On Monday, Jim Wallis did a post on the God’s Politics blog that turned my head. I wondered what you all think of it. The link to the story is here, and here’s an excerpt of the pertinent part.
I believe that Dick Cheney is a liar; that Donald Rumsfeld is also a liar; and that George W. Bush was, and is, clueless about how to be the president of the United States…But I don’t favor impeachment, as some have suggested. I would wait until after the election, when they are out of office, and then I would favor investigations of the top officials of the Bush administration on official deception, war crimes, and corruption charges. And if they are found guilty of these high crimes, I believe they should spend the rest of their lives in prison – after offering their repentance to every American family who has lost a son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister. Deliberately lying about going to war should not be forgiven.
(bold-type emphasis mine)
Now, I couldn’t more affirm Rev. Wallis’ disdain for the competence and truthfulness of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Bush. And you know what? I think investigating these men for war crimes and corruption after they leave office is an excellent idea. But do I think they should spend the rest of their lives in JAIL? Certainly not.
Again, don’t think that I’m playing down the wrongs of this administration and the disastrous results of its reign. Thousands more American men and women have died in Iraq than tragically died on 9/11, not to mention the tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of Iraqi dead. They’ve manipulated the hurt and pain of the American people after 9/11 in order to pursue a devastating neoconservative America-as-Rome-and-that’s-a-good-thing agenda throughout the world, and brought to a hault the rule of law in the American system of government and also presided over, with smiling approval, the ugly and effect divide of American into the Rich and the Poor, with the middle class hanging on the precipice ready to drop into poverty. So, yeah – I think the Bush Administration is one of the greatest enemies of the American people, of much of the world, and of the Church and the Kingdom of God to which it declares itself.
But a LIFE SENTENCE in prison? What happened to restoration and redemption? When did life imprisonment become a Chrsitian response to ANYTHING? Where did this retributive Jim Wallis come from? Me no likey!
What do you think? Am I way off on this? Do they deserve this treatment, and only Wallis is bold enough to say it? Or is he going over the edge a bit, as I suspect he is in this instance?
Or is this an isolated case of what I like to call “drogging” – which is, of course, drunken blogging?
Let’s hear it.
7 Comments
November 8, 2007 at 9:47 am
Wallis is becoming the left’s Dobson, Using his status as a Christian leader to influence the political views of his followers. I hope he breaks the trend soon, or it’ll be his downfall.
November 8, 2007 at 7:31 pm
And this is a reflection of the Gospel how?? Jim needs to get out of politics.
November 9, 2007 at 2:10 am
Joel, I see what you’re saying. And, like you, I hope you’re wrong, because I think he can retain the prophetic aspect of his position in reminding everyone that a Christian response to American politics does not involve ad hominem attacks like this one. I’ve always liked Wallis, bt I would not be able to follow him down that path. If you want some solid, respectful, and consistenly thoughtful and intelligent commentary on God’s Politics site, check out the posts by Brian McLaren.
Drew, I think it’s a pretty egregious misstep as well. But I think it’s an uncharacteristic misstep for Wallis. My only concern would be that these things seem to be coming from him a little more often, and I fear that he could end up in a place where he, like Dobson, manipulates evangelicals’ cult of personality and become self-important. His usual message is that forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel, and this post of his was an aberration, in my opinion. As for the politics issue, I’m going to recklessly venture a certain familiar question and ask you…What’s wrong with staying abreast of politics, in itself? Go ahead, do as you will with it.
Sorry, I do enjoy a little Drew-baiting every once and a while!
November 9, 2007 at 5:39 am
How unfortunate it is when Christian leaders get involved in politics. It’s one thing to state how we stand on issues and who we should support but it’s quite another to advocate political process. Even if Bush, Cheney, and others are charged with anything there is no way anything would be done to them. Isn’t it enough that in the court of world opinion they have found themselves at the lowest rung. Unfortunately they dragged the rest of us down with them. Let’s get on with the real task at hand…PRAY and PRAY.
November 9, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Clint, I guess I will take the bait you have offered. You know how I feel about Christians entering into politics. However, I will offer a little refresher. I think that church, the local church community is the polis that Christians ought to be working from. Putting your hopes into a political system that is driven by power, manipulation and self centeredness is not what I would consider appropriate for a Christian to do. Supporting a person who when needed will pursue violent means to end a conflict is in my opinion wrong. I am against the use of violence, so I also do not support other individuals who will use violence. Jim W. comments not only do not reflect the gospel but his larger beliefs that Christians can enter into politics is theologically misguided on many levels. First, being what I alluded to a few sentences earlier about supporting individuals that may use violence when needed. No politician is going to stand up and say I will never use violence to protect this county, and that is exactly what Jesus commands us to do. Second, politics supports patriotic nationalism which besides being exceedingly annoying, has the assumption that this county is better than others and also leads to things like supporting our troops, signing the national anthem and saying the pledge of allegiance, which should never be uttered from a Christian’s mouth (I take your bait and raise you). Finally, politics breads the belief that the political process can save us, all we need to do is elect the right people. The only way this country is going to get better is if Christians take the demands of the gospel seriously and start loving our neighbor and being compassionate to the many marginalized groups in this nation. I realize politics can have “good” motives but in the end they are not what will save us. Jim needs to get out of the political light, not only because he is embarrassing left minded Christians, but he is starting to remind me of Dobson, Dr. Kennedy and the like, more and more every day.
November 10, 2007 at 12:23 am
So, I am reading Bonhoeffer’s “Life Together” as devotions in Psych of Personality. Bonhoeffer begins the book by saying (and I am paraphrasing), “God hates visionary dreamers of Christian community”. The reason Bonhoeffer states this is that our “ideals” for Christian community can make us “proud and pretentious”, as well as focused on the maintenance of whatever those ideals are…hence, Bonhoeffer says it is a “blessing” and a sign of God’s grace when our ideals are shattered. Instead, Bonhoeffer points us to being thankful for what we have been blessed with, instead of focused on what we do not have. Important in this is the forgiveness of sins we have in Christ, which recognizes that we all are going to be imperfect. Christian community is centered on forgiveness of sins through Christ.
Does this increase the tension between Church and politics? Does this perspective make it impossible to work towards the Kingdom of God? What is Bonhoeffer getting at? Are these words we need to hear?
Dare we find empathy for both Dobson and Wallis? Or as Sufjan say…”…pull up my floorboards and what will you find?”
Just some thoughts rumbling through my head…
November 10, 2007 at 12:52 am
Yes, these are words we need to hear… I just can’t respond to it substantively right now because I will need to digest those thoughts for a little bit. That’s good stuff! I’ll say more about how it makes me feel later; I guess right now I need to look beneath the floorboards for my own secrets right now. Thanks, that’s extremely helpful!