work in progress

                    PITY THE POOR MAINLINE PASTOR

Being a mainline Protestant Minister in the suburbs of a major American city is a difficult task when some of the congregants get their concept of political reality from Fox News, most are older semi-conservatives and there is a smattering of left-wing progressives.  Perhaps, most important of all, is that one-third of those who make substantial pledges think that Rush Limbaugh is kind of an OK guy.

So, what does one say from the pulpit when one can't avoid such issues as climate change, war and economic equality-- because the Biblical texts read to the congregation by lay readers on some Sundays cry out for a comment on such issues?  Being a faithful attendee of church services I can tell you what my pastor does.  On climate change he says, ". . . if you believe in it or not, we do need to, uh, perhaps take it into consideration, uh, as we (wheeze) consider being God's co-conservators of the creation, uh, (cough) as this passage in Genesis suggests, uh."

And the war issue?  When it appeared that President Obama was going to order an attack on Syria the Pastor said, "Let us pray that the collateral damage be minimal." He didn't mention the possibility of not going to war at all or hoping their could be a diplomatic solution. "Blessed are the peacemakers" seemed to be a phrase not of great import on that particular Holy Day of the week.

To do our Christian Duty to fight against economic injustice, affecting the least amongst us, he recommended  that we visit the local homeless shelter and give canned goods "high in protein" to the food bank.

Well, this all may seem a bit harsh but I do have sympathy for him.  As a mainline church it is difficult to hold onto membership.  The mega churches, with their classes for the divorced, the twenty-somethings, the forty-somethings, the recently-divorced-and-looking-for-someone, single parents, people in need of help to do income taxes, and so on lure congregants away and make recruiting almost impossible.  

So, to hold on to current membership and keep the pledges coming in, it really wouldn't be too wise to deal head on with issues like climate change, war, or social justice in any significant way.  That the teachings of Christ must be almost completely ignored, well that's just the way it is. 

This is what passes for Christianity in a country where children go to bed hungry at night, poor people can't get an education, and even with an implementation of Obamacare, millions will lack access to life-saving medical care.  And, oh yes, in a nation where over 50 percent of the national budget is dedicated to past, present, and future slaughter of human beings.