A Time for Heresy - Bill Moyers

[Sapphire Blue]

A Time for Heresy
Bill Moyers
March 22, 2006

Bill Moyers is President of the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy. This is the prepared text of his remarks delivered on March 14 upon the establishment by Marilyn and James Dunn, of the Wake Forest Divinity School, of a scholarship in religious freedom in the name of Judith and Bill Moyers.

(excerpt)

We are dealing here with a vision sharply at odds with the majority of Americans. These are people who want to arrange the world for the convenience of themselves and the multinational corporations that pay for their elections. With their fundamentalist medicine men twirling the bullroarers in the woods, they would turn America into their petri dish – a replica of the Marianas, many times magnified: A society “run by the powerful, oblivious to the weak, free of accountability, enjoying a cozy relationship with government, thriving on crony capitalism,” in the words of Al Meyeroff, who led a class-action suit in behalf of the worker on the Marianas and learned what they were up against. Let this, too, sink in: If the corporate, political, and religious right have their way, we will go back to the first Gilded Age, when privilege controlled politics, votes were purchased, legislatures were bribed, bills were bought, and laws flagrantly disregarded – all as God’s will.

So, my friends at Wake Forest, there is work to do. These charlatans and demagogues know that by controlling a society’s most emotionally-laden symbols, they can control America, too. They must be challenged. Davidson Loehr reminds us that holding preachers and politicians to a higher standard than they want to serve has marked the entire history of both religion and politics. It is the conflict between the religion of the priests – ancient and modern – and the religion of the prophets.

It is the vast difference between the religion about Jesus and the religion of Jesus.

Yes, the religion of Jesus. It was in the name of Jesus that a Methodist ship caulker named Edward Rogers crusaded across New England for an eight-hour work day. It was in the name of Jesus that Francis William rose up against the sweatshop. It was in the name of Jesus that Dorothy Day marched alongside auto workers in Michigan, brewery workers in New York, and marble cutters in Vermont. It was in the name of Jesus that E.B. McKinney and Owen Whitfield stood against a Mississippi oligarchy that held sharecroppers in servitude. It was in the name of Jesus that the young priest John Ryan – ten years before the New Deal – crusaded for child labor laws, unemployment insurance, a minimum wage, and decent housing for the poor. And it was in the name of Jesus that Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis to march with sanitation workers who were asking only for a living wage.

This is the heresy of our time – to wrestle with the gods who guard the boundaries of this great nation’s promise, and to confront the medicine men in the woods, twirling their bullroarers to keep us in fear and trembling. For the greatest heretic of all is Jesus of Nazareth, who drove the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem as we must now drive the money changers from the temples of democracy.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/03/22/a_time_for_heresy.php

[annabanana]

1. Day - Um!!

Moyers is hot stuff..

[Jackpine Radical]

2. This Moyers guy would be dangerous

if people actually started listening to him.

[EVDebs]

10. They did and that's why *'s shills at PBS ran him out FYI

BTW, the Friday Mar 24th NOW with David Brancaccio is all about domestic spying programs. Check it out !

[warrens]

35. Broncacchio is just as good, IMO

He's doing great work; I wish it was an hour long, and I hear they're discussing that because of his viewership.

[EVDebs]

38. It does need that full hour, no doubt about it. The Chuck Spinney

interview from the Moyers days is online still in archive mothballs...check it out

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_spinney.html

Also, I think his Kevin Phillips and Grover Norquist discussions were priceless. But David can do similar work. Bill is still doing something on PBS but I don't know precisely. The PBS sponsors for the Newshour and Washington Week seem verrrrry conservative to me (mining interests etc.) so you know what's going on behind the scenes at PBS or can imagine !

[file83]

52. Yeah, I bet pretty soon 'NOW' will be reduced to a 15 minute blurb

:freak:

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nutmegger]

57. From my understanding, NOW use to be an hour long

but it has been reduced because they don't receive a penny from the CPB.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOW_%28series%29

[babylonsister]

3. Wow. What a great essay and great writer! nt

[Talismom]

4. Thanks so much for posting this SB!

I've been having a running disagreement with a young professor who has made me out as some radical conspiracy theorist. He usually presents his views by saying that the main difference between us is that he sees them as incompetant and I see them as evil. Moyers puts it so beautifully when he describes the planned dismantling of so much of what we hold dear. I just emailed him your post and the original speech and can't wait to hear his response!

