, budgets, and laws. It is impossible to be “value-neutral” in politics. Candidates and voters alike must take stands, while keeping in mind the differences between politics and religion. Express your values without confusing “the things of Caesar” and “the things of God.” Source: Articles by Cathy Lynn Grossman for Religion News Service and Linda Feldman for Christian Science Monitor

politics and religion

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Muddled Mideast relations

02 Nov 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist prays confidently to the Lord this Sunday, stating that even in dangerous times and places, “you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.” Anonymous White House critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently think he lacks confidence and courage in his dealings with Palestinians and Iran. Publication of the criticism has left international relations roiling. The Atlantic magazine quoted an unidentified Obama administration official who used profanity to assail Netanyahu and complained about his settlement policies in the West Bank. The official also questioned the prime minister's commitment to Middle East peace efforts as well as his resolve to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran to thwart its nuclear program. Publication of the comments put the administration on the defensive and prompted congressional demands for President Obama to repudiate the remarks. The incendiary comments come six days before elections with Democrats struggling to hold onto their Senate majority and taking steps to boost voter turnout in typically low-interest midterm contests. The remarks also come against the backdrop of negotiations involving the United States and other Western powers to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran. The high-profile diplomatic flap, all based on anonymous opinion, underscored the already tense relationship between Obama and Netanyahu despite decades of close ties between the United States and its Mideast ally. At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest insisted Wednesday that the remarks did not reflect the administration's view and were counterproductive. "The prime minister and the president have forged an effective partnership; they consult closely and frequently and did so as recently as this month right here at the White House in the Oval Office," Earnest said. "That close relationship does not mean that we paper over our differences. The fact is the United States has repeatedly made clear our view that settlement activity is illegitimate, and only serves to complicate efforts to achieve a two-state solution in the region." In Jerusalem, Netanyahu dismissed the comments and insisted he was "not prepared to make concessions that will endanger our state. Our supreme interests, with security and the unity of Jerusalem first and foremost, are not among the top concerns of those anonymous elements that are attacking us and me personally," he said. Homily hint: Name calling does not advance the cause of peace—among nations or within families, for that matter. Do not wait until tomorrow to reconcile differences with loved ones that need to be healed. Families at peace lead to nations at peace. Source: An article by Donna Cassata for Associated Press

peacemaking mideast politics Courage

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Will politicos elect to cooperate?

09 Nov 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel we hear how Jesus overturned tables and drove the money-changers out of the temple area. On Tuesday voters overturned the Senate’s political makeup and drove many an incumbent out of office. But will the election results lead to bipartisan cooperation or merely deepen the political gridlock of recent years? After sweeping results that gave control of the Senate to Republicans and increased their majority in the House, President Barack Obama and Mitch McConnell, the presumptive majority leader of the next Senate, spoke of working together, even as Congressional Republicans vowed to push a vigorous agenda. Given their contentious relationship for the past six years, are there any legislative deals that the president and the new Congress can make? Obama said on Wednesday that he was eager to work with Republicans to find common ground during the final two years of his presidency, even as he promised to go through with unilateral action on immigration over strong Republican objections. “The American people overwhelmingly believe that this town doesn’t work well,” Obama said in a news conference in the ornate East Room of the White House, in which he declined to “read the tea leaves” of the election or say whether he deserved blame for its outcome. “As president, they rightly hold me accountable to make it work better.”“It doesn’t make me mopey, it energizes me,” the president said. As if to underline his forward-looking approach, he called for immediate action by Congress on a request for emergency funding to combat Ebola and a measure to authorize military action against the terrorist group calling itself the Islamic State.Fresh from his own re-election victory and his party’s powerful showing nationwide, Senator Mitch McConnell on Wednesday pledged to break the stalemate in Washington as newly empowered Congressional Republicans moved quickly to demonstrate that they can get things done. “We’re going to pass legislation,” McConnell said. “This gridlock and dysfunction can be ended.”Despite their new majority in the Senate and an expanded one in the House, Republicans face multiple difficulties, not the least of which are internal divisions. But they say they know they have to deliver or face a backlash in 2016.“I think it really becomes important to appear to want to be a governing party rather than a complaining party,” said Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the party leadership. “My belief is we have about six months before the American people check that box one way or the other.”Homily hint: At the end of the day, politicians will have to decide whether elections are about winning or about governing. The country faces serious problems and wonderful opportunities. Those entrusted to steer the ship of state have the choice to work together or run aground. Pray for good stewardship and hold those at the helm accountable. Source: Articles by Carl Hulse, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, and Michael D. Shear for The New York Times

