"Why Take Only Some of the Bible Literally?" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code 201

Dan Miller continues his "Questions You Weren't Supposed to Ask in Church" series with a reflection on why only some biblical commands are to be taken literally, but others are not. The episode is based on an email from a listener named Matt, who writes: “If we as Christians are to love as Jesus loved (e.g., John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend”), then why don’t conservative, 'Bible-believing' Christians, people who say they take the Bible “literally,” that we’re commanded to do everything it directs us to do, etc., not abide by the social demands that seem to be presented in the Bible?"

He offers us a few examples:

 Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself”

 James 1:27: “take care of the infants and the widows”

 Hebrews 13:3: “remember those who are in prison”

 Matt 25: 40: “just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

If we say we believe the Bible, follow Jesus’ commands, etc., shouldn’t this mean that should support and participate in a robust range of ministries intended to meet social needs?
Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-201-why-take-only-some-of-the-bible-literally/id1441649707?i=1000779002630

 

“Social Justice Is Justice, Pt. 3” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It’s in the Code ep 163

In this final episode exploring Allie Beth Stuckey’s critique of “toxic empathy,” Dan takes on her argument that calls for “social justice” are not only un-Christian, but “evil.” 

On what basis does she make this claim? And how does she defend this view as “biblical?” How does she deal with the dozens and dozens of biblical passages that call for social justice? And what does the answer to this question tell us about how she understands racial identity? 

Listen to this week’s episode to find out!

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-163-social-justice-is-justice-pt-3/

“Social Justice Is Justice, Pt. 2” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It’s in the Code ep 162

In this episode, Dan considers his look at why Allie Beth Stuckey rejects calls for social justice. 

He shows how she denies the existence of systemic racism and of racial privilege, and the ways in which she ignores the multiple dimensions of social justice to invalidate the experience of racism by millions of Americans. 

He also argues that people like Stuckey carefully cultivate their ignorance of the dynamics of race and privilege in America to protect and preserve their own social privilege. Check out this week’s episode to hear more!

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-162-social-justice-is-justice-pt-2

“Social Justice Is Justice, Pt. 1” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code, ep #161

In the final chapter of her book, Allie Beth Stuckey takes on “social justice.” 

Specifically, she puts forward her argument that demands for “social justice” are not only expressions of “toxic” empathy, but they are actually unjust, and incompatible with Christian notions of justice. 

But her arguments depend on the idea that White Christians are the real victims of social injustice and on fundamental misperceptions of social reality. 

In what ways, and why does this matter so much? Check out this week’s episode to find out!

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-161-social-justice-is-justice-pt-1/

On Dennis Prager’s Claims About Deuteronomy and Social Justice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8f-QO8P3L0

 

‘America Is Under Attack’: Inside the Anti-D.E.I. Crusade - The New York Times

"In support of ridding schools of C.R.T., the Right argues that we want nonpolitical education," Mr. Klingenstein wrote in August 2021. "No we don't. We want our politics. All education is political."…

"Our sexual culture will not heal until 'faggot' replaces 'bigot' as the slur of choice," or "Our sexual culture will not be healed until we once again agree that homosexuality belongs in the closet and that a healthy society requires patriarchy." … 

In another email to Dr. Yenor, Ms. Mac Donald reflected on a further "curse of feminism": the proliferation of "nannies of color" in her Manhattan neighborhood and the "bizarreness" of women entrusting their children to caregivers from "the low IQ 3rd world" while devoting themselves to making partner at a law firm...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/20/us/dei-woke-claremont-institute.html

Pope Says a Strong U.S. Faction Offers a Backward, Narrow View of the Church - The New York Times

To some people, "the situation of migrants, for example, is a lesser issue," the pope said. "Some Catholics consider it a secondary issue compared to the 'grave' bioethical questions." 

But focusing on issues of sexual morality and downgrading issues of social justice, he said, clashes with his vision of the true church. 

"That a politician looking for votes might say such a thing is understandable," he added. "But not a Christian."…

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/world/europe/pope-francis-american-conservatives.html

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Trans Antaganism (Daniel Miller and Bradley Onishi; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence make up an unlikely order of nuns (pictures). Self-described as “twenty-first century queer nuns,” the Sisters began in 1979 when three bored gay men donned retired Roman Catholic nuns’ habits and went for a stroll through San Francisco’s gay Castro district. The stunned and delighted responses they received prompted these already-seasoned activists to consider whether the habits might have some use in social justice work, and within a year they had constituted the new order. Today, with more than 83 houses on four different continents, the Sisters offer health outreach, support, and, at times, protest on behalf of queer communities.

