Pockets of poverty grow larger in United States

My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,” haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?

James 2:1-4 (The Message)

There is disturbing new data on poverty from the U.S. Census Bureau. These analyses compared poverty statistics between the years 2000 and 2010. Among the key findings is that poverty has become more concentrated in areas where at least 20% of residents live below the income threshold used by the federal government.

In 2010, approximately 14.9 percent of the total U.S. population lived in poverty. However, poverty is not distributed evenly across neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods in every state that have higher than average poverty rates. The U.S. Census Bureau designates any census tract with a poverty rate of 20.0 percent or more as a “poverty area.” In 2010, more than 77 million people lived in poverty areas.

Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of people living in poverty areas fell from 20.0 percent to 18.1 percent. This trend was reversed in the past decade. Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of people living in poverty areas grew from 18.1 percent to 25.7 percent. While the overall population grew by 10 percent over the decade, the number of people living in poverty areas grew by about 56 percent.

As noted by Danielle Kurtzleben, the increased concentration of poverty in particular areas is associated with other social, health, and economic problems, all of which make it more difficult for people to ever escape poverty.

All of this matters because living near poverty can carry with it some major problems, Higher crime rates, for example, are associated with higher-poverty areas, as are worse housing conditions, worse public schools and worse health. In addition, economic segregation is correlated with lower economic mobility. If America's poorest are growing more and more concentrated, that could mean lower mobility (though importantly, these associations aren't causal), further entrenching these sorts of economic problems.

People living in pockets of poverty has become particularly prominent in the southern tier of states. As shown in this graphic from the Census Bureau, states in dark blue have the largest concentrations of people living in poverty.

As a follower of Christ, I find these numbers profoundly disturbing in relation to the narrative coming out of many of our Christian leaders. They take to social media and the airwaves to bleat about genital morality, but these same "leaders" are too often silent about the injustices that plague our society. From Genesis to Revelation, there are more than 2000 verses that speak to our obligation as people of faith to lift the burdens of the poor. They trumpet the absolute letter of the law when it comes to matters of sexuality but remain silent on the pain and suffering of the most vulnerable in our society. That smells like a whitewashed tomb to me.

Seeing people suffer fills me with impotent rage when all I can do is offer token gestures. It brings me to prayer, begging for better tools. It is in these times that I feel the presence of the Lord. But it raises a question. It seems to me that if people of faith really care about the poor, then I cannot fathom why so little has been done to create more and better "ladders of opportunity" for those living in resource poor communities. If all the great culture warriors stopped talking about genitals for even a year and started agitating for meaningful solutions, the body of Christ might accomplish something useful to the point of miraculous. Instead we debate religious liberty for corporate executives all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Face-palm. Head-wall. Seriously?

The narrative in this country surrounding poverty is bullshit. Since poverty has not been eradicated in the past fifty years, our political leaders have pronounced the federal "War on Poverty" a failure and  begun slashing the safety net. There was nothing in those federal programs designed to create living wage jobs. That was the responsibility of our corporate leaders who decided to export jobs to cheaper labor markets oversees instead. The War on Poverty was destined to fail unless people could find jobs that lift them out of poverty. D'oh. Me thinks our political leaders fail basic integrity, most especially when they sport their cross lapel pin on the campaign trail.

Government, "closely held" corporations, and non-profits have simply not done a credible job of creating adequate "ladders of opportunity" for the poor. The statistics are there for everyone to see. Given this remarkable cluster of failure, there is an extraordinary need for people of faith to put our heads and hearts together. We need a new paradigm. Instead I have Christian leaders telling me to mistreat my neighbors, co-workers, and fellow congregants if they are involved in same-sex intimate relationships. There is something wrong with this picture.

I always thought "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" included lifting people out of poverty. We live in an ethically bankrupt political and corporate culture. All they care about is power and wealth so it should come as no surprise that pockets of poverty continue to grow. If the Lord's will be done, then people of faith will have to play a large role. That seems strangely fundamental to me.

Today I Give Thanks (TIGT) for threatening skies that did no harm.

The sin of exploiting the Earth

Pope Francis:

"This is one of the greatest challenges of our time: to convert ourselves to a type of development that knows how to respect creation." 

"When I look at America, also my own homeland (South America), so many forests, all cut, that have become land ... that can no longer give life. This is our sin, exploiting the Earth and not allowing her to her give us what she has within her." 

 I know he speaks truth.

