[lit-ideas] Re: The Religious Right Isn't What It Used to Be
- From: eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:02:31 -0400
Hi,
Weighing in from the Heartland, I'd say that I agree that there is a resurgence
of interest in those sorts of values, as stated below and in the article.
I'm reminded of the David Batstone book on human trafficking--which occurred
when he discovered the Thai restaurant that his family frequented for dinner
was full of forced-labor slaves. I first heard of it in the more 'liberal'
Christian press--and also in the Justice Dept world.? However, this issue was
written up in Christianity Today in (I think) their April 07 issue--and
discussed/brought up by a strong Baptist.
and there have been several speakers dealing with this topic in the evangelical
world. So, perhaps this is an issue that would demonstrate an agreement towards
a new issue which might allow for agreement by many different
intersecting?worlds.
The fact that, on a world-wide level,?this human trafficking (not to be
mistaken with human smuggling) is now bringing in more money than drug dealing
[behind now only arms dealing] is a part of concern of many a world--is
intriguing as the interest from each separate group involved has taken notice
of the problem/issue in very different ways [the secular caring world, the
evangelical caring world and the non-evangelical religious world--and this does
not count the justice system worlds] In my area, it's going to be interesting
to see how these three intersect--for they are and I am not sure they know?how
to interact with each other--meeting for NGOs in my area included, for the
first time, three evangelical groups on this issue. The more inter-faithy types
are connected more with the established and [perhaps] more scholary types...and
I hope that the leader of this world will be able to pull all together to
address this huge horrible problem. It will be a curious thing to se
e that dance as it develops--but the rhetoric of a 'modern abolitionist
movement' was mentioned--and it may be the next rallying cry...but whose?
and esp since there is so much big and small business involved in this -- makes
me wonder -- Do you think the?resurgence of the 'love thy neighbor as thyself'
bit versus the market economy treating people so poorlly has more to do with
the issue of national sovereignty versus globalization? As Andreas alluded,
this issue is?affecting so very many people--and the majority of the people -
at least in my area - are NOT being affected in a very positive manner by
this.?They do see the issue of marketing forces treating them and others are
customers/workers to be exploited.?I hear so very much about this--and alot of
a sense of powerlessness except in regards to helping those on a more
individual basis.?
But, think of the Big Players in globalization, now, beyond the
decision-making entities of sovereign nations.? There is big business [more and
more],?organized crime [still], NGOs [like Amnesty International and others who
are able shine lights on aspects of what sovereign nations are doing and so
affect decisions made-or cause other sovereign nations to step into the world
of a completely other sovereign nation and say that whatever it is that either
creates harm to others-ie nuclear deals-or to its own people-Darfur domes to
mind- needs to stop], organized terrorism [creating a fear within sovereign
nations which then cause them to want to lash outward without care towards what
the global world thinks...and then have to confront that we DO live in a
globalized economy and world and there are consequences...], and more.
When one thinks of 'family values', it is NOT just the stereotypical family
that is thought of in terms of wanting all to be 'that way'. It is more that
those 'outside forces' have forced people into being/living lives such as what
Andreas speaks. (I think of the women AND men I know who are? moms and dads who
are working more than one job to put food on the table--they would love it if
they felt that had 'choice'--and I'm not talking about the ones who are working
those jobs so that their kids can have IPODS, etc.? Their attitude against the
'war' on family values is that there is (seemingly) little choice...and the
vote they will provide will be for whoever can say that 'my way' will give you
a decent lifestyle (and that of the other), as well.? There are those of us who
might think that their votes are electing someone who absolutely is 'using'
them--and that the complete opposite of what is fundamentally desired will
happen because of that vote--but there are those skille
d enough to dig deep into that sense of powerlessness over a loss of
sovereignity of national pride/care and how it has thus affected their own
lives.
I am sorry to be so wordy--this is not completely thought through internally,
obviously.? Not sure I know how to dig deep enough inside my own head to pull
this out. Perhaps because though I have been in 'that world', I am no longer.
But, I KNOW lots of those in that world and we do still talk and I listen
[often struggling to be quiet...<g>]?but--the majority of those nameless
faceless 'family values' people really DO care for individuals--but?seek to
align themselves to those who can best show that they will help them stem that
tide of the horrors of globalization.
For, like Andreas, I see much of what is going on?as a struggle against
globalization. Unlike Andreas, perhaps, I think numerous people who believe in
'family values' see and believe the numbers who are struggling finanically and
thus [perhaps] not having choice and so working as single parents/two
jobs/needing to live within extended families because it is impossible for any
to live in a nuclear family any longer, etc., as?blaming globalization?and
those who would 'give away' all individulal choice.? They perhaps are more
concerned that?they can best help others by?trying to stem its tide, somehow.?
In their minds this is?heroic even if it is seen by others as a hopeless
cause--for the market forces are simply too strong and too many people are
helped by them--thus the forwarding of all sorts of 'these are the
contradictions of the values of Al Gore and his huge house versus the energy
saving house of George Bush'--I simply cannot count any longer the numbers of
emails I hav
e gotten from so many people on this after he won the Nobel Peace Price for
his energy values--but I believe it to be 'gallows humor' on their part--the
wish, surely, is that he WOULD really care and would have been living and
speaking in such a way that it would be congruent.??The hardest thing for many
of them will be to vote?between the two NY folk as they are both seen as
hypocrites--and?it will be hard to choose if that is the choice. (The only one
I think who has a chance on the Democratic side would be Obama--he is seen as a
reasonable person who MIGHT be congruent...there is hope against hope in the
'little people'--though we'll see what happens if he gets the nomination and
the Big Boys?take? the gloves off so they can?try to show his flaws in terms of
care/concern...)
Anyway--what about sovereignity versus globalization?
Best,?
Marlena in The Heartland
(Kind of purple, since she is blue but standing up for the red <g>)
-----Original Message-----
From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Anthro-L <ANTHRO-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 5:35 am
Subject: [lit-ideas] The Religious Right Isn't What It Used to Be
<a hrep="
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1193565601-BFlVpcV/IKrM89dEXNEbHw";>Read
it here.</a> The New York Times article to which this link points is long but
well worth reading. To me--I grew up in a pious family then became an
anthropologist--it rings true, both to what I learned to feel as a child and to
what I learned to think in graduate school. The important message here is the
resurgence of interest in values like those expressed in "Love thy neighbor as
thyself," which is a long way from the market fundamentalism that sees
individuals as fungible workers and consumers, resources to be exploited.
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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