God's Politics

"It is hard for me to believe that Jesus' first priorities would have been a capital gains tax cut and the occupation of Iraq." Listen to Jon Stewart's interview with Jim Wallis on The Daily Show.

Wallis asks when did Jesus become "pro rich, pro war and only pro American." He wants a "better conversation in America" about moral values and he believes that his movement (The Sojourners) will have more influence than the religious right. He cites Lisa Sullivan who said before she died: "we are the ones we have been waiting for" who will comprise a social movement that will change history. And Wallis ends by saying "Our test of how much we love God...is how we love God's children who have been left out and left behind."

A Nation of Faith and Religious Illiterates

Was Joan of Arc married to Noah? Apparently 12% of Americans think so. Check out Stephen Prothero's column in yesterday's LA Times.

How did Americans become illiterate about religion? "Because of misunderstandings about the 1st Amendment, religious studies are seldom taught in public schools. When they are, instruction typically begins only in high school and with teachers not trained in the subtle distinction between teaching religion (unconstitutional) and teaching about religion (essential)."

How The U.S. Can Salvage Iraq

Robert Malley and Peter Harling of The International Crisis Group explain how to salvage the situation in Iraq in this post from tomorrow's International Herald Tribute. "In Iraq, the United States is engaged in a war it already has lost while losing sight of a struggle in which it still may prevail. Original objectives - a secular, free-market, democratic government close to the United States and a model for the region - are no longer achievable. Worse, their pursuit has become an obstacle to realization of the most important goal: A stable government viewed by its people as a credible embodiment of national interests and able to preserve the country's territorial integrity."

"Militarily, the elimination of insurgents and capture of their strongholds have no durable impact. To the contrary: Resorting to heavy-handed tactics has redoubled the insurgents' motivation and handed them recruits. Politically, little correlation exists between progress along the transition path and progress toward a legitimate government. Largely because the current transition process reflects association between the United States and Iraq's authorities, it no longer is a solution to the crisis but an integral part of it.

A way out still may exist. It requires acknowledging that Iraqis do not want to prolong the existing process but break from it. And it entails embarking on a process of dual disengagement: gradual U.S. political and military disengagement from Iraq and clear Iraqi disengagement from the United States."