Three of my grandparents came from the coalfields of Kentucky and Virginia. I have hillbilly roots. My kin were active participants in the Hatfield-McCoy dustup. And I love Appalachia. Went to college there. Hiked it. Fought forest fires in it. And it just so happens Appalachia is the perfect set piece for the words of Papa Francis.

To get at a thin vein of coal near the surface of mountaintops, coal companies have destroyed 1.5 million acres of forest, much of it old growth, and dumped rock and other mining debris into 2000 miles of streams and rivers. This lovely practice is known as mountaintop removal mining. Large expanses of an incredibly diverse ecosystem are being dynamited and 'dozered' so a few coal company executives and shareholders can make a quick buck.



Mountaintop removal is back in the news thanks to a new study that shows how the mining process is destroying fish stocks in the region. Here is coverage from the Charleston Gazette:

Appalachian streams affected by mountaintop removal coal mining can have fewer than half as many fish species and a third as many total fish as other regional waterways, according to a new study published this week by researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Using data from several time periods to track changes in fish diversity and abundance in West Virginia’s Guyandotte River basin, USGS experts observed persistent effects of mountaintop removal associated with water quality degradation and found no evidence that fish communities recovered over time. 

“The Appalachian mountains are a global hotspot for freshwater fish diversity,” said Nathanial Hitt, a USGS research fish biologist and lead author of the study. “Our paper provides some of the first peer-reviewed research to understand how fish communities respond to mountaintop mining in these biologically diverse headwater streams.”

This is corporate sin. This is profit-at-all-costs mentality. It is sacrilege.

But, but, but the coal companies promise to kind of, sort of, restore the land to original contours and reforest. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Standard operating procedure in the coal industry is to declare bankruptcy when a mine is no longer profitable. That is why we have hundreds of thousands of abandoned mining sites all over the country. (Note to frog - scorpions always sting. It is in their nature.) Soon there will be a toxic industrial wasteland covered with a thin layer of soil that cannot support tree root formation. It will be an inglorious monument to greed.

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Today I Give Thanks (TIGT) for this miniature schnauzer, even when he steals low-hanging raspberries:

Destroying the Christ brand

Christian leaders that champion greed, war, and contempt for God's creation damage the Christ brand.  They are encouraging followers of Jesus to join a culture that glorifies materialism, violence, and self-centeredness. We are being told to strip off our robes of spiritual purity and wallow in the mire.

Professed Christians are encouraged to worship at the alter of Mammon. If your concern is with what you have rather than what others do not have, can you legitimately claim to follow Christ? That does not sound particularly born again in the Lord to me. Matthew 25 spells it out in pretty simple terms. You run the risk of being counted among the goats if you neglect the poor, sick, old, and disabled.

I have to come to dislike sharing my faith because I feel like I have to apologize for the actions of my fellow Christians. I have to explain that I believe we are all equal and loved in God's eyes. Growing up, I was taught that I was morally superior because I was male, white, heterosexual, and Christian. I later learned that none of that was true. Not one word. Remind me again who is the father of all lies?

I have to apologize for their obsession with what other people do with their genitals. Paraphrasing Jesus, control your own impulses rather than fret over the impulses of others. It seems like sage advice.

I refuse to mistreat a neighbor, co-worker, or member of my congregation because they are in same-sex relationships. It is a lousy testament to the whole Love Your Neighbor as Yourself thing. Strange how many Christian leaders that demand that I throw rocks at members of the LGBT community are found to have committed sexual sins or covered up sexual abuse by other clergy. I am sure that is merely a coincidence. Only when it happens with regularity do we call it a trend.

I question the sincerity of those that profess to be pro-life when they also oppose contraception. I am not alone.

To be clear: None of the contraceptive methods employers are required to cover under the Affordable Care Act cause abortion, including the specific types of contraception to which Hobby Lobby objects. Instead, these contraceptive methods work by preventing pregnancy (fertilization) from occurring in the first place. For instance, the intrauterine device works primarily by preventing fertilization. Plan B (or the progestin-containing, morning-after pill), along with Ella (ulipristal acetate), delay the release of a woman’s egg from her ovary. The egg does not get fertilized, which means the woman does not become pregnant. 

In fact, long-acting contraceptive methods, such as IUDs and implants, are the most effective forms of contraception for preventing unintended pregnancies. And preventing unintended pregnancy is key for those who identify as pro-life, because almost half of all unintended pregnancies end in abortion.

