Q.'s Quote of the Day: 04-12-07

"One who condones evils is just as guilty as the one who perpetrates it."
~~Martin Luther King, Jr.

and

"The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough."
~~Bede Jarrett

'Nuf said.

Q.

Don Imus and 'Social Sin'

Pastor Dan over at Street Prophets discussed the implications of the offer from Wiley Drake, the irrepressible 2nd vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention for giving absolution to Don Imus, the shock Jock that insulted the Rutgers Womens Basketball Team. Imus called those female atheletes 'nappy-headed 'hos'--both racist and sexist slurs of the worst sort. Why does Wiley (aptly named) Drake feel the need to forgive such a thing?

Wiley Drake wrote:

"Even though I am not your pastor I would be glad to meet with you and pray with you and witness your confession to God, and help you claim forgiveness, that indeed will be forgotten by God.

What those who were offended will do is of little importance when you compare it to what God can do for you through Jesus Christ."

So...those who were offended are of no consequence? Why? Pastor Dan's take mirrors my own:

It could not be more clear that Imus' faults are the result of social sin, not individual. Yet here's Pastor Drake ready, willing and eager to offer a little contrition, listen to Imus say he's sorry about all this "up-roar" as though there were no context to go along with it.

Sorry, I'm not buying it. The issue is not whether Don Imus' sins can be "forgiven and forgotten" (as if it's any business of a Baptist pastor to offer priestly absolution), but rather whether the structural damage to the life of the community can be repaired. So unless Imus is coming on to talk about doing justice by working toward better stewardship of the public airwaves through challenges to corporate hegemony, I'm not interested, man.

(emphasis mine)

StarWoman posts:

Pastor Drake:

What those who were offended will do is of little importance when you compare it to what God can do for you through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ:

Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.

Commentary left as an exercise for the reader.

What one does to another (the least of these)--according to Christians--is done to God (Jesus). In my beliefs, what one does to one is done to all. We are all connected, all webbed together. You hurt one, you hurt all.

Which brings me to this bit from JCHFleetguy:

Is a social sin something that separates us from society - or our fellow human beings?

Social Sin could be described as an action that contributes to/motivates/allows the bad actions of others in a group (a society). Thus, those who consistently feed the 'bad wolves' in us all, are guilty of this, over and above the personal guilt.

Those that love Imus (and Rush Limbaugh, She Who Must Not Be Named, Karl Rove, etc.) as he 'feeds those wolves' are guilty of it also.

And contributing to the bad actions of another, encouraging them to do wrong things...isn't that truly 'against God'? I believe that was what PD was aiming for.

Just how I sees it. YMMV.

Q.

PS: No offence meant to wolves of course, especially were-kind.