Abramoff "Scandal" and the Coalition of Corruption

The Abramoff scandal continues to unveil itself with the latest crook - Representative Bob Ney pleading guilty to influence peddling. However, Ney is just one in a aolition of corruption. Among the many "players" in the scandal are top names in the evangelical movement. Christians beware the worl in sheep's clothing.

Bill Moyers came out of retirement to do a new series called "Moyers on America." The first program was "Capitol Crimes" (video clips available at this link, but see the whole thing if you can)." In Capitol Crimes, Moyers exposes the tightly linked network of the scam to reap millions of dollars while performing a coup of the government. It remains to be seen if this is a successful coup, or a failed attempt.

At the heart of this attempt are good buddies Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist. They hatched a plan to get rich and to seal the Republicans in power forever. Into this mix crept rats large and small, and in the process tribes got bilked, evangelicals were taken for a ride, big money had a hey day, and the structure of our democracy has been undermined (at least).

The conspiracy reaches from churches, to Congress, to the White House. While the White House has consistently denied any link to Abramoff, records show "485 White House lobbying contacts."

Deeply linked into this conspiracy is the evangelical movement. At the top of the list of influence is Ralph Reed, first head of the Christian Coalition and founder of Century Strategies (check here for the "team"). Reed portrays himself as a "born again" political activist and political player. The other heavy hitting "christian" of the cabal is the Reverend Louis P. Sheldon who is the founder and head of the Traditional Values Coalition." The reach of these evangelical leaders was to mobilize the evangelical "base" politically and for profit and personal power - surely and unchristian thing to be doing. However, an opportunity and an approach shared by the Bush administration.

Cynical? Yes. However, one might hope that evangelicals might rise up and destroy what their energy, money and votes have helped to create. This is particularly true with the new revelations of how the White House truly views evangelicals. A new book is hitting the market called "Tempting Faith: an Inside Story of Political Seduction" (by David Kuo, the former deputy director of the White House office of faith-based initiatives) should rattle some cages. The book claims that:

"National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as ridiculous, out of control, and just plain goofy," Mr Kuo wrote, according to MSNBC television, which obtained an early copy of the book. In particular, he quotes Karl Rove, the president's long-serving political adviser and mentor, as describing evangelical Christians as "nuts". (Borger, Guardian)

In a separate review in the Guardian, Mark Tran quotes Kuo's book:

"Sadly, the political affairs folks complained most often and most loudly about how boorish many politically involved Christians were.... National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as 'ridiculous' and 'out of control.' ''

How easy it is to be led astray by promises of making a "Christian" nation; bring "God" back into politics, and to overthrow the US government to be replaced by "Christian" rule. Of course, Reed, Sheldon and others have done well for themselves and as cynically and deceptively as the Bush camp. Will evangelicals be upset at being "led astray," by being deceived by the voice of Mammon to mobilize for ungodly purposes?

In a separate Moyers on America Program titled "Is God Green," I was saddened to hear different folks say essentially, "Evangelicals were waiting for the pastor's permission" to embrace saving the planet God has created. One has to question why evangelical ministers have so much power over people whose first and most important commitment is their personal relationship with God. How did this "personal" relationship get handed over to "leaders" who can order their "flocks" unquestioningly and unthinkingly?

The Chinese attributed homily that 'crisis is also opportunity' may play out in what is framed as "The Abramoff Scandal." As the various "birds come home to roost," the evangelical community may question its moorings and direction. Question them not just in relationship to politics and activism, but question them in terms of the fundamental nature of their relationship to God and Church and how that should operate in the world. I find it difficult to believe that most evangelicals -should they find out the depths of their leader's and their own involvement in these perversions of their faith - will simply continue as they have before.

Transcript of "Capitol Crimes"

Posted by rowan at October 14, 2006 8:12 AM | [eMail this article!] |