"Nickel and Dimed" Book Review

by Rev. Laura Barclay

Published around a decade ago, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich recounts the first-hand story of a journalist who sets aside a year to pursue working class jobs and discover how waiters, maids, and Wal-Mart employees survive on such low wages. This book was assigned by CBFNC’s Wealth and Poverty Task Force as an introduction to the experience of poverty in America through a middle-class lens. The experiences still ring true ten years later with America in the middle of a recession, and the gap between the rich and the poor widening.

The book is divided into three parts for the three different cities and jobs she tackles. For her first job, she waits tables at two different restaurants in Key West. Her co-workers live in hotel rooms with other employees and in their cars parked in the lot behind the restaurant. Waiters are not allowed to enter through the front door because it detracts from the middle class ambiance of the customers, so they have to use the back entrance.

Barbara’s second job finds her at cleaning service in Maine. Backbreaking and demeaning, her job requires her to clean houses, sometimes scrubbing the floors in front of the customers while they watch and critique when she misses a spot. One of her co-workers is pregnant, but cleans through the nausea because her boss does not allow sick days. They barely get breaks, and many cannot afford to buy more than a snack at the gas station for lunch.

The third final job is at Wal-Mart in Minnesota. After a mind-numbing all-day orientation on Wal-Mart procedures and the evils of unionizing, she spends her days under the watch of a critical manager while folding and sorting ladies’ clothes. She lives in a motel where the sewage backs up and mold fills the air. Even with these poor accommodations, she runs out of money and is forced to quit her project. How do those who do not have the luxury of quitting poverty survive?

Throughout the book, she references horrifying statistics that give context to her experiences. Perhaps the most disturbing statistic is that 60% of Americans do no make a living wage—equated by the Economic Policy Institute to be $30,000—and that was almost 10 years before this recession (213). Of adults seeking to obtain emergency food, sixty-seven percent have jobs (219). When polled, ninety-four percent of Americans believe that those who work should be paid enough to provide for their families and keep them from slipping below the poverty line (220). Yet, our country remains one of the few in the industrialized world that do not provide adequate healthcare, childcare, good public transportation and subsidized housing. The private sector is left alone with the impossible task of trying and failing to provide for its workers. The massive layoffs and failures of the recession make it all too clear that the private sector alone cannot support the working class.

She concludes the end of the book with a bleak picture of the low-wage workplace. Workers are forced to find jobs close to home, because they are not as mobile as their wealthier counterparts. If they are lucky enough to have cars, they may not be able to afford the gas. These workers do not have the access to computer resources for resume building and job searching, further restricting their search. When they do find a job, they are subject to searches, drug tests, and strict rules against gossip to keep workers from organizing for better conditions—all borderline violations of civil rights. The constant demoralizing and criminal treatment because of socio-economic status no doubt affects the workers’ psyche and health, not to mention kills their dreams of one day crawling out of poverty.

This is a great resource for translating the poverty experience to the middle class. Barbara Ehrenreich is a fierce advocate for the poor, especially during the last chapter where she evaluates her experience within the greater context of poverty. The discussion questions at the back of the book make it perfect for a church or social book club. Reading this book is a great opportunity to reflect about the poor in our own communities, both employed and unemployed, and think about ways to build relationships with the poor and advocate for their rights.

If you are interesting in advocating for the poor, here are a few places to start:
www.advocacyforthepoor.org
www.buildersofhope.org
www.endhomelessness.org

The Decade in Religious Liberty

by Rev. J. Brent Walker

Dubbed by Time magazine the “decade from hell,” the past 10 years have been ones for which we can say good riddance: September 11, two costly and deadly wars, the economic meltdown. In terms of church-state relations, however, it has been a mixed bag -- some good news, some bad.

The decade saw the Rehnquist Court become the Roberts Court and, after 11 years of the same nine justices, a change in one-third of the high tribunal.

