In DEFUNDING Conservatism Part 1 I explored the grand idea connecting attacks from the political right on progressive institutions. While many on the left correctly call attacks on public sector unions and legal decisions like "Citizens United" and the "Walmart class action case" class warfare, and correctly call the Herman Cain talk radio lead cries to protect against "sharia law" signs of religious bigotry, they are also missing the larger point. What these attacks have in common is they help to build a narrative aimed at defunding the major sources of financing for progressive causes.
In the 1990's Karl Rove researched who "funds" Liberals and Democrats. He realized that the majority of funding (80%) for progressive cause came from 3 source. Unions, trial lawyers, and "Jews" (this is his finding). So he helped author plans to kick out 3 of these legs by breaking public sector unions, limiting class action suits, and to breaking the "special relationship" between Jews and the Democratic Party.
I then began to outline a strategy that is aimed not so much at preventing attacks on progressive institutions, but launching a counter attack on the political rightwing's sources of funding. In part one I explored using state ballot initiatives to break the power of corporate money at the state level, and to a lesser extent at the federal level. But in many ways cutting back on corporate money is the "easy" part as a sizable number of blue collar conservatives support these actions. But breaking the next leg of conservative money is much harder because it's a mirror image of this problem.
Breaking the propaganda power of the religious right
Let's be quite clear this isn't an attack on religion. The religious left is responsible for some of America's greatest progressive moral victories. Quakers lead the abolition movement, the civil rights movement was organized out of black churches and greatly financed at Jewish synagogues, Catholic churches often are at the forefront of both antiwar and anti-death penalty movements. But when it comes to political clout the power is currently on the religious right. So how do we defuse this? I use the term defuse because attacking the role of religion in America could blow up in our faces. A large part of the Democratic base consist of Catholic Union members, black church goers, liberal Jews, and largely Catholic Latinos. So why does it SEEM like religion in America is such a conservative empowering force? We have lost the battle of the airwaves!
The battle of the airwaves is why conservative gas, oil, and coal interest spent so much money and time developing "institutes" to combat the science on global warming. Realizing that the facts weren't on their side, they decided to muddle the airwaves with greenhouse gas skeptics. If your views aren't being projected on a daily basis your side loses. In the year 2000 55% of Republicans believed in global warming now it's down to 35%. So how does this fit into religion?
What is the largest religious magazine by circulation in the United States? Sojourners. Stop and reflect on that a progressive social justice religious magazine has been the most read religious magazine in the United States for 30 years? Yet Sojourners has consistently won awards from both the Associated Church Press and the Evangelical Press Association. In 2008 and 2009, "Sojourners" won the first place “best in class” award from both religious press associations.
Sojourners founding editor-in-chief is Jim Wallis. Although Jim Wallis actively eschews political labels, his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice and he works as a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama. He is described as a progressive evangelical, and his primary support is from the religious left. Wallis is also known for his opposition to the religious right's fiscal and foreign policies.
Jim Wallis
Now turn on the radio to your local AM frequencies and find a progressive voice. Let me be even more blunt find a white progressive voice on the radio. For most people in the United States what I just asked them to do is futile effort. We as progressives have conceded the AM airwaves to conservative voices.
Liberal Jesus
Conservative Jesus
Now this is a completely different situation from the Air America versus rightwing talk radio battle. Very few liberals listen to the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck. But because of the dearth progressive Christian radio, as much as 30-40% of the audience for religious radio are Democrats! So why isn't there a nationwide network of progressive Christian radio champion social justice and a non-violent foreign policy?
Divisions on the religious left.
There is a large division in between "white" churches and "black" churches that includes divisions in preaching style. Then there are the divisions in denominations between American Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Congregationalists/United Church of Christ, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians.
Conservative denominations have similar divisions but were able to unite under the banner of "Evangelicals". This allowed the growth of an umbrella Christian radio. The religious left hasn't thus there is the silence on the radio dial.
The importance of this is profound. Christian radio are mostly tax exempt, donations to them are tax deductions (they are largely funded through charitable contributions to churches), and they become a routine part of people lives.
The religious left needs to unite and form a similar radio network. A call to arms needs to be sent out and get all these denominations to look beyond their differences and get their similarities on to the airwaves. This is no easy task look at the Color of Netroots for how difficult it can be to cross these bridges.
But as long at this leg of the movement conservatism isn't challenged on the airwaves, the political right will have undisputed access to a committed grassroots army of loyal workers. Make no mistake about this conservatives have been trying to drive liberal Christian denominations into extinction.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
This is were the work of grassroots progressive Christians come into play. Build bridges with other congregations work together to fund small community based AM radio stations. Use new internet based radio broadcasting technology. Stop conceding the the heart, minds, and ears of religious Americans.
Matthew 19: 16 – 21
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him…if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness.
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All of these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.
Luke 6:35-38
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 25:34-46
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Half of winning in life is just showing. Breaking this part of the conservative funding table is too just stop conceding the the battle field. Part three will deal with the next leg.