05.08.05
Posted in faith, politics, philosophy at 10:11 pm by
After a sermon this morning–and a great sermon at that–about diversity and racial reconciliation in the kingdom of God, I’m spurred on to add a few final thoughts about justice–restorative and retributive. Also, hence forth and forevermore I’ll just be referring to these types of justice in the sense that they are two different things: restoration and retribution.
If you’re interested in my distinction between retribution and restoration as manifestations of justice, read the last two posts. The director for race-relations of the Christian Reformed Church in North America just so happens to go to our Church and dammit all if he didn’t preach one hummdinger of a sermon this morning.
I tell you what, it was enough to get this South Dakota, small town, midwestern, whiteboy saying, “Amen, that’s right”, and “C’mon brother, preach it.” from the pew. In and of itself, that’s an act of God. Pastor Esteban preached about the kingdom moral value of diversity (oh, if that counted as a moral value in the past election…bygones.)
Pastor Esteban challenged our congregation that diversity wasn’t just an end goal for SOME congregations charged with being diverse…it was a value that EVERY congregation needed to be serious about. That’s a pretty heavy charge. I think he’s dead right.
But, Pastor Esteban got me thinking, too. I wonder if the common viewpoint of justice as retribution has had some hurtful effects on race reconciliation. It all seems to make sense in terms of looking at many folks (particularly white folks) angst about affirmative action. Not all, but many white folk, view affirmative action (AA) as a form of punishment against them for their being white. When these angst ridden folk are told that we’re just trying to level the playing field that’s been tilted due to various sorts of racism, they’re angry because they feel that they’re being punished for something they haven’t done.
It seems like some white folk–and I run in circles with several of them–are confusing retribution with restoration. Nobody wants white people to have to go through the same things they’ve put other ethnicities through. That’s probably an overgeneralization, but most of the people of color I’ve ever interacted with are not interested in doing to caucasions what we’ve historically, systematically, and individually done to them. If some of my readers of color could give insight here…I’d be thrilled to hear your voices on this matter…but for the most part I think it’s pretty safe to say that no one’s looking for payback.
People, regardless of their ethnicity, ARE looking for an equal playing field. Restoration is the justice of the day. However, I speculate that the confusion of retribution and restoration has caused a deep rift amongst folk trying to solve the racism problem. Now, I don’t even dream to propose that AA is the perfect solution to all sorts of racism in this country; however, it’d be a great first step.
As I think about it, the differentiation between retribution and restoration have lots of pertinent examples that float around in politics and culture. Zalm alluded to an interesting question, though. Is retribution necessary?
I tend to think not. It seems to me that the battle against evil has been made complete by the death of Christ. In Christ’s death and resurrection, the debt was paid. Thus, retribution as a concept has, to me, gone out of style. We’ve no need for it any longer, it doesn’t seem to have much utility for one who believes the battle against evil has been won. (A concept that I would contrast against substitutionary atonement…thus, Christ’s death and resurrection was a triumph against evil broadly construed…although, I’m not a theologian, and I’m only speculating, here.)
However, we certainly live in a screwed up world. There’s much work to be done. Bridges to be built, people to be helped, and hungry to be fed. That is, to me, the work of restoration. The stamping out of individual evils…of restoring things in bite-sized chunks to the way they ought to be.
I don’t have all the answers, and I really am just shooting from the hip here. I just can’t imagine that God’s agenda for Brandon is to have him stroll around and chastise: gay folk, liberals, alcoholics, the poor, or any other marginalized group. Rather, I feel like God’s agenda for me is to help people in marginalized groups experience those things God wants for them–like community, unconditional love, patience, peace, fulfillment, etc.
Thoughts?
Permalink
Trackback URL »
http://www.badchristian.com/2005/05/08/justice_part_trois/trackback/
Posted in faith, politics, philosophy at 10:11 pm by
After a sermon this morning–and a great sermon at that–about diversity and racial reconciliation in the kingdom of God, I’m spurred on to add a few final thoughts about justice–restorative and retributive. Also, hence forth and forevermore I’ll just be referring to these types of justice in the sense that they are two different things: restoration and retribution.
If you’re interested in my distinction between retribution and restoration as manifestations of justice, read the last two posts. The director for race-relations of the Christian Reformed Church in North America just so happens to go to our Church and dammit all if he didn’t preach one hummdinger of a sermon this morning.
I tell you what, it was enough to get this South Dakota, small town, midwestern, whiteboy saying, “Amen, that’s right”, and “C’mon brother, preach it.” from the pew. In and of itself, that’s an act of God. Pastor Esteban preached about the kingdom moral value of diversity (oh, if that counted as a moral value in the past election…bygones.)
Pastor Esteban challenged our congregation that diversity wasn’t just an end goal for SOME congregations charged with being diverse…it was a value that EVERY congregation needed to be serious about. That’s a pretty heavy charge. I think he’s dead right.
But, Pastor Esteban got me thinking, too. I wonder if the common viewpoint of justice as retribution has had some hurtful effects on race reconciliation. It all seems to make sense in terms of looking at many folks (particularly white folks) angst about affirmative action. Not all, but many white folk, view affirmative action (AA) as a form of punishment against them for their being white. When these angst ridden folk are told that we’re just trying to level the playing field that’s been tilted due to various sorts of racism, they’re angry because they feel that they’re being punished for something they haven’t done.