[PATRICK]

14. Evil as banal idiocy

When all vice has run its course, this is the nadir of human degeneration, the empty spinning of a twisted, wasted mind and escape from reality. What is incompetence doing at the head of the food chain if not as a mindless maw instead of a helping hand. Intelligence misdirected by bad moral choice creates stupidity, spectacularly applied then numbingly sterile. Compassion denied, truth twisted creates a moral void, nothing to see there- where there should have been a living soul.

Evil is not just a cartoon demon enjoying simple pleasures or raging in dramatic lurid passions, although neither is taken seriously or you would see at least some connection with the American Right. In the end, anyway, it is not a definition or an argument, but the results of actions, because- verbally- we all have good intentions. For the sake of argument we don't become judges, we become the true police of the state, the informed, active citizen demanding the truth be served. God can sort out the good and bad, we can pretty well sort out the results and hold actions accountable, which is the very advice the Gospels give.

The major mindset of the American people is not formed by listening to Bill Moyers. The comforting status quo which exists only in what remains to our private lives with no sense of connection to the cancers is always bent away from new ideas that deviate us back to reality. Suddenly, when to keep the ruling status quo is a dangerous, suicidal fallacy but the truth has been painted black too long, the people have no where to go but fearful withdrawal, madness or reform.

[electropop]

58. Wow! Excellent post!

Please post this as its own thread. Your writing is art.

[RedEarth]

5. kr

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. I'm extremely proud to give this it's 10th

K & R

[alfredo]

7. I love that last line

drive the money changers from the temples of democracy

[Clarkie1]

8. I love the last line. I might add it to my sig.

"For the greatest heretic of all is Jesus of Nazareth, who drove the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem as we must now drive the money changers from the temples of democracy."

[HootieMcBoob]

22. That should become our mantra

"Drive the money changers from the temples of democracy!"

[globalvillage]

63. It seems to be a theme

From John Kerry speech in NH 3/11/06 (10 Point Plan)

obey the law protect civil rights
tell the truth
fire the incompetents
chase the moneychangers from the temple of democracy
bring our troops home
find obl, protect the ports
stop blaming the american people when it's this admin addicted to oil
make access to healthcare affordable
reduce the deficit
respect work over wealth, fight for American jobs

I love Moyers. Saw him speak a few months ago, he was amazing. A key theme was that we are all connected. He talked about the day JFK was assasinated.
If you ever get a chance to see him speak live, don't pass it up.

[Horseradish]

9. K&R

Moyers .... one of my few heroes still living ...

[linazelle]

12. .

[Sapphire Blue]

27. Welcome to DU, Horseradish!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[ulysses]

11. another k&r n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

13. This is divine! nt

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

15. One of the last of the honest intellectual giants

The man possesses a clarity of thought that is very refreshing to see. A pity I haven't watched anything by him in so long.

[DemReadingDU]

16. K&R

[libnnc]

17. Here's an editor of the Winston-Salem Journal's column on

this speech. I posted this a few days ago. Not many people saw it.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=701181

[Tin Man]

18. K&R - great piece!

Thanks for posting, Sapphire Blue.

[acmavm]

19. Exactly what Jesus was saying when he was preaching his

message to the masses. And this is why he died on the cross.

All you non-believers, save your fingers. Don't bother to respond. I don't care. This is what I truly believe and any of the usual cast of characters who want to disparage my beliefs can just save themselves the effort.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

20. Bookmarking for later

Thank you for posting. :hi:

[Dr.Phool]

21. Nobody says it like Moyers.

[Taliesihne]

23. Nice speech

But religion has no place in politics, even if it does agree with you.

