AGW Welcome Events The Witness Magazine


Reorganizing the "choir" of religious progressives
by Ethan Flad

NO to "Charitable Choice." NO to directly funding faith-based organizations. NO to "Compassionate Conservatism." And the list goes on ...

There was little love evident in April for the new Bush Administration at the "Progressive Religious Partnership" conference held in Washington DC. Co-sponsored by two liberal advocacy organizations, People for the American Way and the Regas Institute (founded by George Regas, former rector of All Saints' Church in Pasadena, Calif.), the event attempted to bring together "what's left of the left" to face the new political reality in the nation's capitol. Despite limited publicity and horrible scheduling -- the conference was finished on the eve of Passover and 24 hours before Palm Sunday, a major disincentive to most local religious leadership -- a crowd of 250 Christian and Jewish religious activists still managed to gather to strategize, educate and network.

The opening worship service, held on the 33rd anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., centered conference participants on the challenge of reclaiming Dr. King's legacy of the "Beloved Community" within the new conservative ethos in Washington. "The Devil was in the House today!" exclaimed Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, one of two members of Congress to greet the congregation. Norton and fellow Congressional Black Caucus leader Eddie Bernice Johnson reported on depressing developments in the House of Representatives, including that day's repeal of the Estate Tax. Norton, stating that "The House apparently believes that the meek should NOT inherit the earth," called on the religious community to raise up its prophetic voice in an authoritative rebuttal of recent legislative initiatives.

A highlight of the service was keynote speaker Charles G. Adams, president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Considered one of the nation's leading orators, he spiced his religious and political commentary with humorous statements such as, "People who were born on third base believe that they hit a triple," and "Any time someone comes at me with a big Bible in his hands, I run for cover!" But he also spoke seriously in a captivating indictment of the president's initiative on faith-based organizations.

Any time someone comes at me with a big Bible in his hands, I run for cover!

This topic -- efforts by conservative political forces to put "Charitable Choice" into all forms of social-service legislation -- was a central concern for the remainder of the conference. Congressman Bobby Scott noted, "The problem is that Charitable Choice is attached to $5 billion of investment into the inner cities -- this is money that people have been fighting for all their lives. It is very hard to turn down that type of money." He also stressed that there is no "new" money in any of these bills: these efforts are simply giving many religious organizations the opportunity to go after the same pot of money (and that some traditionally-funded groups, like Planned Parenthood, will definitely NOT be getting any of this money within the new political scene).

Timothy McDonald, pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta (once Dr. King's congregation) posed a compelling question: "Would Dr. King or Ralph Abernathy have been able to stand up and criticize the government if, from that same government, their churches had received tens of thousands of dollars for a computer training project or a housing initiative? Would there have ever been a Montgomery bus boycott if their hands had been in 'Pharoah's kitty'?" McDonald argued persuasively that it is not possible to take money in one hand and use the other to point in criticism at one's financial benefactor. His words were echoed by Wade Henderson, director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, who warned, "Charitable Choice is an effort to buy you off!"

Would Dr. King or Ralph Abernathy have been able to stand up and criticize the government if, from that same government, their churches had received tens of thousands of dollars for a computer training project or a housing initiative? Would there have ever been a Montgomery bus boycott if their hands had been in 'Pharoah's kitty'?

Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund, highlighted the special needs of poor children at the dawn of the 21st century. Noting that President Bush has adopted the language of children's advocates by using the slogan "Leave No Child Behind." Since this has been the CDF motto for years, she said we should see this as an opportunity to define for the President what that phrase means. Edelman then focused on another key conference topic -- the President's proposed huge tax cut -- to make a strong challenge: "The rich folk are just gonna have to wait on another tax cut until we end children's poverty and there are no more hungry children in our country!"

Robert Greenstein, director of the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, built on the tax cut debate. While the figure of $1.6 trillion had been offered by the Republican administration to the public, the Center's analysis estimated that the actual amount will be at least three times that number -- about $5 trillion. Noting that the "Baby Boomer" generation will start retiring within the decade, Greenstein declared that the tax cut will eliminate our ability to take care of those significant societal needs in the near future.

Some people say an event like this is just 'preaching to the choir.' What is so wrong with the choir? I, for one, say, 'Thank God for the choir!'"

For many participants, the highlight of the conference was an event honoring longtime religious activist William Sloane Coffin. The veteran civil rights and anti-war leader, leaning on a cane and slurring his speech due to a recent stroke, attended the entire event and frequently was seen responding approvingly to the presentations. In a brief and humorous speech, Coffin said the progressive movement needs to draw "Old Turks and Young Fogies" into its midst. His follow-up brought down the house: "Some people say an event like this is just 'preaching to the choir.' What is so wrong with the choir? I, for one, say, 'Thank God for the choir!'"

Amidst the new conservative political reality in Washington, it indeed is time for the "choir" of religious progressives to re-organize. In the 1990's, a moderately supportive Democratic administration combined with budget cutbacks eliminated the perceived need for several faith-based social justice organizations. It seems clear that this new "Partnership", or something like it, will need to effectively bring this community together in the coming months.

Ethan Flad is editor/producer of The Witness' "a Globe of Witnesses" project, a new online initiative to reclaim the Anglican vocation to doing public theology through progressive analysis and commentary from around the world.

Related Links

The following are website addresses for some of the groups mentioned in this piece: