`Justice` Or `Just-Us` Sunday
By J. Brent Walker, Executive Director
Baptist Joint Committee, Washington, D.C.
Much was written and said during the run up to and aftermath of the so-called "Justice Sunday: Stop the Filibuster Against People of Faith"-or as Bob Edgar, of the National Council of Churches, called it, "Just-Us" Sunday-pointing out the arrogant presumption that the organizers of the event are right and godly and those who disagree are not only wrong but hostile to people of faith.
The Baptist Joint Committee weighed in full force with an early media statement and helped organize a counter press conference the Friday before. Many thanks to our friends Joe Phelps, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, and Reba Cobb, a Baptist Joint Committee board member, for leading that effort. Along with pastors from 17 Louisville-area churches, Joe and Reba stood and delivered, telling the assembled press corps that the organizers of Justice Sunday do not speak for all Christians or even all Baptists.
One of the most cogent op-eds about what was objectionable about Justice Sunday was penned by Cary Clack writing for the San Antonio Express-News. I think Mr. Clack hit the nail right on the head.
His basic point was this: what was wrong about the Justice Sunday extravaganza was not its purpose but its premise.
The purpose of the rally was fine: to allow people of faith to speak out on the important issue of whether the filibuster should be used in the U.S. Senate to oppose judicial nominations. Although the event was shrouded in unmistakable partisan wrapping, reinforced through a video pitch by the Senate`s majority leader, it was entirely appropriate for those with strong views to speak out in the public square.
No, the problem with Justice Sunday, as Clack points out, was the premise that those who oppose judicial nominees are carrying out a vendetta against people of faith or are motivated by some kind of religious bigotry.
This premise is hopelessly flawed. It was a shameful abuse of religion to suggest that God has taken up sides in this debate. Whatever our differences on the filibuster and on judicial nominees, there are people of faith on both sides, and neither has God in their hip pocket. An unintended consequence of Justice Sunday was to highlight the vast number of people of faith in this country who are willing to stand up and publicly oppose the narrow self-righteousness that was revealed at the rally on Sunday night. It is clearly as wrong to sacralize secular policy issues as it is to try to banish religious voices from the debate in the first place.
As Clack aptly points out, "In the political realm, people of faith can be opposed to other people of faith on given issues without either side being condemned to the fires of hell. Being a Christian isn`t synonymous with being a political conservative. That there is a Christian right and Christian left is a testament to how people find different interpretations and inspirations in the same sacred text. But there is something wrong with never having spoken to a person, not even knowing their middle name but purporting to know the condition of their soul. Who, not even knowing the contents of the other person`s prayers, has the right to judge their relationship with God?"
Moreover, I see no concerted effort to deny anyone a judgeship based on his or her religion. Debate about whether a nominee is fit to serve as a judge is not only legitimate but goes to the heart of the confirmation process. No one should be denied the right to serve based on some religious litmus test, but policy positions and legal philosophy are fair game for public scrutiny-however motivated by religious conviction they may be. Religious belief does not give anyone a free pass to the bench or any public office.
Yes, the Baptist Joint Committee defends the right of people of faith and religious organizations to advocate with their religious voices in the public square and to serve our country as public officials. But, at the same time, we must discourage claiming divine authority on behalf of public policy issues, characterizing political opponents as anti-God and lying about their motives.
Note: Reprinted with permission from Report from the Capital (May, 2005), the newsletter of the Baptist Joint Committee, 200 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 2002 or www.BJConline.org.