From the Baptist Joint Committee’s perspective, when John Roberts took over as chief justice, the Supreme Court’s church-state posture was improved. In our estimation, Chief Justice Rehnquist almost always decided church-state cases wrongly. Chief Justice Roberts appears to be more sympathetic to free exercise even though he may be no better than Chief Justice Rehnquist on Establishment Clause cases. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was right most of the time and could be counted on to render carefully nuanced opinions. While Justice Samuel Alito’s church-state jurisprudence has not been fully fleshed out, his replacement of Justice O’Connor is definitely a minus. He authored the court’s opinion in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation (2007), which made it harder for plaintiffs to bring Establishment Clause cases. Finally, Justice Sonia Sotomayor appears from her Judiciary Committee testimony and judicial record to be sound in her church-state views, but Justice David Souter, whom she replaced, was nearly perfect in the 20 church-state opinions he wrote or joined. She has a lot to live up to.

On balance, we have taken a small step backward in terms of the justices’ church-state jurisprudence.

The Establishment Clause jurisprudence, generally speaking, continued to weaken, especially with regard to the issue of government funding of religious activities and organizations. The decade started off with Mitchell v. Helms (2000) in which the court further pared back a key standard set by the 1971 case of Lemon v. Kurtzman (at least for funding cases) and loosened the strictures on direct aid to pervasively religious organizations. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), the court narrowly upheld the constitutionally of a school-voucher program, at least where parents purportedly have genuine choice between schools. As mentioned earlier, the court’s decision in Hein made it harder to challenge government expenditures under the Establishment Clause. The effects of that decision have been felt in the lower courts.

With respect to other Establishment Clause cases dealing with religious speech and sectarian symbols, we fared better. The court continued to rule out government-sponsored student prayer in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000) and the posting of the Ten Commandments absent a clear secular purpose in McCreary County v. ACLU of Ky. (2005). Under different facts, where the Decalogue is displayed along with many other monuments and has gone unprotested for decades, the rule is different, according to Van Orden v. Perry (2005).

On the free-exercise front, I think we made some significant progress. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in 1993 restored increased protection -- at least at the federal level -- for the exercise of religion, and its salutary effect continued through the next decade. Many states have passed similar measures. In Gonzales v. UDV (2006), the court properly upheld an application of RFRA that protected the religious-liberty interests of a small religious sect that sought an exemption to the Controlled Substance Act. Moreover, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), passed by the Congress and signed into law in 2000, provides increased protection in zoning and prisoner free-exercise cases. The court, in Cutter v. Wilkinson (2005), upheld RLUIPA’s constitutionality, at least with respect to prisoner cases. Finally, in Good News Club v. Milford Central School (2001), the court embraced the equal-access principle in cases dealing with religious exercise and after-class club meetings in the public schools.

We continued to work on how to ensure the separation of church and state without divorcing religion from public life. The public square has never been as “naked” as some would have us think. For most of the past decade, it was dressed to the nines in talk about religion.

Nowadays, polls demonstrate that the American public has become less enamored of the explicit melding of religion and politics, even though they continue to desire leaders to be religious and even though they show little enthusiasm for banning religion altogether from the public square.

It is also fair to say that there has been a growing sentiment that would banish religion from public life altogether. Here I am talking about those leveling a trenchant atheistic critique of religion generally and religion in public life in particular, including Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. While troublesome, I think this group still pales in influence and numbers against those on the other end of the spectrum who would explicitly and unabashedly combine religion and public life, if not church and state altogether.

In this country, we have not always managed to get the church-state/religious freedom/religion-and-politics equation just right. That is true of the past 10 years. We should redouble our efforts to argue for a stout vision for both religion clauses in the First Amendment, welcome religion in the public square (while arguing against abusing religion for partisan purposes), and provide an example for the rest of the world to see and, hopefully, imitate.

Let’s all hope and pray that the next decade is better than the preceding one -- maybe a “decade from heaven” when it comes to religious liberty.

Brent Walker is the Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. A version of this article originally appeared on the BJC's website and was then adapted and reprinted on the Associated Baptist Press' website.

Why God Didn't Curse Haiti

by Rev. Laura Barclay

Many people have heard about Pat Robertson’s terrible remark where he states that the country has been “cursed” because they “swore a pact to the devil.” Christians, in varying degrees, have denounced his statement. Some say that while God does judge us, this isn’t an example of that judgment. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY says it was the right sentiment at the wrong time. He states “Do I believe God punishes nations? You bet, the same way I know that judgment falls upon individuals.” Is there really a right time to tell a nation that you think they signed a pact with the devil because they stood up to those oppressing them and threw off the shackles of slavery—a biblical paradigm straight from Exodus, I might add? The associate pastor of my church, Susan Parker, says the opposite on her blog, “Choosing life and blessings”:

“My God is grieving for the tens of thousands of people who have died, grieving for those who may still be clinging to life, but who are trapped under the rubble and may not be able to be saved. My God is instilling hope in those who are working feverishly to uncover any remaining survivors, giving strength to aid workers who have been on their feet for days without proper rest, and comforting the survivors who have lost family, friends and all their meager possessions.”

