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Thursday, July 06, 2006

49 - Venezuela As Prism: Bush, Chavez, Jesus & Oil

There are two things longtime listeners know I'm truly passionate about.

One of them is economic justice, particularly as it relates to the oppression and exploitation of the Third World poor. In past podcasts we've discussed how the US and other Western industrialized nations have, since colonial times, economically enslaved Third World and developing nations, and still to this very day do their best to destroy whichever of them even hint at trying to throw off their chains. I've spoken often of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is indeed now trying to throw off his nation's chains, and is accordingly being demonized by the right-wing.

The other area I'm passionate about -- and haven't spoke enough about -- is the utter hypocrisy of right-wing Christians, who from the roots of their right-wing ideology to the fruits of their policies, violate the most fundamental of the teachings of Jesus regarding how we are to interact with our brother and sister humans. These teachings are most powerfully expressed in the 25th book of Matthew, verses 31-46, the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

On Judgment Day, Jesus will gather the nations before him, the sheep on the right, the goats on the left. Judgment will be based on how they treated the hungry, the naked, the thirsty, the sick…the "least of these." It is in this parable that Jesus uttered the words "As you did it unto the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me."

To those who pass the test, Jesus grants access to his Kingdom, to eternal life, to Heaven; those who do not pass the test, Jesus condemns to everlasting fire, to everlasting punishment, to Hell.

Even if, like me, you are not a Christian, it is well worth being familiar with this passage, one of world spirituality's most extraordinary expressions of a fundamental moral truth concerning economic justice. (Podcasts 9 and 10 treat this subject in more depth.)

Obviously my two passions are linked. One of the ways right-wing pseudo-Christians violate Matthew 25 is in their eager and violent oppression of the Third World.

Well, I just came across a piece written by Gary Vance, who's an evangelical pastor and writer in rural Tennessee. It combines in a delicious way my two passions, economic justice for the Third World poor, and the Matthew 25-based hypocrisy of right-wing Christians.

This theological reflection was published by commondreams.org, a must-go-to site for progressives. It will provide the springboard to examine my two passions through the prism of a present-day intersection of, and battleground over the two, Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.

Jack Clark 2:51 PM [+]
Post #115216569692189208


Comments:  This section is for listeners. To receive a reply from Jack Clark, you should call the comment line.














You might have just a smidgeon of credibility if you weren't the member of the party that chops up babies.
posted by Anonymous  9:26 AM   [+]
 
and YOU Anonymous MIGHT have ANY CREDIBILITY at all if you both had the bravery to use a REAL NAME and stand by you moronic BS right wing talking points or had ANY TOUCH WITH REALITY...PLEASE... "chopping up babies".... get in the 21th century buddy.... "if MEN got pregnant abortion would be a right"
posted by L. Michael Labovitch  4:55 PM   [+]
 
I am a Christian. That means only Faith in Jesus Christ, his divinity, His death , and Resurrection, is the only way to redemption and salvation. It doesn't matter how good we think we are or how much 'good' we do. Faith comes first and that is manifested by 'good works.'

Yes feeding the hungry, caring for the poor and the sick are wonderful, but humans are sinful and thus all nations and political systems are sinful.

The USA is far from perfect and some of its policy's are questionable [ legalized abortion, materialism, a very sexualized and me first society etc. ] but our founding fathers were christians and based this system of government on those principals.
The USA has helped [money, food, technology etc.] the World. Ask post ww2 Germany and Japan, Israel, etc.

The idealized goverment where everyone has the same amount of income, food, possessions has failed [ USSR for example ] and what are current comunist or socialistic countries contributing to the world?

The 'good news' of the Bible is that although we are sinners to be judged by GOD, knowing that all sinners go to Hell, Faith in Jesus Christ / God /Holy Spirit redeems us from this judgement.
posted by Anonymous  9:30 PM   [+]
 
To Anonymous Christian,

I am a Christian too, and you have misinterpreted the entire thing. Read Genesis again with new eyes. We are made in God's image and likeness. Sin is not our birthright; in fact this belief alone ruins Christ's message. Duality and belief that sin is as powerful as god is what's wrong with this archaic Christian thought.

Open your eyes. See that we are basically good. Then healing as Christ healed will take place in human lives. We are not sinful; we are operating from the wrong premise. We are reflections of God, good. Adam fell under the mist (mortal mind or false belief.) We need only to wake up and act on our innate goodness.

The Divine spark is in all of us. The kingdom of heaven is within.
posted by Lydia Cornell  5:39 AM   [+]
 
By the way, George Bush is not a Christian. He is pro-death.

Great website Jack Clark. I couldn't agree with you more on everything you say.

Thank you.
posted by Lydia Cornell  5:40 AM   [+]
 
Incredible, we are all basically good? Yes we were made in the image of God, we are his embassadors to this earth, we are to be good stewards of it. But we are sinful, that is the very nature of the confilct that we have with God. Sin is not powerful in any way, it is simply a disease that God will not tolerate. It is a vile filth that when we are covered in, we will not be accepted by God. The only way to be accepted by the creator is two diffrent ways. Either be as sinless as Jesus. (a impossible task) Or to accept his sacrifice as payment for our sin.



