What is a Moribund Faith Awaiting Burial
Martin Luther King studied the marriage between religion and concern for equal opportunity and economic justice. He wrote, "Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them and the social conditions that strangle them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial."
Today a large swath of Christianity is preoccupied, not with the slums and social conditions that strangle people but with lower taxes resulting in less help for the poor in enacting laws limiting opportunities for women, gay people, public education and foreigners. There remains some racial prejudice as well.
When young people are questioned on why they leave the church they grew up in they often point to these very Christian preoccupations as the reason. King's prediction that a "spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial" seems appropriate.
Fortunately, there are relatively small pockets of the faith promoting liberal policies toward and poor, the gay and which lobby for public education. These are not the branches that are growing but they seem nevertheless to be the only parts with a future. At least that's how I see the future.
Unfortunately, the two massive denominations, Catholics and Southern Baptists are the ones most moribund. They both have taken positions against gays and women. Like those King mentioned, the "profess concern about the souls of men.." while kicking parts of humanity in the teeth.
Southern Baptists have been declining 10% per years for a couple of decades. I read a headline recently which said the rate of decline is itself declining. The numbers leaving will decline eventually even when the 10% remains. It will be 10% of a smaller number each year.
No doubt the prayers for the souls of men will continue. The question is whether there will ever be any genuine concern for these fellow humans.
Jon wrote; “Today a large swath of Christianity is preoccupied, not with the slums and social conditions that strangle people but with lower taxes resulting in less help for the poor in enacting laws limiting opportunities for women, gay people, public education and foreigners. There remains some racial prejudice as well.” I came across an article listing with some explanation the “Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching”. Principle number five, “Observe the Principle of Subsidiarity” caught my attention. ( https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/seven-principles-of-catholic-social-teaching ). Seeking further clarification of this principle I found this; “This tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization. This principle is a bulwark of limited government and personal freedom. It conflicts with the passion for centralization and bureaucracy characteristic of the Welfare State”. ( https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-liberty/volume-6-number-4/principle-subsidiarity ). To me this tenet seems to provide the underpinning for many of the current conservative Catholic political initiatives. Mr. Noah, a devout Catholic and avid Trump supporter with very conservative political views could provide much more expertise on the influence of this principle from his perspective. Of course within Catholicism there are competing interpretations on how this tenet should be implemented for the less fortunate and disenfranchised in our society. I find it a bit ironic how one of the richest most massive hierarchical top down bureaucratic organizations on the planet provides a social teaching that conflicts with “centralization and bureaucracy” and yet can promote smaller and simpler anything. Always something to learn. “Seek simplicity but mistrust it.”, A. N. Whitehead.
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