By Peter Johnson, Juicy Ecumenism.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has the reputation for being an “affirming” denomination. Church officials recently voted to affirm same-sex marriage. Before that, they affirmed non-celibate homosexual clergy and abortion. The church’s affirmations even extended to its investment philosophy—which resulted in divestment from companies doing business in Israel.
Right before Labor Day, the PCUSA released its latest affirmation: “We affirm the church’s stance on labor and offer up examples of our work in pursuit of dignified work, better conditions, and fair wages.”
Affirming various progressive political fashions has become a regular project of the PCUSA, specifically for the church’s governing body, the General Assembly. These affirmations are couched in euphemistic rhetoric that obscures the divisiveness of the issues and alienates those in the church with dissenting views. For example, when the PCUSA affirmed “reproductive options” using words like “justice” and “compassion,” it failed to acknowledge that the issue may be contentious for pro-life members.
What the PCUSA euphemistically calls “reproductive options” might more accurately be called “anti-reproductive medicines and medical procedures.” Similarly, I would submit that the PCUSA’s campaign to increase the federally mandated minimum wage might more correctly be described as a campaign for a smaller job pool.
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We were blessed by God with compassion and intellect. Too often, PCUSA leadership uses only the former. This is one such case. Higher minimum wage requirements result in lower overall employment and incentivizes employers to invest in automation. More people will be pushed onto government assistance. Similarly, PCUSA’s open door immigration policy will result in a flood of cheap labor, to the detriment of those already on the fringe of employment in this country, particularly minority youth. These policy positions surely make leadership feel good about themselves, but that’s only because they fail to examine consequences.
For a religious sect that cannot account for 1.5 mil in its Mission funds, and could not pass an audit in its Foundation money, would be a bit more humble in dispensing economic advice, but only the PCUSA could see the industrial meat and body part processing of Planned Parenthood as a peace and justice issue.
The contemporary PCUSA is really the amalgamation of two 19th century philosophical themes, Scientific Utopianism, which posits the upward social progress of technology and change, and classic progressive theology, which of course introduced German theological reductionism as applied to Scripture and faith.
Utopianism of course lead to the political dead ends of Marxism/Socialism, progressive theology just leads to the dead end, period. The PCUSA is well on its way to that.
In my Presbytery last night we affirmed a call for a church position that pays about 12K a year, I wished her luck. When the highest earning pastor in this Presbytery makes north of 170K. Maybe, just maybe, they may wish to address income redistribution in their own house. So just how much do they pay Gradey? Oh never mind.
We learned yesterday that many of the Biblical students can’t pass a scripture knowledge test and now we see where they are all out becoming activists. I think they misunderstand “faith without works is dead” and they go overboard. But their views do not represent anyone but themselves – and then we all get judged by the public as one body. Raising wages on no-skilled jobs never works, it is always a disaster, and this article is a clear illustration of why church and state needs to be separated. What business is it of theirs in our name to go out into the streets and protest? Join a social justice group. It just doesn’t end.
Economic education will do the PC(USA) leadership no good. These are experts on the Bible, after all, who will not acknowledge Jesus Chiirat as the only means of salvation. Run away. They are just a political action committee.
In all seriousness, is there any position where the PCUSA takes a different position from the Democratic party? If so, please name it. My guess would be that any divergence of the PCUSA from the Democratic party would be to the left rather than to more moderate position (e.g., the divestment issue involving Israel), but I would love to be corrected if anyone knows otherwise.
PCUSA has called for single-payer health care, which places it a step or two to the left of the Democrat Party’s current posture. I think you are correct that any divergence finds PCUSA to the left, but they are in lockstep for the most part. Most troubling is the willingness to fund Iran with $150 billion and allow its nuclear program to go unchecked, all in the name of a “peace deal” opposed by a majority of citizens.
The conservative doctrine says that if you raise the minimum wage it will cost jobs. Of course this is not substantiated by actual facts.
In other nations such as New Zealand, Switzerland, Denmark, and many more the minimum wage is 14 to 16 dollars an hour. Enough to live on. And the cost of the Big Mac is just pennies more.
The IRD never considers the lower end of the economic ladder, but does reflect the views and values of corporate conservatives. Short on facts and long on diatribes.
One wonders how many congregants have left the denomination because of its bizarre political statements.
Many
Just why on earth do you feel the government has any business telling a private company what it should pay an employee at all?! Where do people grow up and get educated to think that is a proper role for governement? You have the freedom to start any company you want and pay whatever you want to employees. But you would rather demand a certain wage from somobody else who did the work of starting that company. What a mindset to begin with…and so many dysfunctional views of the purpose of government follow it.
Perhaps the economist experts at PCUSA could explain why interest rates are so low? Why has oil dropped more than 50 percent in one year (along with other commodities), why we have record low labor participation rate, and why we suffer (and our children and grandchildren suffer) with more than $50 trillion in federal, state and local government (taxpayer) debt? I’ll save them the effort–it’s because our economy, and other nations’ economies, is broken. Is our national, state and local debt burden ethical or moral? My children are grown and my house is paid off, so no deductions for me–I pay more than 50 percent in crushing taxes, including sales tax and property tax. I own a small business and make about the same as an elementary teacher, low level state clerk or city worker; except I don’t get the gravy vacations, job security, holidays, pensions, etc.