The whole "blurred lines" thing between religion and limited liability corporations is nauseating. Jonathan Merritt nails it:

“The New Testament never—not one time—applies the ‘Christian’ label to a business or even a government,” he writes. “The tag is applied only to individuals. If the Bible is your ultimate guide, the only organization one might rightly term ‘Christian’ is a church. And this is only because a church in the New Testament is not a building or a business, but a collection of Christian individuals who have repented, believed on Christ, and are pursuing a life of holiness.”

If for-profit corporations have religious rights, can we stone them for their sins? Shouldn't they at least be held to same standards as religious congregations if they are equal to churches?

I have no explanation for their lack of concern for the suffering of others. They are overflowing with concern for the unborn, but cannot seem to muster the same enthusiasm for the already born.

Once upon a time, evangelists appeared on television to proclaim God's love and condemn the evils of communism. Now many praise the virtues of capitalism as if it were somehow immune to sin. This evolution is remarkably unsettling.

What do we call ourselves when the Christ brand takes a hit? More often than not these days, I prefer Jesus Freak. 

Today I Give Thanks (TIGT) for black raspberry season.

On Independence Day

Today is one those days we are supposed to chant "USA! USA! USA!". Fire up the grill, gorge on tubed, ground and slabbed meat, and take in some local fireworks. You know the drill. This year, I find myself left with too many questions about state of our nation.

A bunch of states want a new confederacy. If they had their wish, the union would be dissolved in favor of a confederacy of independent states that come together to promote commerce. The Tea Party movement is filled with state's rights fanatics. Why should I salute a flag that so many Americans say symbolizes nothing more than a marriage of convenience?

As a nation, we celebrate greed and materialism. We cheer violence and vengeance. Our political and business leaders ridicule the poor, sick without insurance, old without a fat pension, and disabled as unworthy of taxpayer support. Look at the hatred on the faces of these Americans for those fleeing violence and corruption in Central America. As a follower of Christ, all of this turns my stomach. Why should I cheer an ethically bankrupt culture?

Adding to my ambivalence is the remarkable number of Christian leaders that serve as apologists for our materialistic, militaristic, and narcissistic culture. Here are some praying over the "invisible hand of the free market." Here are some praying for war. Here are pastors passing out guns. Here are some praying for the desecration of God's creation. Pretending fossil fuels help the poor and honor God is one of the most utterly repulsive instances of blasphemy I have ever seen. And, of course, these same leaders demand control over other people's genitals and the right to stone offenders.

I doubt the sincerity of the head of Southern Baptist ethics when he says things like this:

I think that we must be cultural warriors, if what we mean by culture warriors is an engagement with the outside culture about what we believe and why that's important. I think we must be Christshaped culture warriors, meaning that we don't back down on the issues. We speak with truth. But we speak with a truth that is consistent with the mission that we have to see people reconciled to God. So I believe that the sort of cowardice that would not apply the Gospel to issues that are destroying people and destroying families and destroying communities is not consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If he is really fighting for Christ then why is he standing with worshippers of Mammon, war, and Almighty Self? He is slick. I will give him that. His cultural indignation is only tweaked when it involves homosexuality, contraception, and abortion. He is pleased as punch to bask in our culture's love for money, guns, and social darwinism. He was giddy when for-profit corporations were granted religious rights. He and others like him preach too much self-centered salvation for my tastes.

I thought Jesus called us to help repair the world, bring about something closer to thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Every time I hear America referred to as a "Christian nation," I cringe and feel like throwing up. Jesus spent his ministry going among the poor, sick, and spiritually broken. His disciplines were taught to share the good news of God's enduring love, grace, and mercy. This same Jesus upbraided the rich and condemned the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He even warned future shepherds not to lead his flock astray or pray they were never born when forced to account for their actions.

This Independence Day I find myself wondering if indeed our best days are behind us as a nation. There is nothing exceptional about a nation that continues to disenfranchise voters and allow the rich to buy elections. At least it  spares me of idolatry when it comes to patriotism.

So today I will eat too much and give thanks for the blessings we do have as a nation. At the end of the day, what gives my life meaning is that rebellious Jew from Nazareth named Jesus.

Today I Give Thanks (TIGT) for the first crop of tomatoes and herbs from the garden. These gifts are about to become a smoked and slow roasted sauce. Very tasty over our daily bread.

Congratulations, Hobby Lobby

A majority of U. S. Supreme Court Justices loved your masterful defense of Christian privilege for company owners like yourself. Good for you. You are every bit as good as churches and non-profits.

This is an enormous feather in your cap. Your personal faith was applauded in the highest court in the land. "Sincerely held" beliefs. From their mouth to God's ears.

