ALTERNATIVE POLITICS
From CBS's blog about Katrina
Sept. 8, 2005
"9:24 a.m.
(CBS) — Americans are largely dissatisfied with the response to Hurricane Katrina, and blame all levels of government, according to the latest CBS News poll.
In a dramatic change from the public's reaction immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, President George Bush's overall response to the hurricane meets with disapproval today. Only 38 percent of Americans polled approve of Mr. Bush's efforts. Sixty-five percent of Americans say the president's response to the disaster was too slow.
Critique fell not only on President Bush, but on FEMA and other government agencies. Eighty percent of those surveyed said the federal government as a whole did not respond as fast as it could."
We live under the umbrella of a benevolent and wealthy government here in America, which grants us physical freedom and protection to a great extent from physical harm and injustices of many kinds. But this poll and this catastrophe are a conspicuous reminder to the Church (all Christians world-wide) and to me that even the best governments cannot replace the power of us. Only we are large enough in number, great enough in wealth, powerful enough at heart, varied enough in skill, and omnipresent enough geographically to meet the physical AND spiritual needs of all the least in every society at all times. We cannot eradicate all suffering and fear but only we are commanded by God and empowered by God to try.
Those angry with the government expect too much of their political leaders and not enough of themselves and their church. The government only does what the Church won't, what the Church thinks it can't.
Here's how one church is responding to hurricane Katrina. More examples to come.
Sept. 8, 2005
"9:24 a.m.
(CBS) — Americans are largely dissatisfied with the response to Hurricane Katrina, and blame all levels of government, according to the latest CBS News poll.
In a dramatic change from the public's reaction immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, President George Bush's overall response to the hurricane meets with disapproval today. Only 38 percent of Americans polled approve of Mr. Bush's efforts. Sixty-five percent of Americans say the president's response to the disaster was too slow.
Critique fell not only on President Bush, but on FEMA and other government agencies. Eighty percent of those surveyed said the federal government as a whole did not respond as fast as it could."
We live under the umbrella of a benevolent and wealthy government here in America, which grants us physical freedom and protection to a great extent from physical harm and injustices of many kinds. But this poll and this catastrophe are a conspicuous reminder to the Church (all Christians world-wide) and to me that even the best governments cannot replace the power of us. Only we are large enough in number, great enough in wealth, powerful enough at heart, varied enough in skill, and omnipresent enough geographically to meet the physical AND spiritual needs of all the least in every society at all times. We cannot eradicate all suffering and fear but only we are commanded by God and empowered by God to try.
Those angry with the government expect too much of their political leaders and not enough of themselves and their church. The government only does what the Church won't, what the Church thinks it can't.
Here's how one church is responding to hurricane Katrina. More examples to come.
posted by Shaun Groves @ 9/08/2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
yes.
Those angry with the government do not expect too much of the government - they merely expect the government to provide the protection they were supposedly prepared to provide. The government had had proper preventative measures in place that would have severely reduced the amount of damage that happened in the hurricane - and the Bush administration destroyed those measures. If you want to make Christians feel guilty about not doing enough on behalf of themselves and the church over this - tell them to inform themselves and not support leaders who will take away their protection while lying to them about it.
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