Re: Spiritual Covenant

That depends on how one defines Marxism. By those unfamiliar with the
original meaning of the term, it may seem to be extremist. But I fail to
see the relevance here. So what is wrong about the idea that our
well-being depends on the well being of every single person on this
planet? How is this 'marxist'? Or how is this at odds with Christianity?
Was Christ a 'Marxist'?

So where are they lying and deceiving Janice? How sad that Janice seems
to object to the intentions and goals of these people. And worse, accuse
them without much of any supporting evidence.

As far as Clinton is concerned, it seems that more Americans relate to
his ideas and views than to the views of our current president. But then
again, I have to admit that this is putting the standard quite low :-)

I am shocked to hear however that caring for the well being of every
single person on this planet is somehow Marxist, strengthening my belief
that some abuse the term to scare rather than to educate.

<quote>Marxism in these web pages is understood as the theory and
practice of working class self-emancipation. This theoretical and
political tradition is radically different from the way Marxism is
generally described by both critics and many 'adherents' who identify
Marxism with the repressive state capitalist regimes that used to
dominate Russia and eastern Europe and still hold sway in China, North
Korea, Vietnam and Cuba. David McNally explains in one of the chapters
of /Socialism from Below/
<http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/contemp/pamsetc/socfrombel/sfb_6.htm>
how this confusion came about, as a consequence of the defeat of the
Russian revolution during the 1920s, and the consequences the defeat had
for the international communist movement.</quote>

http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/intros.html

Hope this helps Janice... In the mean time could you support your claims
:-) I am only joking Janice, I'd hardly want to hold you to such standards.

More 'marxist' :-) ideals of the spiritual progressives...

__Changing the Bottom Line in America__

Today, institutions and social practices are judged efficient, rational
and productive to the extent that they maximize money and power. That's
the Old Bottom Line. Now Here is the NEW BOTTOM LINE for which we
advocate: We believe that they should be judged rational, efficient and
productive not only to the extent that they maximize money and power,
but also to the extent that they maximize love and caring, ethical and
ecological sensitivity and behavior, kindness and generosity,
non-violence and peace, and to the extent that they enhance our
capacities to respond to other human beings in a way that honors them as
embodiments of the sacred, and enhances our capacities to respond to the
earth and the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement

__Challenging the many anti-religious and anti-spiritual assumptions and
behaviors that have increasingly become part of the liberal culture__

Educating people of faith to the understanding that a serious commitment
to God, religion and spirit should manifest in social activism aimed at
peace, universal disarmament, social justice with a preferential option
for the needs of the poor and the oppressed, a commitment to end
poverty, hunger, homelessness, inadequate education and inadequate
health care all around the world, and a commitment to nuclear
non-proliferation, environmental protection and repair of the damage
done to the planet by 150 years of environmentally irresponsible
behavior in industrializing societies.

__Challenging the misuse of religion, God and spirit by the Religious
Right__

Challenging as well the extreme individualism and me-firstism that
permeate all parts of the global market culture. We will educate people
in social change movements to carefully distinguish between their
legitimate critiques of the Religious Right and their illegitimate
generalizing of those criticisms to all religious or spiritual beliefs
and practices. We will help social change activists and others in the
liberal and progressive culture become more conscious of and less afraid
to affirm their own inner spiritual yearnings and to reconstitute a
visionary progressive social movement that incorporates the spiritual
dimension, of which the loving, spiritually elevating and connecting
aspects of religion has been one expression (but so has the
group-in-fusion experience of the movements of the 30's and the 60's and
the communitarian aspirations of many other efforts--social healing and
health care, progressive summer camps, the wide appeal of service and
service learning, the women's spirituality movement etc).

I am not sure why Janice is so worried about Marxism though, especially
if Marxisms and spirituality seem to be able to co-exist. I thank you
for your references to the Sojourner Magazine. Time to add it to my list
of magazines to read I guess. Then again, these darn Marxists have the
following statement about their goals...

<quote>The work we do is instrumental in building a deeply rooted
Christian movement that is strong enough to effect social change and
sustain people of faith over the long haul. With your support,
Sojourners can continue to provide a prophetic vision of faith in these
times that both leads and inspires.</quote>

Shameful, how they propose sustaining people of faith and provide a
vision of faith that both leads and inspires.

Thanks Janice, these are some excellent resources, calling them
Marxist.... What a hoot...

As for Wallis, seems he wrote an excellent book
(http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0060558288) God's Politics: Why the
Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It

<quote>Finally, a book that takes back faith from the politicians and
the media. Speaking to the importance of religious and moral values, not
as mere tools for political and economic gain but as essential
instruments of social justice, Jim Wallis brings together the discussion
of faith, politics, and culture in this country, and asks how our
leaders can continue to ignore issues such as poverty, racial inequity,
and war.</quote>

<quote>Wallis' Bible is a radical document, and the prophets he admires
weren't liberalthey were revolutionary. From Micah"Every man beneath his
vine and fig tree shall live in peace and unafraid"and Elijah in the
Torah to Jesus in the Christian Bible, we are told that, in terms of
social justice, God is as close to a Marxist-Leninist as a deity can be.
How indeed did, as Wallis asks, "the faith of Jesus come to be known as
pro-rich, pro-war and only pro-American?"</quote>

No wonder he is considered such a threat :-)

Wallis stated in an interview with PBS

<quote>Jesus says, "I was hungry. I was thirsty. I was naked. I was a
stranger. I was sick. I was in prison. You didn't come to me. You didn't
feed me. You didn't clothe me." And the people said, "Lord, when did we
see you hungry and thirsty and naked and a stranger and sick and in
prison?" He says, "As you've done to the least of these, you've done to
me." That's Matthew 25 [verses 42-45]. That was my conversion passage.
…</quote>

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/interviews/wallis.html
(good interview as well)

Janice Matchett wrote:

> At 03:53 PM 5/20/2006, Pim van Meurs wrote:
>
>> /As a Christian, I am also very concerned on how *extremists* seem to
>> be insisting on setting the standards for Christianity as well as
>> spirituality. ...They have an interesting article on evolution and
>> 'intelligent design'/ (
>> http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/rabbi_lerner/news_item.2005-08-30.5243536500/
>> )
>
>
>
> *@ I consider Marxists to be extremists - how about you?
>
> 4-7-02:
>
> * "The Tikkun Community, which includes Jews and non-Jews, was founded
> by Rabbi Lerner several months ago to promote “a New Planetary
> Consciousness recognizing that our well-being depends on the
> well-being of every single person on this planet.”
>
> . . .yes, the Marxist dream recast; and little signs already appearing
> showing why their 'heaven-on-earth' vision cannot be achieved.
>
> They are only a few months old; and already they must lie, deceive,
> 'use/abuse people' to facilitate THEIR vision of the world; which
> always requires as well a commitment to 'the end justifies the means'
> modus operandi.
>
> The Marxist horror in a nutshell.
>
>
>
Received on Sat May 20 21:53:34 2006