So perhaps December 15 is not the best time to officially kick off our Emerging Women book discussion. We are all busy and try as we might some of us have not actually finished reading the book yet. But this was the day we chose, so let's go for it.
So we are going to dive right in and ignore all rules of polite conversation by talking about religion and politics. God's Politics by Jim Wallis has taken the country by storm. He has hit a nerve and has finally voiced ideas that many have been thinking. Many of us are tired of the bipartisan system and think that neither side represents our beliefs. Wallis has put into words the hope that there is another way. A way that does not bow at the alter of a certain party's agenda, but instead looks to scripture and the values of Jesus. For many this book was a breath of fresh air, but others saw it as mere repackaging of liberalism. So I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the whole thing.
We've never done an official book discussion before, so I'm willing to see what works. We can experiment with different forms and approaches. I'll post a few broad questions. Respond to those or pose some of your own. Interact with each other, engage with the ideas. You are welcome to participate even if you haven't read (or finished) the book. Debate is welcomed, but I ask that we respect each other and affirm the validity of opinions. And while the book was a very American centered book, I think some of the basic principles can and do apply in other contexts. So our international readers are encouraged to join in as well. I understand that at this time of year the conversation might be slow. That's okay - this conversation can continue for as log as we like. I'll post a permanent link on the sidebar so it's easy to find. Happy discussing and here goes-
Questions for Discussion
What did you like/dislike about the book? What was one thing you learned from the book? How did the book change you?
What is the difference between "God's politics" and using God to justify our politics? How are God's politics different from ours?
How does the "politics of Jesus" offer an alternative to the political and economic agenda of the religious Right? What are the "politics of Jesus"?
Polling results after the 2004 election emphasized "moral values" as a deciding factor, but differed on what that meant. What is your definition of moral values? Did that influence your choice of who to vote for? What do you think are the most important moral values in politics?
What does it mean to change society by "changing the wind?" How can people of faith become "wind changers?"
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Labels: Book Discussions
I haven't finished the book quite yet, but I've read enough of it to comment on this post. :)
What did you like/dislike about the book?
I really liked Jim's commitment to moving beyond bipartisan politics. I agree with him when he says that God's politics aren't going to line up with the values of any political party and that we should test every party or movement against what (we think) God would say about it.
I think Jim misunderstood a few things about many of us who are pro-choice. Being pro-choice doesn't mean that I'm "pro-abortion." It means that I don't think the decision to terminate a pregnancy should be decided by anyone other than the woman who is actually pregnant.
Abortion isn't an easy or happy choice for the majority of women who find themselves unexpectanctly pregnant. It's a shitty solution to what is often a shitty situations.
I wholeheartedly support efforts to reduce abortion rates by improving sex education and access to contraception, or by reforming adoption laws, or by offering more financial or social support to single parents, or by offering marriage and/or parenting classes to those who are interested, etc etc.
My support would end at the moment Jim asked me to support legislation that it made more difficult (or illegal) for women to access contraception or an abortion.
More thoughts later.