I completely agree. Unlike some who denounced the timing of Robertson’s words but stood by the idea of a God who would judge Haiti through an earthquake, I believe that God is not instigating catastrophes but is present in the response of aid workers like the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and many Baptist entities including CBF missionaries Steve and Nancy James and coordinated disaster response teams. As Jon Stewart pointed out in what seemed like an impromptu sermon on The Daily Show last week, there are countless Bible verses a minister could use to bring comfort at a time like this (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 41:1, Isaiah 54:10, to name a few). These entities that are so dutifully coming to Haiti’s aid embody these scriptures.

As I was listening to NPR a week ago, a Haitian immigrant now residing in the U.S. told a story she had heard in the news coverage. Rescue workers tried desperately to extract a little girl from the debris, and when she was freed later she spoke about feeling God’s presence as she was trapped. Conversely, Elie Wiesel, in his book Night, talks about his experience at a concentration camp during World War II about not feeling the presence of God as he watched a boy being hung on the gallows by Nazis. Whether or not we feel the presence of God in the debris of Haiti or atrocities of war, God is suffering with us. That is why Jesus is called “Immanuel” and why God plays the role of comforter in so many passages, as Jon Stewart pointed out. As we struggle for answers, let us remember that we are called by God to bring hospitality and comfort to God’s people. Let us do that both in our own communities and in Haiti. Donate to CBF’s efforts in Haiti, the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Haiti Action, or any other charity you have found to be effective during this tragedy.

Eight Trends Pastors and Church Leaders Should Consider for 2010

by Rev. Neil Westbrook

As pastors, deacons, and other church leaders prepare for the new year it is important to consider what trends will most likely impact their churches. This list of trends is based on my own research of what’s happening in society today and what trends will most likely have the greatest impact on local churches next year.

The premise of this article is that the local church is the primary way and means for believers of Christ to gather, worship, and serve as the people of God!

1. New economic realities and perceptions. The reality is that our economy is already bad but it may get worse before it gets any better. Church leaders should closely examine their budgets for line items that may not be prudent or that are no longer effective in order to cut costs. One approach is to use a zero based budget. It is also important for church leaders and churches to remember that cuts may need to be made temporarily, but can be changed back once the economy improves. There are also many people who perceive our economy to be worse than it actually is. This can create an attitude of fear and cause people to hold on to or hoard their money. Even in difficult financial times church leaders should encourage members to be faithful and continue to tithe.

2. Shift from nuclear family to diverse meanings of family. The word “family” continues to change and take on new meanings. Family used to mean a husband and wife, and their kids. Today’s family may be two people or “partners” living together or “shacking up” who are completely unrelated, a household filled with extended family members such as grandparents and grandchildren, or just a group of people who have known each other for a long period of time and who live together in order to share living costs. These types of families are often times less stable than traditional, nuclear families and may require more attention or help from local churches. Additionally, local churches will have to wrestle with the challenges of accepting new family models into the church and find new ways to minister to these new families.

3. Increasing number of single adults (of all ages). More and more people are either choosing to stay single or are getting divorced. Studies show that the total percentage of married people in America is at it’s lowest point in over 30 years. This trend presents many unique challenges for churches. Many younger people who are choosing to stay single find it difficult to fit in to traditional churches that are predominantly attended by married couples with children. Often times when couples divorce at least one of them also chooses to divorce themselves from the local church. As the divorced population grows so will the percentage of unchurched Americans. The senior adult population is one of the fastest growing single populations in America. One study suggests that “Beginning in 2011, the population 65and older will grow faster than the total population in every single state.” (Source: SeniorJournal.com)

4. Importance of social media networking. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, and other social media networking websites continue to grow not only in popularity of use, but also in importance. Studies show that the internet has actually outpaced the television in terms of where people get their news, keep up with current events, and connect with friends old and new. Churches seeking to reach this audience should consider developing an online presence of some type in order to “get in the loop” and keep their information in front of their members. Also, when people move into a new community they often use the internet to find their next church home. Blogging represents another option for pastors and church leaders. A blog provides an opportunity for a pastor or other church leaders to connect on a deeper or more personal level.