Queer Nuns: https://nyupress.org/9781479820368/queer-nuns/

Melissa M. Wilcox is Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at UC Riverside specializing in the study of gender, sexuality, and religion in the Global North/Global West. Dr. Wilcox’s books include Coming Out in Christianity: Religion, Identity, and Community; Sexuality and the World’s Religions; Queer Women and Religious Individualism; Religion in Today’s World: Global Issues, Sociological Perspectives; Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody; Queer Religiosities: An Introduction to Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion; and (with Nina Hoel and Liz Wilson) Religion, the Body, and Sexuality.
Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/the-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-and-trans-antaganism/

Florida rejects social studies textbooks that mention social justice, taking a knee and other content of 'concern' | CNN

Florida rejected nearly 35% of social studies textbooks submitted by publishers for approval, including those that referenced social justice and "other information that was not aligned with Florida Law," the state's Department of Education announced Tuesday...

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/us/florida-social-studies-textbooks-education-department/index.html

Fresh Air's summer music interviews: Pete Seeger (/terry Gross; Fresh Air podcast)

The folk singer, who died in 2014, was famous for his songs about working people, unions and social justice. In this 1984 interview, Seeger cited Woody Guthrie as one his most important influences.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/05/1120734736/fresh-airs-summer-music-interviews-pete-seeger

Dorothy Roberts on reproductive justice: ‘Abortion isn’t the only focus’

"Together with other activists of color, we reframed how we should approach reproductive freedom, away from choice and toward social justice."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/28/reproductive-freedom-abortion-rights-dorothy-roberts-interview

Black Catholics have a right to be frustrated with a church that ignores racism

Black Catholics push back against an archbishop's claim that social justice movements are "pseudo-religions."…

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/black-catholics-have-right-be-frustrated-church-ignores-racism-n1284598

Opinion | The ‘New Redlining’ Is Deciding Who Lives in Your Neighborhood - The New York Times

If you care about social justice, you have to care about zoning...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/opinion/biden-zoning-social-justice.html

Pope salutes NBA 'champions' for work on racial justice during Vatican meeting | NBA | The Guardian

Pope Francis lauded a delegation of NBA players who met him at the Vatican on Monday as "champions" and said he supported their work on addressing social injustice.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/23/pope-francis-nba-meeting-vatican-racial-justice

Catholic adviser John Carr writes in 'America' that he is endorsing Joe Biden - The Washington Post

There are “morally grave” reasons Catholics should vote for Joe Biden for president rather than Donald Trump, according to a former top official at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops who endorsed the former vice president in an article in the Jesuit journal America on Thursday. The article by John Carr, who worked for decades as the bishops’ adviser on issues of justice and peace, marks the first time he has endorsed a political candidate.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/carr-catholics-biden-trump/2020/09/17/e4cdd592-f8ff-11ea-a275-1a2c2d36e1f1_story.html

Opinion | America Is Facing 5 Epic Crises All at Once - The New York Times

This is not the time to obsess about symbolism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/opinion/us-coronavirus-protests.html

Black Secular Teen Activists: Unchurched and “Un-bossed” | HuffPost

Black secular teens and millennials are a largely invisible community of activist young people. They are not passively churched, they are not “fallback” spiritual, nor are they bowing down to ‘God(s)’ to give the appearance of cultural solidarity with mainstream blackness. What they are is committed to an unapologetically intersectional vision of social justice that challenges faith-based respectability.....
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-secular-teen-activists-unchurched-and-un-bossed_us_5a427c4ee4b0df0de8b06706

Religious Freedom And Social Justice Are Not In Conflict | Americans United

On Monday, a group of conservative Christian women gathered for a prayer rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to criticize feminist activists and church-state separation. “For years, the feminists lied to us,” author Lisa Bevere said during the event, as the crowd cheered, according to The Washington Post. “They said for us to be powerful as women, we needed to act like men.”...
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/religious-freedom-and-social-justice-are-not-in-conflict

Black America Is 72.3 Percent Equal To White America. That Could Worsen Under Trump. -- HuffPost

Black America is still far from equal with white America, a new report shows ― and with Donald Trump as president, the stakes are higher and the consequences more dire for communities of color across the country. ...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-america-is-723-percent-equal-to-white-america-that-could-worsen-under-trump_us_5908a3b3e4b02655f840f9f5?ncid=APPLENEWS00001

Sincere Kirabo on Building Social Justice (The Humanist Hour, #191)

Over the past year or so, the American Humanist Association has been making changes to reflect its commitment to social justice. These changes can be found in the pages of The Humanist magazine and the words of its leaders. Change can also be found more recently in the announcement that Sincere Kirabo would be stepping into the role of the AHA’s social justice coordinator. This week, we welcome Sincere back to the show. He speaks with Peggy Knudtson and Jenn Wilson about his new role, what social justice and intersectionality mean, and the ways that social media can be used to further the cause of social justice.
Interview: 
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/humanist-hour-191-sincere-kirabo-building-social-justice