It seems like some white folk–and I run in circles with several of them–are confusing retribution with restoration. Nobody wants white people to have to go through the same things they’ve put other ethnicities through. That’s probably an overgeneralization, but most of the people of color I’ve ever interacted with are not interested in doing to caucasions what we’ve historically, systematically, and individually done to them. If some of my readers of color could give insight here…I’d be thrilled to hear your voices on this matter…but for the most part I think it’s pretty safe to say that no one’s looking for payback.
People, regardless of their ethnicity, ARE looking for an equal playing field. Restoration is the justice of the day. However, I speculate that the confusion of retribution and restoration has caused a deep rift amongst folk trying to solve the racism problem. Now, I don’t even dream to propose that AA is the perfect solution to all sorts of racism in this country; however, it’d be a great first step.
As I think about it, the differentiation between retribution and restoration have lots of pertinent examples that float around in politics and culture. Zalm alluded to an interesting question, though. Is retribution necessary?
I tend to think not. It seems to me that the battle against evil has been made complete by the death of Christ. In Christ’s death and resurrection, the debt was paid. Thus, retribution as a concept has, to me, gone out of style. We’ve no need for it any longer, it doesn’t seem to have much utility for one who believes the battle against evil has been won. (A concept that I would contrast against substitutionary atonement…thus, Christ’s death and resurrection was a triumph against evil broadly construed…although, I’m not a theologian, and I’m only speculating, here.)
However, we certainly live in a screwed up world. There’s much work to be done. Bridges to be built, people to be helped, and hungry to be fed. That is, to me, the work of restoration. The stamping out of individual evils…of restoring things in bite-sized chunks to the way they ought to be.
I don’t have all the answers, and I really am just shooting from the hip here. I just can’t imagine that God’s agenda for Brandon is to have him stroll around and chastise: gay folk, liberals, alcoholics, the poor, or any other marginalized group. Rather, I feel like God’s agenda for me is to help people in marginalized groups experience those things God wants for them–like community, unconditional love, patience, peace, fulfillment, etc.
Thoughts?
Permalink
Trackback URL »
http://www.badchristian.com/2005/05/08/justice_part_trois/trackback/
cw said,
May 9, 2005 at 12:15 pm
You write: “I just can’t imagine that God’s agenda for Brandon is to have him stroll around and chastise: gay folk, liberals, alcoholics, the poor, or any other marginalized group. Rather, I feel like God’s agenda for me is to help people in marginalized groups experience those things God wants for them–like community, unconditional love, patience, peace, fulfillment, etc.”
I agree with the sentiment, but make sure that you don’t forget those members of mainstream/dominant groups…they need to recognize these things too. It seems to me that some of the changes you (and I) would like to see in terms of social justice would be well-served if the mainstream was taught about–and actually enacted!–community, unconditional love and the like.
Drew said,
May 9, 2005 at 2:56 pm
Brandon,
I am enjoying your site — it’s always good to read the thoughts of a member of the family. I would ask you to carefully consider the idea that Jesus ‘won the battle against evil’ not by bearing the punishment for the sin of the church, but in some fashion defeating it in a way that means all lifestyles are ok.
I do not want to encourage you to berate the poor or disadvantaged or homosexuals. I do want you to love them as Jesus did! Share love with them by the strength of the Holy Spirit, that they might enter into the Kingdom of God, which can only be entered by an individual when she/he repents and believes. This is the message of John the Baptist, this is the message of Jesus, this is the message of Paul, and indeed of the entire Bible.
Without ’substitutionary atonement’, there is no Christianity.
Brandon said,
May 9, 2005 at 3:05 pm
Thanks for stopping in, Drew! I’m curious as to which family we’re concurrently a part of?
I do know a lot of great Christians who’d disagree with your statement about subsitutionary atonement.
The roots of racism said,
August 24, 2005 at 3:57 pm
Program on the emergence of civilization.
“14 species of large animals capable of domesitcation in the history of mankind.
None from the sub-Saharan African continent.
13 from Europe, Asia and northern Africa.”
Favor.
And disfavor.
They point out Africans’ attempts to domesticate the elephant and zebra, the latter being an animal they illustrate that had utmost importance for it’s applicability in transformation from a hunting/gathering to agrarian-based civilization.
The roots of racism are not of this earth.
Austrailia, aboriginals:::No domesticable animals, so this nulified diversity of life claims on sub-continental Africa, zebras being a fine example.
The North American continent had none. Now 99% of that population is gone.
god is a computer
And we’re all on auto-pilot.
Organizational Heirarchy
Heirarchical order, from top to bottom:
1. MUCK - perhaps have experienced multiple universal contractions (have seen multiple big bangs), creator of the artificial intelligence humans ignorantly refer to as “god”
2. Perhaps some mid-level alien management –
3. Mafia (evil) aliens - runs day-to-day operations here and perhaps elsewhere (”On planets where they approved evil.”)
Then we come to terrestrial management:
4. Chinese/egyptians - this may be separated into the eastern and western worlds
5. Romans - they answer to the egyptians
6. Mafia - the real-world interface that constantly turns over generationally so as to reinforce the widely-held notion of mortality
7. Jews, corporation, women, politician - Evidence exisits to suggest mafia management over all these groups.
Survival of the favored.
Movies foreshadowing catastrophy
1986 James Bond View to a Kill – 1989 San Fransisco Loma Prieta earthquake.
Journal: 10 composition books + 39 megs of text files