elections politics president obama

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Let’s have some politics beyond the usual

11 Jan 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In heralding the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth in this Sunday’s gospel, John the Baptist acknowledges that “One mightier than I is coming after me.” Senate Democrats, facing a mightier Republican presence in the new Congress convening this week, have made it clear they intend to offer vocal resistance to the new majority party. In so quickly assuming the role of the aggressors on only the second day of the session, Democrats struck a discordant tone when compared with Republican pleas for greater bipartisan cooperation. Resistance came from the West Wing as well. On Wednesday morning, the White House issued President Obama’s second veto threat in 24 hours by pledging not to sign a Republican bill that would redefine a full-time worker under the Affordable Care Act. The administration on Tuesday said that it also would veto legislation authorizing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, another Republican priority. Democrats see little benefit in making the first few weeks of the session easy on the new majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, senior Democrats said. And they believe the quicker they can puncture what they say is the illusion of Republican good intentions, the better footing they will be on politically. “I have no intention of just rolling over. I can’t,” Senate minority leader Henry Reid said in a statement Wednesday. “Not when the middle class is teetering on the verge of extinction.” Reid also blamed Republicans for making the Senate a dysfunctional body when they were in the minority and said Democrats would not follow the same path. “The mistakes of the past—the gratuitous obstruction and wanton filibustering—will not be a hallmark of the 114th Congress,” he said. The remarks from the Senate’s top-ranking Democrat were striking because they came just after McConnell made a speech that was critical of Democratic policies but brimming with optimism about the kinds of bipartisan compromise the new Congress might forge. Homily hint: If the last election contained any lesson, it is that the American public is tired of dysfunctional government. The next two years offer an opportunity to get the people’s work down. Let the voice of the people be heard. Source: An article by Jeremy W. Peters and Ashley Parker for The New York Times

politics government

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Republicans stumble in abortion debate

25 Jan 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“Teach me your paths,” the psalmist says this Sunday, seeking to take a new direction in life. House Republicans abruptly changed directions Wednesday, dropping a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks. They abandoned legislation that at one time seemed certain to pass the chamber but fell victim to intra-party disputes over concerns that the law would alienate women voters. Homily hint: When it comes to abortions, politicians of all stripes still seem stuck on enacting more laws for or against abortion. Meanwhile, year after year pregnant women in very difficult situations struggle to find the support they need to carry their pregnancies to term. Let’s turn our attention to enacting the corporal works of mercy that these women so desperately need. For more on the abortion debate, see: House Republicans drop controversial abortion bill ahead of Roe v. Wade anniversary; GOP stumbles over abortion bill

corporal works of mercy abortion pregnancy politics

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Testy politics

01 Mar 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“God put Abraham to the test” begins this Sunday’s reading from Genesis. Republican unity is being tested in Congress as the party tries to resolve internal tensions over a proposal to fund the Department of Homeland Security that has turned into a proxy fight over President Obama’s immigration policies. The new majority party must search for a way to avert a partial shutdown of the department, set to run out of money on Friday. Homily hint: The latest political dust-up seems to be another case of “Nero fiddling while Rome burned.” While politicians jockey to score points, the nation’s business is delayed and often left completely unattended. Rather than throw up our hands in despair, however, all of us must find a way to respond to the pressing needs we find close at hand. Fix your corner of the world as best you can! For more on this week’s political maneuvering, see: Senators Move to End Deadlock Over Funding of Homeland Security

politics homeland security immigration

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