[Cross-posted at The Corner]
From the November issue of Episcopal Journal, a monthly “produced by and for members of the Episcopal Church in the United States and abroad.”
Front page lead headline, on the Occupy Wall Street protests:
Season of Protests
In the search for justice, you’ll find Episcopalians.
Editorial on page 2:
Is Jesus among those occupying Wall Street?
The editorial answer is: “sort of.”
What would Jesus say about the folks currently occupying Wall Street and the financial districts in other cities in our nation? Perhaps he, like those at Trinity Wall Street, would neither endorse nor condemn this particular movement, but he probably wouldn’t be surprised by it.
Depend on Episcopalians to take a firm, uncompromising stand. The editorial drifts leftwards as it proceeds, though. Near the end:
Certainly there are many wealthy people and corporations — and even churches — that devote a major part of their assets to aiding the less fortunate. But the Christian message is not just about charity but about justice — creating a world where all are empowered to live fully, as God intends them to live, without worrying about feeding their families or paying for medical care.
I thought that creating worlds was the job of the Big Guy … but my theology is notoriously weak.
Anyway, that’s what the Episcopalian Jesus wants: for someone else to feed our kids and pay our medical bills.
Perhaps they think that the ability to transform five (or seven) loaves and and a few fishes into sustenance for five thousand is a skill easily acquired by the rest of us.
As H.L. Mencken once pointed out, the economic teachings of Jesus were indistinguishable from socialism. I am neither a Christian nor a socialist, so that’s not a problem for me, but I have always wondered how other folks square that circle.
Asians tend to be more sucessful than blacks or Hispanics. And the Hispanics that have married more to whites or consider themselves white are more successful. Looking at sports, a Mark Sanchez is much more successful than children of illegal immigrants. Actually, White and Asian isn’t bad, Irvine Ca which has one of the lowest crime rates is White-Asian. And Repubs tend to ignore Asians as a group and spend their time chasing after Hispanics. Both groups vote more Democratic but Asians tend to be more in the lower wealthy category than Hispanics. Hispanic numbers is why politicians of both parties chase after them more than Asians.