5. Rampant church planting. Church planting has gone wild! There is no excuse…most traditional or established churches have failed to go out into their communities and reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. However, for those churches who are trying to do that, the church planting movement represents yet another obstacle. Many denominations have all but given up on the churches who have supported them for decades now and are turning their attention and resources towards starting new churches as their strategy for sustaining denominational structures and their hope for reaching tomorrow’s generation. Unfortunately, established churches will actually have to compete with these newer, niche church plants for members. Although new church plants do reach unchurched and dechurched people, they also gain much of their membership by taking members from other local churches.

6. Anti-denominational attitudes. In the general population denominations are out. People are tired of old denominational rules and politics that seem to be divisive rather than unifying. This is exactly why most new churches or church plants do not put their denominational affiliation – Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran – in their names. (New Spring, High Rock Community Church, etc.) The general population continues to be less and less impressed with a church’s denomination and more and more concerned about a church’s witness, community involvement, and the programs they offer.

7. Aging population. By 2030 people 65+ are expected to make up around 20% of the American population. As our population shifts, so will local churches. Many of these senior adults have been the foundation of support for local churches for over fifty years. Younger generations have been slower to make the same level of commitment. Financially, this means that when local churches lose their older members it may take two or three families to make up the difference. However, the aging population is still very active. Churches may consider starting new ministries to capitalize on the passions and energy of their aging members. Additionally, many senior adults are concerned about the political climate and newer technologies that they don’t understand. They will seek comfort and security from their church family.

8. Desire for authentic, meaningful religious experiences WITH REAL PEOPLE. Although the internet has provided a means for connecting people with old friends and making new friends across geographical borders…people are thirsty for an authentic relationship with God and for genuine relationships with other people. The truth is that God created us this way (in his image!). More and more people are looking for the opportunity to connect with others in deeper and more meaningful ways. Affinity groups, men’s and women’s groups, ministry teams, or other small groups will serve to help people connect with one another. Authenticity and intimacy are slowly replacing the big or mega-church experience.

This article was orginally posted to Neil Westbrook's blog, www.deacondynamics.com. Neil is the pastor of Neel Road Baptist Church in Salisbury, NC.

"Free For All" Book Review

by Rev. Laura Barclay

In their book Free for All, Emmaus Way pastors Tim Conder and Daniel Rhodes share their experiences with interpreting the Bible in community. Far from the disaster of what some might expect from the implications of a “free for all,” the communal interpretation brings the Bible to life through discussions of issues most churches fear discussing.

One of the most compelling chapters looks at the community’s discussion of Romans 1:26-27 and surrounding verses, a passage that is frequently used to condemn homosexuality. This Durham, N.C. community of liberal, moderate, conservative, straight and gay members fearlessly and respectfully discusses the text and interprets it for today. One gay member is comfortable enough to share a story about a group of boys who stoned her after a Pride event as she walked to her car, sending her to the hospital with a detached retina. While the members do not uniformly agree on an interpretation of this passage — rarely would any church community agree on all texts — they do respect their brothers and sisters in Christ, condemn the violence and hatred shown to their fellow church member, and provide a safe and compassionate space for fellowship and sharing.

In a chapter discussing the changing landscape of Christian ethics as new discoveries are made — for example, global warming — the authors discuss the nature of baptism in one of the most compelling pieces I’ve read on the topic. To symbolize the churning waters of chaos at the beginning of Genesis, new members are baptized in a river, experiencing death through full immersion and being raised into a New World with a new system of ethics in Christ. The authors characterize baptism as a “strong political and ethical statement, because it declares the advent of a new order.” This new order is characterized by a biblical hermeneutic that is mindful of the poor and accomplished through the missional efforts of the church, such as community organizing and work with ex-convicts. It is also accomplished through embodying the hospitality of Jesus. In welcoming all and allowing all voices to struggle with the text in this community around food and table fellowship, these ministers and this church are accomplishing a level of Christian community rarely seen in most churches.

For information on the book, visit http://www.amazon.com/Free-All-Rediscovering-Community-communities/dp/080107147X

Learn more about Emmaus Way in Durham, N.C., at http://www.emmausway.net/