Obama's little slip of the tongue has garnered attention from many quarters. Nobody wants to admit that there are people out there who do, in fact, cling to God and guns, etc. when times are hard. What Obama is saying is that people turn to religion because they are "down" on their circumstances. Why is this surprising to anybody?
Isn't this the gist of Black Liberation Theology? That's the really big elephant in the room that none of his supporters want to acknowledge.
But before they get too upset if they read this, how is that theology functionally different than "Your best life now," taught by Joel Osteen?
Answer: It's not. Both of these theologies teach the very thing that Obama has stated. These theologies encourage people to turn to religion because they are downtrodden, disenfranchised, etc.
So, Obama was wrong in one way: There are those of us who believe apart from feelings of disenfranchisement. But he's right in another, for he's repeating the very theology taught by Jeremiah Wright, his own pastor on the one hand and Joel Osteen on the other.
Obama has, unwittingly, highlighted a major problem in the American Church: We have lost the Gospel. It's just that simple.
Gene,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting connections here. I don't think it stops there, though, as I'm sure you realize. A good friend once said that modern theology turns Jesus into a giant Tylenol; He'll make you feel better, fix your problems, and help you function better. It's just all over the place.
In Christ,
BJ
Stupid Scholar