You were already a legend among evangelical Christians. Your money is a very big deal. They call you and your family "Kingdom givers" and "a shining light in the Christian community." It is not pride, vanity, or arrogance when the accolades are deserved.

Even the secular Forbes Magazine called you "a Christian company in every sense."

Ignore the spoilsports that question your selling of junk made in China where religious persecution is real, abortions are encouraged by the government, and worker exploitation a deadly reality.

Products bearing "Made in China" labels are found all over the shelves at Hobby Lobby, evidence that some of its wares come from Chinese factories that have a reputation for labor rights violations and rock-bottom wages. Employees at these facilities often end up working grueling hours in prison-like conditions and never earn enough to escape poverty. 

"You cannot call your business 'Christian' when arguing before the Supreme Court, and then set aside Christian values when you're placing a bulk order for cheap wind chimes," wrote Christian author and columnist Jonathan Merritt in a recent article for The Week.

Haters gonna hate.

And gloaters gonna gloat. We all know where God stands on the political spectrum.

The desire to make money does not act as a waiver of constitutional or statutory rights, nor is it morally suspect, but it certainly is indispensable to a system of free enterprise that all too many on the Left view as the enemy of “social justice.” 

It may seem like hypocrisy to some that you still cover erectile dysfunction pills and penis pumps, but you are just pro-creation in not wanting to see medical interference with pregnancy unless there are fertility problems. Even if your actions increase unwanted pregnancies, there is no contradiction in opposing contraception and abortion. We all know it is a slippery slope, so to speak. Your belief that life begins at fertilization is "sincerely held" and must be obeyed, especially those women that work for you and might have been tempted to use an intrauterine device.

Never mind those complicated questions blurring the lines between individual and corporate rights. Christian ethicists like David Gushee seem to forget that a true Christian would never abuse their position of authority.

The whole point of establishing a corporation is to create an entity separate from oneself to limit legal liability. Therefore, Hobby Lobby is asking for special protections/liability limits that only a corporation can get on the one hand, and special protections that only individuals, churches and religious organizations get, on the other. It seems awfully dangerous to allow corporations to have it both ways.

I confess to not being able to see see how this high-profile, divisive case serves the cause of Christ. It must be a complete failure of imagination on my part.

A popular myth

I have yet to find the source text, but here is the gist.

Do not be deceived, brothers and sisters. The invisible hand of the Free Market can be Christ's if we have good Christians running it. Any previous sins committed by the Free Market were the fault of unbelievers. We all know that God has predetermined who will be rich and poor except when regulations cripple the heroic Free Market. True believers are careful stewards of the Free Market, fighting off attempts to require sharing of wealth through salaries and taxes. When good, honest captains of industry have to hide their assets in the Caribbean, then true believers have not done enough to protect the glorious Free Market. As for the poor, tell them to beg from a Christian charity as it should be.

Iraq is back in the news

In October of 2002, a group of prominent Christian leaders wrote that any decision by the American government to attack Iraq would be just in the eyes of God. It served to build public support for the war. However, this prophetic statement about our justifications and intentions turned out to be false. It was the worst use of our nation's military since Vietnam, not to mention one of the longest and most expensive wars in our history.

Now Iraq is descending further into chaos. 

(Reuters) - Iraqi Kurds seized control of the northern oil city of Kirkuk on Thursday, while surging Sunni Islamist rebels advanced towards Baghdad, as the central government's army abandoned its posts in a rapid collapse that has lost it control of the north.

Our "liberation" of Iraq has led to 11 years of sectarian violence. Instead of bringing stability to the region, we undermined it with our aggression. 

It does raise an interesting theological question. When Christian leaders help promote a war that turns out to unjustified and unjust, are they obligated to repent? 

Richard Land and his fellow evangelists for this war have never repented. At best, they could claim they were mislead by our political leaders. That is certainly true. If so, then the ethical response would be to issue a follow-up letter indicating that many of the reasons given to justify this war (e.g. weapons of mass destruction) were not true. Their failure to do so makes a mockery of ethics and morality. It sets a horrible example for fellow Christians. Supposedly, Dr. Land knows something about ethics have been head of the Southern Baptist Convention's ethical committee for a quarter of a century. 

What the Land gang cannot claim is they were led by the Holy Spirit in their advocacy for the war. To say so would be to bear false witness against the Holy Spirit. If you thought you were led by the Holy Spirit but were mistaken, aren't you obligated to make it clear to others? 

I hear a lot of preaching about the need for repentance. It would certainly be nice to see that same fervor for repentance from some of our most distinguished Christian leaders when they fall short. Otherwise, they harm Christ's brand.