I still worship and praise my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ many times throughout the day–and thank Him for my blessings.
If a congregation left because the church supports wages large enough to support a family/live on, we are the richer for having lost them, and the only sad part is that if they stayed they might have eventually learned that justice, which we are called to fight for in scripture, does not call for keeping people poor but “employed”. Of course, such a congregation would be more comfortable talking about all those people who are breaking the rules (as they understand them, all the while not realizing that a REALLY conservative congregation in the PCA would be saying the same thing about them) since thats WAY easier and does not intimidate PIPs (and their checkbooks) like calling for the hard work of social justice, so, their leaving is not to be unexpected. It’s what angry old white men do when they don’t get their way.
so, the call in the book of Micah to work for justice to you means, the just right to make a fortune while your minimum wage workers getting 7 an hour struggle to pay the bills?
Says a lot about what you value, your faith, and your church
Gene-You are just being disingenuous. No congregation has left solely because of PCUSA’s economic illiteracy regarding the effects of minimum wage. And please, get off your high horse. Advocating for a higher minimum wage (borne by others, not by you) does not make you more compassionate or a better Christian. Folks like you use the phrase social justice to disguise what you really seek, i.e., to use the power of government to force others to do the hard work of loving our neighbors rather than do it yourselves. It would be one thing if your policies were actually effective. But they are not. That’s why liberals want to be judged on their professed intentions alone, never the consequences. Who cares if the welfare state is destroying the nuclear family and the self worth of the individual. These laws allow liberals to feel good about themselves and to give thanks to God that they are not like those sinful conservatives.
well, while most of what you wrote was conservative self justification, I suppose few if any have left SOLELY because of economic justice issues. the “bearing” of a living wage WOULD be paid by me, and you and us all…hamburgers would be more expensive, but the lady behind the counter would not be 1) living in a shelter…yes, I have met full time employed minimum wage earners in shelters 2) on food stamps so she and her kids can have decent nutrition. I would have less, but everyone would have more. If Denmark or Switzerland or Australia or NZ are up to it, I think we could do it also…but (GASP!) corporate profits might not be as high, and the disparity between what the CEO makes and a line worker not be at an all time high.
Its not a high horse, or disingenuousness to look at a broken system and point out its broken, and is more worried with profits than people. Both matter. People matter more, and of other nations can reach a balance where there is still profit for companies but the people who work there are getting a living decent wage, so can we…and that is one of the duties of the church, to call for such just changes.
The government does that to prevent slavery and exploitation.
You are nuts…a Christian loves his workers and takes care of them too….you are looking to the wrong places for ‘justice’ in this world. And by the way…I work over 60 to 70 hours every week for the last 30 plus years….have never lived in air conditioning… probably haven’t realized that 7$ per hour in profit figure over my lifetime….and you eat the cheap food I produce. Go talk about something you have an idea about!
Obviously, what YOU worship Gene is the government….and what you precieve as its ability to make things ‘right’. That is very obviously delusional.
Todd–so what you are saying is we should endorse the Republican value system. But just to be certain here, The PCUSA did not endorse single payer health care. It has been discussed at GA, which is another thing.
That said, the Board of Pensions recommended it. These are conservative bureaucrats who have seen the cost of health care rise to unbelievable levels and in many cases bankrupt small churches trying to support clergy. When Philadelphia lawyers come out for single payer, you know the world has drastically changed.
Check out Leo Tolstoy’s story HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?
Classic, pres-child….and exactly what I expected…you are nothing if not very predictable.
I would suggest members remaining in the PCUSA affirm the consequences of higher unemployment by reducing their “tithe” to the national denomination and regional judictory. Send the money instead to a more worthy Christian cause, e.g. Christians struggling in the Middle East or suffering persecution elsewhere.
Surely, all of those who express such dismay at the PCUSA’s labor day statement must be aware that “living wage,” “equitable division,” “organized effort…seeking to lift the crushing burdens of the poor” and similar ideas have been policy for Presbyterians since long before you were born. In fact, all of those phrases and a great deal more go back at least to the 1908 Social Creed. If you find them so offensive, why did you become Presbyterians in the first place?
Sorry Tater – I have been deleted from the site and I am now vanishing into the digital mist. I have been judged by you all and found wanting, I will decrease and you all will increase – be happy…
Surely, westm, you are not so clueless as to not know what these phrases have morphed into in this current time… and therefore the agenda these phrases support today. To act like you don’t is playing the innocent fool.
not crying here, pres-child.
I am not surprised, clearly you have no love or mercy for anyone not on your team, I decrease……
STOP!!!…pres-child….with every single comment you reveal yourself a more childish and ridiculous soul…you know nothing about me or my love for all those around me….but we DO know you are an immature child….just stop and grow up…you are not helping yourself or your case.
Oh my, Tater – your cries and shouts of derision are heard, I shall bid adieu for now, woe is me…
….just plain weird….
Tater – you think its getting weird in here?