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Barack Obama's government gospel
by Judge Roy Moore
© 2008
Two months ago in downtown Philadelphia near
Independence Hall, Sen. Barack Obama expressed loyal support for his
pastor of 20 years, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, even after Wright had, in
Obama's words, used "incendiary language" in his sermons that
had the potential to "widen the racial divide" and
"denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation."
While Obama insisted that "race is an issue ... that this nation
cannot afford to ignore right now," he also stated firmly, "I
can no more disown him than I can disown the black
community."
But after a little more than five weeks – and after several more
publicized controversial statements by Rev. Wright – Obama changed his
tune, denouncing Wright's comments as "appalling" and
"ridiculous." Obama claimed he was "outraged by the
comments that were made, and saddened over the spectacle that we [have
seen]. Reverend Wright does not speak for me; he does not speak for my
campaign."
Rev. Wright's bizarre statements, however, reflect the anti-American
positions he consistently preached from the pulpit at Trinity United
Church of Christ in Chicago during Obama's 20 years as a member there.
Wright has not only compared the United States military to terrorists,
but he also blamed our country for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and has
even accused the U.S. government of targeting the black community with
HIV. Only after Wright's sermons and opinions became widely discussed did
Obama suddenly disagree with his remarks and describe them as
"divisive" and "destructive." Candidate Obama was
particularly "angered" by one of Wright's more personal
statements: that Obama's sudden disassociation is nothing but
"political posturing."
Obama may be turning his back on some of Wright's racially divisive
remarks and other absurd statements, but he has nothing but open arms for
Wright's dangerous theological dedication to the "social
gospel." He specifically praised Wright for building a church and
preaching sermons – sermons Obama admits to hearing – that emphasized
"social struggle, the importance of striving for equality and social
justice and fairness, a social gospel." Equality, justice and
fairness are good and even biblical ideals, but just what is this
"social gospel" that Obama and Wright are touting?
The "social gospel" movement began in the late 19th century in
response to the Industrial Revolution. Some influential Christian leaders
began to assert that Christianity was failing to meet the needs of the
poorer classes created by industrialization and its massive economic and
social changes. Rejecting the infallibility of the Bible, these Christian
activists discounted the role of individual responsibility for one's
plight in life, and placed the blame for poverty on external institutions
like capitalism and business. They sought a man-made kingdom of heaven on
earth where government was responsible for an individual's every need. In
essence, a Christian flavor was added to socialist theory to create this
social gospel.
The social gospel influenced many mainline Protestant denominations,
including the Methodists, the Presbyterians and Obama's denomination, the
United Church of Christ. Social gospel proponents called for massive
government intervention to provide a "safety net" for the poor.
One of the most prominent leaders was Baptist minister Rev. Walter
Rauschenbusch, who declared in 1908 that "socialism is coming to be
the very life-breath of the intelligent working-class" because it is
"one of the great elemental movements of human history."
Christian socialism influenced architects of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New
Deal and Social Security and, years later, Lyndon Johnson's "War on
Poverty," a 30-year, $5-trillion redistribution of wealth that
failed to reduce poverty in any measurable way.
But faith in government is no substitute for faith in God. Government is
a clumsy instrument only capable of performing a few tasks in an
efficient manner. As Thomas Jefferson observed in his First Inaugural
Address, "[A] wise and frugal government ... shall restrain men from
injuring one another, [but] shall leave them otherwise free to regulate
their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from
the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good
government." At best, government can only change surroundings and
circumstances, but it cannot change individuals – only God can change the
heart. This is why the Bible admonishes us to put our trust "in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
Obama has admitted that it was this "social gospel" message
that originally drew him to Rev. Wright's church, and his liberal
government proposals show that he has been paying close attention ever
since. Obama has proposed mandatory, universal government health care, a
"living wage" for all Americans, and a Global Poverty Bill,
which is currently before the U.S. Senate, that would earmark for foreign
countries $845 billion over and above what we already spend and make it
official U.S. policy to eliminate global poverty. The bill represents an
unconstitutional attempt to redistribute taxpayer money to foreign
governments. In short, Obama's "Blueprint for Change" is filled
with government programs that would infiltrate every area of life, to
include the environment, education, employment, energy policy and
community volunteering. Such socialism illustrates an affinity for a
theology which believes that government, not individuals, families, or
the church, should serve to remedy the social and economic needs in our
country.
The social gospel movement is heavy on socialism and light on the
understanding that God provides our every need. Obama and his former
pastor preach a theology that would try to alleviate the nation's
spiritual and moral deficit by taking more money from those who have
earned it to give to more of those who have not. Obama's hopeless attempt
to inflict the failed policies of the "War on Poverty" on the
global stage would (like all his solutions) result in even more bloated
and expensive government bureaucracy. Americans should not put their
faith in such a false gospel, or their hope in a candidate who espouses
it.
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