Just Don’t Call Them Biblical Values
Gary Blaine

Republican candidate Rick Santorum has criticized President Obama’s faith this week and stated that it is, “Not a theology based on the Bible.” Mr. Santorum seems to have a vision of America that is a theocracy based on Jewish and Christian principles. Mr. Santorum’s comments invite a host of questions that theocrats inevitably raise. Why a Jewish and Christian theocracy as if these two traditions were synonymous and meant the same thing. Which Judaism of the Hebrew Bible would he endorse, that of the pre-Davidic monarchy, or the Judaism of the various kingdoms of Israel and Judah, an exilic Judaism or post exilic Judaism? Or does he mean the theology of the Jewish peasant, Jesus, prior to the crucifixion and resurrection or the post resurrection community through the Council of Nicea? After Constantine everything “Christian” changes through the Dark Ages to post-Christian America.
I wonder if Mr. Santorum really imagines a United States government based on the Bible. As I read the Bible the nation would spend little time debating questions about gender orientation and put a tremendous amount of work and money into caring for the poor. There are only about six, possibly nine, Biblical references to homosexuality. But there are hundreds of references about the poor, God’s concern for the poor, God’s commands about caring for the poor, the consequences of not providing for the poor, and the blessings on those who provide for the poor.
I am not sure Mr. Santorum would win the endorsement of the Chamber of Commerce, banks, and corporations because a distinct value of the Bible prohibits usury. In the strict sense, usury in the Bible is any interest on loans, not just exploitive loans. And how about the year of the Jubilee? That Biblical value would require that all land borrowed, stolen, purchased, or seized for unpaid debts would return to its original owners. The Jubilee Year, every fifty years, would mean that all debts are forgiven.
Mr. Santorum wants to finish the wall that separates the United States from Mexico to stop illegal immigration. Never mind that it won’t really work given the massive border that surrounds the U.S. More importantly it is not a Biblical concept. Torah speaks repeatedly about caring for and even protecting foreigners and aliens. In fact, the Deuteronomist instructs us to “Love you therefore the stranger: for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Finally, do most Americans really want Biblical values when it comes to issues of national defense? Does Mr. Santorum really want to beat our drones into plowshares and our nuclear missiles in pruning hooks? I’ll bet nobody at the Pentagon, the Defense Department, or proud investors in the military industrial complex would vote for that. Biblical values require us to seek peace and reconciliation and not commit acts of violence against even our worst enemies. Mr. Santorum might do well to re-read the Sermon on the Mount.
Without a doubt people will argue with me about same-sex marriage, the abuse of entitlement programs, capitalism and a free-trade economy, the necessity of secure borders, and a strong military presence in the world. Their values will reflect their worldview and political ideology. Just don’t call them Biblical values.

Whitney's Death

The death of Whitney Houston has taken over the media. One morning news program devoted its entire two hours to her life, music, and demise.
Without a doubt Whitney Houston was a magnificent entertainer. Her voice spanned three octaves, delivered with soulful power. Not for a moment would I diminish her talent. Her career inspired many artists and her music touched the hearts of thousands of people.
Sadly, Whitney Houston is one more name in the list of artists and entertainers whose lifestyle destroyed them. The list is a long one and includes people like Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley, Chris Farley, River Phoenix, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe.
Already people are asking who is to blame for Ms. Houston’s death. Investigators are searching her medical records to determine what medications her doctors prescribed for her. Yet a former body guard reported the other day that her behavior was so self-destructive that he had to check on her every seven minutes to make certain that she was safe. She admitted that her own worst enemy was herself.
I do not judge Whitney Houston. But the only truth is that she is to blame for her death. Hers alone was the responsibility to seek the treatment she needed and make the choices that guaranteed her health. She chose to do otherwise and paid for it with her life. She also brought incredible grief to her daughter and others who loved her.
Over the years I have become convinced that the values of a consumer democracy actually erode the very character that establishes democracy in the first place. We have moved away from the agrarian principles of hard work, the reality of struggling with nature to feed human beings, and understanding that such a struggle does not make everyone a “WINNER!” We have lost our sense of personal responsibility and the reality that life is often fragile no matter how hard we have worked. I think of crops that have grown through the early spring and destroyed by a late killing frost, or blown over by high winds and hail just before harvest.
The glamour of Hollywood does not instill such character in people. We have known this for a very long time. The vanity, excess money, and pseudo-adulation of the entertainment business gives people the mistaken idea that life can be bought, charmed, and seduced by the right combination of talent and public relations.
None of it is real.
The death of Whitney Houston is a sad thing. But the loss is greater than the voice of such lyrics as “I will always love you.” The greater sorrow is a nation that lacquers over its own self-destructive behaviors and rushes out to buy the greatest hits of the dearly departed.