That Think Progress video clip of Ann Romney, posted on the frontpage by Laura Clauson, got me thinking.
When Ann Romney claimed to be "poor in spirit," it struck me as incredibly strange. Self-insulting even. I mean, isn't being "rich in spirit" a positive term: meaning spiritual, virtuous even? "Poor in spirit" sounds like she's calling herself amoral, soulless... Why would she use such a term in describing her family?
It turns out this phrase may very well be another one of those Republican "coded" talking points.
"We are poor in spirit" simply means "God believes that our wealth is good."
Please know that discussion and corrections are welcome. I am a Jewish-born agnostic who has studied religion but would be the first to admit I could be off base in my readings of the New Testament.
It is undeniable that Mrs. Romney's phrase comes from a passage in Matthew: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Googling this made me even more curious, because I had generally heard the passage as "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." No "in spirit" there, and the message seems pretty clear: One of several examples of Jesus teaching that worldly riches are antithetical to salvation. This passage, which I had been more familiar with, is from the gospel of Luke.
So, along with camels passing through the eyes of needles, you'd think Ann Romney would avoid calling attention to a biblical passage like this. Why would she reference this phrase in her own defense?
Well, it turns out that the wealthy leaders of the Religious Right have unanimously embraced the "poor in spirit" wording of Matthew. And they have aggressively interpreted Jesus's words to have nothing to do with actual wealth and poverty.
In their minds, "poor in spirit" means only to be submissive, humble, and grateful before God. Therefore, it is entirely possible to be "poor in spirit" and in the upper echelons of the 1%. This interpretation goes so far as to twist Jesus's words in pretzels, claiming that God wants his servants to accumulate material wealth while still keeping their humility before God (i.e. to be "poor in spirit" only, not actually poor).
See for example, this "sermon":
The words “in spirit” focus not on material poverty, but on spiritual poverty... Our possessions are not our own. God has given them to us to cultivate and He wants us to make them fruitful and profitable. Hence we perform an acceptable service by taking good care of them. It must be a greater and finer care than that which worldly men have for their property. They labor only out of self-love and we must labor out of love of God...
This pitch was written by E. G. 'Jay' Link, the President of Stewardship Ministries, which is apparently "a teaching, training and mentoring ministry for professional advisors and ministry leaders to equip them
to effectively serve believers who have accumulated surplus, material possessions." [emphasis mine]
In other words, an industry built around using the words of the Bible to justify the accumulation of wealth. But to hear such a thing broadcast in code from a potential First Lady is not only amoral and soulless. It is scary.
8:42 AM PT: Wow, Rec List!
I stepped away for an hour to watch my son, and come back to see all your wonderful comments and this diary on the Recommended List! Thank you so much for weighing in, and for recommending to others. I know I appreciate the conversation!