Now, that topic is out of the way. I will deal with the idea that "social justice" We are to do to the least of our brothers what we would do to Jesus. That means giving to charity. We are to tithe 10% of our income. And our offerings are to be above and beyond that. If anything government programs have reduced the need for charitable giving because instead of private people helping and doing good, we can all do it passivly via taxation. If the government stoped all forms of social justice there would be terrible consequences. But that is because of sin, if we all acted in the way that we are supposed to than there would be no need for governenment intervention. But we do not, so the government must step in to do the just thing. But we must be carful to understand that it is still ultimately a choice to give to the poor, if the rich do not want to give money to the poor they should not be forced to by a secular government. We should allow them to be greedy money grubbing individuals. THat is their choice. And that is what makes america wonderful. Freedom of Choice. Even if that means the choice of being and ass. The Governemnt needs to be carful of how much money it takes from people to give to charity. Today in our sociey those living off public assistance have come to see it more as a right than a gift. And that is were we get problems. That is when hard work and injunity is replaced by diplomacy and demanding of social justice for all people, due to basic rights for specific standard of living. All people deserve the right of opportunity to all goods. BUT no one deserves to have those goods simply given to them on the basis that they are humans.
posted by Benjamin Burkley  6:43 AM   [+]
 
BEFORE YOU CALL SOMETHING YOUR PASSION, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT THAN WHAT YOU READ
IN THE HEADLINES. I AM FROM CARACAS AND FAMILY IS STILL THERE. THE AMERICAN COMPANIES PROVIDED JOBS AND MONEY TO THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OF VENEZUELA. MY FATHER GREW UP ON A FARM THAT DID NOT EVEN HAVE RUNNING WATER. HE WORKED HARD FOR HIS EDUCATION, BECAME A DOCTOR AND PUT HIS WIFE AND FOUR CHILDREN THROUGH GRAD SCHOOL(SOUNDS LIKE AN AMERICAN DREAM), AND NOW CHAVEZ HAS TAKEN THE FARM OF OUR FAMILY IN THE NAME OF THE POOR. BUT ITS USE IS ONLY FOR CHAVEZ HIMSELF. IN THE 2ND MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE WORLD, THE VIOLENCE HAS INCREASED WHILE THE POLICE HAVE BECOME MORE CORRUPT. EDUCATION, ECONOMY AND SOCIETY HAVE DECLINED SINCE CHAVEZ HAS GAINED POWER. HE HAS EVEN TAKEN CONTROL OF ALL MEDIA, AND REGULATES IT FOR HIS GAIN. SO IF YOU ARE AS PASSIONATE ABOUT HOW GREAT CHAVEZ TREATS HIS PEOPLE AND HOW BAD TREATS HIS THAN WHY ARE YOU LIVING IN A MORE TROPICAL CLIMATE?
HOW CAN YOU PREACH CHRISTAIN WAYS AND QUOTE SCRIPTURE, WHEN THE "LEFT" YOU SUPPORT, ARE CONTINUALLY TRYING TO GOD OUT OF OUR LIFE? NO PRAYER IN SCHOOL, CHANGE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, TEAR DOWN ANY PLACKARD OR STATUE THAT REFERS TO GOD IN ANY GOVERNMENT BUILDING ETC...

WHY ARE WE (AS AMERICANS) TRYING TO TEAR DOWN EACH OTHER? FOR THE POWER OF OFFICE? WHY DISHONOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SACRAFICED SO THAT WE CAN LIVE FREE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH WORKING TO BUILD A BETTER LIFE, A BETTER COUNTRY? LET ME ASK YOU THIS. IF YOU HAD A COMPANY. WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED TO BUILD THE BUSINESS? OR, WOULD YOU PREFER THEM TO SIT AND BLAME MANAGEMENT FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS BAD WITH COMPANY.
posted by Anonymous  5:00 PM   [+]
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Great podcast - a must listen to
Jack Clark documents the right's wars on the poor, civil liberties, the right of workers to organize at work and obtain a decent working wage and work conditions, and against other countries who refuse to accept American domination. Jack provides all the sources so that you can see for yourself how the right is out to enrich itself at the expense of everyone else. Great job, Jack!
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awesome show
Clark always backs up his statements against the right wing with fact and data, which gives him all the more credibility. As conglomerate media controlled by politics clouds the mainstream news media, Jack Clark, along with NPR and Democracy Now! have become my primary news source. Awesome podcast!
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This podcast is not just entertainment, humor, chimp-bashing, or gee-whiz recap of the weeks events. Instead, it hits hard and in-depth on the world economic situation and how right-wing policies impact the poor and less advantaged all over the world. He examines Americas support of the World Bank, IMF,multinational corporations, etc., and connects the dots. This is a podcast for grown-ups. He gives good reasons why the right wing is NOT living up to its precious Bible, without putting down the Bible. As a Jesus-loving Christian and moderate Democrat, I respect this podcast for its subject matter. The grown-up manner of the speaker is just icing on the cake. He IS funny, but hes not trying to be, he just has a deadpan delivery but doesnt have to make jokes to make it interesting. The facts make it interesting and devastating.
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