[Don Claybrook]

24. I do believe you're mistaken

Politics has no place in religion. Religion has always concerned itself with politics, for good and for ill. Peoples' religious convictions have always shaped their political leanings. But when politics concerns itself with religion, and when governments begin to endorse one religion over others, whether overtly or otherwise, a real problem exists. This does not conform to that definition.

You don't have any real understanding of who Bill Moyers is, do you?

Welcome.

[Taliesihne]

48. Opinions aren't mistakes

Having an understanding of who or what Bill Moyers represents doesn't have much to do with the fact that I don't agree that we shouldn't ever be bringing Jesus into politics for any reason.

I personally disagree. You can keep trying to convince me my opinion is wrong though if you have lots and lots of time to burn ;-)

[Iowa]

59. Yep, my liberal political beliefs are rooted in my religious upbringing...

It's not the only path, but I suspect it's the road many of us traveled to get here.

To Taliesihne: The right has hijacked some groups and individuals who call themselves christian, and they have willingly allowed themselves to be used as stooges to help pull off a huge money/power grab. In my religion, we were taught as kids to identify such wolves in sheep's clothing. Nevertheless, some choose to be blind. The ensuant alliance of so-called "christians" and plutocracy is the antithesis of Christianity - the enemy of it. I sometimes look at it this way: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Bill Moyers is our friend.

[Taliesihne]

70. Heh

I have lots of religious friends that know when it is appropriate to be so.

I don't dislike Bill Moyers, I dislike Jesus in American Governance - he has no place in it. Neither does Jehovah, Allah, Kali, Pan or Lucifer.

[Sapphire Blue]

29. Welcome to DU, Taliesihne!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

I hope you take the time to learn more about Bill Moyers! Perhaps you might want to read "Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times".

[Taliesihne]

50. Thanks

I'll look into it after I finish Hegemony.

:toast:

[renate]

43. welcome to DU

Normally I might agree with you, at least up to a point--although I also like what Don Claybrook said about how politics has no place in religion but that religion has always concerned itself with politics--I don't like it when politicians use religion to explain (or candy-coat) their motives.

But in this day and age, when the right wing has taken the label of "Christianity" as their own without following any of Christianity's most important tenets, they need to be called out on this, and that obviously can't be done without mentioning religion.

In an ideal world, there wouldn't be any need for politics and religion to be mentioned in the same sentence--politicians would do the right thing without getting all pious about it.

[Taliesihne]

53. The people that needs to be calling them out

Are the ones that they worship. Pointing out hypocrisy didn't work for the moral majority, it won't work for the religious right.

Minimize their involvement and don't play according to their rules or on their home turf. Stay secular and let logic point the voters in the right direction.

Thanks for the welcome thou!

:hi:

[TahitiNut]

45. "Religion has no place in politics" ... but justice DOES.

Without justice, government has absolutely no moral/ethical legitimacy. While no particular religion has a privileged place in politics, the ethical precepts common to virtually all faith traditions certainly does have a place.

[Taliesihne]

49. Won't disagree with you there

Jesus != all morality though. That's where he loses me.

[Joe Chi Minh]

61. Somebody should have told that to Jesus.

It was the politicians, i.e. the religious leaders of his day (Israel being a theocracy), who murdered him for fear of his political influence over the people and his spiritual authority, which reflected so badly on their own - such as it was.

Jesus taught that we are to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. This not primarily for the enrichment of our personal interior (spiritual) life, but in order to be able cope with the hostile machinations of the worldlings, whose influence predominates at the highest reaches of worldy power. Politics.

[Taliesihne]

69. I'm aware

Of the Jesus conspiracy. That doesn't change my mind about secularism however.

25. Moyers knows these people inside and out

He should make another documentary.

[Lebowski]

26. Moyers is phenomenal

Thanks for posting this, Sapphire. It's so frustrating when it's all laid out there, the problems are plain to see, and yet the great masses remain unaware. If you could sit each person in this country down and spoon feed them info like this, I believe we'd have a revolution. But it's just too much work for the average person to weed through the chaff and get to the truth, especially when the truth seldom makes its appearance in the MSM.

The so-called "Christian Right" is neither.

