Watch this installment of Bill Moyers Journal, "Faith & Social Justice." Evaluate it. You will not be graded on your opinion. What is important is that you show an understanding of what's being said and supporting your point of view. If you insert an image or link to accompany your blog entry, that helps your grade. Since this is a project, creative elements are critical.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07032009/watch.html
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Cornell West, Gary Dorrien and Serene Jones in that the U.S. needs Christianity in order to fix the economy crisis. The solution to the economic crisis, as suggested by West, is to view the world through the lenses of those on the margin. Those on the margin include the poor, the homeless, the oppressed, etc. When those at the top (e.g. Wall Street) decide that the world only revolves around them and chose to take care of their own, they forget about those at the bottom who make up most of the country. We as humans in general are guilty of this at times also. Like West suggest, we are all born of original sin. In other words, we as humans will never be perfect. To be born human means that we are bound to make mistakes and do wrong. The only thing we can do is to be aware of this and be surrounded by people who will guide us back on the path when we get off. In relation to the economic crisis it seems that Christianity emphasizes the idea that the solution is courage and love. We must all deepen our love. We must have the courage to step out of our comfort zone and be concerned with the well being of those less fortunate than us. We must be “Willing to pick up the cross and be crucified on it,” as proposed by West. Like Jones and Dorrien, I believe that love exists in all things, including darkness. In order to experience love, one may experience struggle and hard times. For example, during the civil rights movement, African- Americans and many other minority groups experienced oppression, yet; through the principles of Martin Luther King, they were able to show love to those who oppressed them and amongst themselves. In the end it is love that carried them through the struggle and led them to freedom.( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnoH2psiDhY)
ReplyDeleteThe discussion between Cornell West, Serene Jones, and Gary Dorrien addressed how aspects of Christianity are critical to central systems in our society such as our economy and our government. In today’s society, people’s lives revolve so much around money that when the economic crisis began, it was measured more so by how Wall Street and the major corporations were hit rather than the everyday person. Dorrien even said that “this is a society that has stoked and celebrated greed virtually to the point of self-destruction.” The government itself even focuses more on what Wall Street says than “looking at the world through the lens of poor people and working people,” as West had states. Because the government is too concerned with what the elites have to say, the voice of the marginalized is unheard. All three speakers agreed that the reason why Obama isn’t listening is because his current base is comfortable and it is easier to reach for the familiar. However, as Jones said, the familiar is what caused us to be in our current situation, and it would then take courage to listen and act on what the unheard has to say. The Christian approach would then be to willingly take up the cross for truth and unconditional love. That way a preferential option for the poor, a Catholic Social Teaching, would be visible. It would take courage to listen to the marginalized, and as Lucy said, one may have to struggle in order to experience the love. It is entirely possible for there to be love that can change the ultimate reality and give a voice to the unheard; West gives two examples of this, the trade unions and the civil rights. Our society cannot go on if we focus too much on who is already in power, and this political cartoon help illustrate that fact: http://media.caglecartoons.com/media/cartoons/95/2010/03/12/75759_600.jpg
ReplyDeleteIn the discussion Serene Jones, Cornel West and Gary Dorrien said that the economic crisis is a crisis of value. We as a society have become indifferent to what is most important in life. We have forgotten all about those who are less fortunate and need attention and think more about Wall Street and the elites. I also agree that this society is a society based on greed. Most people in our society are mostly concerned about themselves and especially during the economic downturn, are worried about the things they own. I agree with Lucy that people at the top forget about the needs of the people at the bottom. People have forgotten about those who have no voice, like those on the margins of society. I think this goes along with the Catholic Social Teaching of Preferential Love for the Poor. The marginalized need special attention in order to receive justice. I agree with West that we are made in the image of God and we have the potential to do something that contributes to justice. We just have to be able to look through the lens of poor people and working people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VIITK-YgA
ReplyDeleteI belive the Discussion between Serene Jones, Cornel West, and Gary Dorrien says that today we have a struggle between what our goverment should really be of value in during this economic recession. To the public and what Gary says how the power lies within the military. How Obama has focused on establishing the United States as a miltary power in the world, while he still has to fight the problems we have at home with the economy and healthcare policy. However, even though it might not seem like the right thing to value at this time in history, I believe we should be focusing on the military due to the fact of high tensions in multiple areas of the world and the world is a survival of the fittest. Even though it seems unethical to value a department that recieves so much money that destroys lives, it also protects ours. If we did not have the military power we do have, I believe the world would be a different place.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Emerald how our society values greed. We are worried about ourselves and how we are finicially. During a crisis, we believe that we, individually, matter more than others.
An artricle on what small buisness should value during this time.
http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/876/brand-values-in-a-recession/