Justice Sunday II: Is It Really a Big Deal?
Since I live in Nashville, work for the church, and have an interest in the intersection of faith and politics, I have kept up with Justice Sunday II—God Save the United States and This Honorable Court, which will be held this Sunday at Nashville's Two Rivers Baptist Church. Featured speakers include Tony Perkins, James Dobson (on video), Tom DeLay, and Phyllis Schlafly. The official purpose of the event is unclear, though it is assumed to be a pep rally for Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts.
The original Justice Sunday was attacked by crazy religious liberals like myself because the event's speakers implied that those who take issue with the President's judicial nominees are not people of faith, and because my senator, Bill Frist, was one of those speakers. (Frist, since endorsing federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, is no longer on good terms with Dobson and Perkins.) This time around, people know what to expect, so this Sunday's speakers are unlikely to surprise or shock anyone.
My question is, Who are the organizers and distinguished guests of Justice Sunday II speaking for? I have not been able to locate a list of participating churches or a full list of featured speakers. (Neither is available on the official website.) From what I can gather, mainline Protestants are not represented at all. According to Mark Tooley, the head United Methodist at the Institute for Religion and Democracy (an advocacy group for social, political, and theological conservatives within mainline Protestantism), his organization is not involved. Good News, the most prominent organization for conservative United Methodists also will not be participating. Though many mainline Protestants sympathize with the political views of Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, few (if any) are endorsing this event.
When I Googled "Justice Sunday II," I found that 11 of the first 20 links are to bloggers protesting the event. Only 2 link to bloggers supporting the event, both of whom have been invited to blog live from Two Rivers Baptist. The remaining links lead to news reports and press releases about Justice Sunday II.
Though Dobson, Perkins, and company claim to speak on behalf of the majority of American voters, I would argue that they don't speak for the majority of American Christians, the majority of Republicans, the majority of Republican Christians, or the majority of parents who look to Focus on the Family for information about movies, music, and so forth. I could be wrong, but I would advise people not to get too worked up about Justice Sunday II. I don't think these people have as much influence as they think they do.
More on Christian Dissent Live, this Sunday from 6:00–8:00 a.m. on Radio Free Nashville.
The original Justice Sunday was attacked by crazy religious liberals like myself because the event's speakers implied that those who take issue with the President's judicial nominees are not people of faith, and because my senator, Bill Frist, was one of those speakers. (Frist, since endorsing federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, is no longer on good terms with Dobson and Perkins.) This time around, people know what to expect, so this Sunday's speakers are unlikely to surprise or shock anyone.
My question is, Who are the organizers and distinguished guests of Justice Sunday II speaking for? I have not been able to locate a list of participating churches or a full list of featured speakers. (Neither is available on the official website.) From what I can gather, mainline Protestants are not represented at all. According to Mark Tooley, the head United Methodist at the Institute for Religion and Democracy (an advocacy group for social, political, and theological conservatives within mainline Protestantism), his organization is not involved. Good News, the most prominent organization for conservative United Methodists also will not be participating. Though many mainline Protestants sympathize with the political views of Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, few (if any) are endorsing this event.
When I Googled "Justice Sunday II," I found that 11 of the first 20 links are to bloggers protesting the event. Only 2 link to bloggers supporting the event, both of whom have been invited to blog live from Two Rivers Baptist. The remaining links lead to news reports and press releases about Justice Sunday II.
Though Dobson, Perkins, and company claim to speak on behalf of the majority of American voters, I would argue that they don't speak for the majority of American Christians, the majority of Republicans, the majority of Republican Christians, or the majority of parents who look to Focus on the Family for information about movies, music, and so forth. I could be wrong, but I would advise people not to get too worked up about Justice Sunday II. I don't think these people have as much influence as they think they do.
More on Christian Dissent Live, this Sunday from 6:00–8:00 a.m. on Radio Free Nashville.
posted by Tinley | 5:46 AM
1 Comments:
is this the event that was highlighted on the daily show a while back when they talked highly about megachurches having baskin robbins?.. just wondering
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