[Sapphire Blue]

30. Welcome to DU, Lebowski!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[newyawker99]

64. Hi Lebowski!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ihaveaquestion]

28. Audio link!

The only thing better than reading a Bill Moyers speech is listening to it!

The school has posted an audio link here - http://divinity.wfu.edu/news.html

Enjoy! :bounce:

[Sapphire Blue]

31. Thank you for posting this audio link!!! I'm listening now.

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

33. **** BIG KICK **** for ihaveaquestion's audio link!

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

66. Another **** BIG KICK **** for ihaveaquestion's ***AUDIO LINK ***(post 28)

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

68. !

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[glitch]

40. You Rock! nt

[VOX]

54. Thank you so much for this, ihaveaquestion!!! n/t

[ihaveaquestion]

60. Wow ! Everyone is very truly welcome! Enjoy!

[NJCher]

62. Thank you, ihaveaquestion!

I'm recording it to listen on my mp3 player.




Cher

[Roland99]

32. Put Moyers up in front of the DNC as a voice for us all!

[truebrit71]

34. That is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Hits several nails right on the head...

[denverbill]

36. WOW! Just WOW! Beautifully said. Wish I could write like that!

And even more, I wish one or two Democratic leaders in Washington could talk like that.

[xray s]

37. Amen Brother Moyers!

This is a great post to start the day with.

[0007]

39. This is great. Go Bill Moyers go.........

Many Baptists are fundamentalists; they believe in the absolute inerrancy of the Bible and the divine right of preachers to tell you what it means. They also believe in the separation of church and state only if they cannot control both. The only way to cooperate with fundamentalists, it has been said, is to obey them. James Dunn and Bill Leonard are not that kind of Baptist. They trace their spiritual heritage to forbearers who were considered heretics for standing up to ecclesiastical and state power on matters of conscience. One of them was Thomas Helwys, who, when Roman Catholics were being persecuted by the British crown, dared to defend the Catholics. Helwys went to jail, and died there, for telling the king of England, King James – yes, of the King James Bible – that “Our Lord the King has no more power over their conscience than ours, and that is none at all.”

Baptists helped to turn that conviction into America’s great contribution to political science and practical politics – the independence of church and state. Baptists in colonial America flocked to Washington’s army to fight in the Revolutionary War because they wanted to be free from sanctioned religion. When the war was won they refused to support a new Constitution unless it contained a Bill of Rights that guaranteed freedom of religion and freedom from religion. No religion was to become the official religion; you couldn’t be taxed to pay for my exercise of faith. This was heresy because, while many of the first settlers in America had fled Europe to escape religious persecution at the hands of the majority, once here they made their faith the established religion that denied freedom to others. Early Baptists considered this to be tyranny. Said John Leland: “All people ought to be at liberty to serve God in a way that each can best reconcile to their own consciences.”

It was all about a free conscience in a free state, and James Dunn has spent his life as a champion of both. No one in my time has been a greater defender of “soul freedom” – the competence of each man and woman to interpret their own experience of God in the light of faith and reason. When James stood up against fundamentalists who would have the state recognize their literal reading of the Bible as the foundation for public policy, they smeared him. They demonized him. They tried to fire him from his denominational position. But they couldn’t silence him. He stood against them when they set out to turn the Southern Baptist Convention into a monolith of dogma run from the top down by a cabal of credalists demanding doctrinal conformity. He riled them when they sought to turn the pews of their churches into precincts of partisan politics. He infuriated them when he opposed their plotting with the White House to draft a Constitutional amendment that would trivialize prayer by reducing it to a perfunctory ritual approved by the state. Said James Dunn: “The Supreme Court can’t ban prayer in school. Real prayer is always free.” When the fundamentalists and their obliging politicians claimed that God had been expelled from the classroom, Dunn answered: “The god whom I worship and serve has a perfect attendance record and has never been tardy.”

[Not Sure]

41. I loved reading this

Anyone who can tackle a subject like this with such an enormous scope and bring it into focus so clearly is a hero of mine.

[pberq]

42. Wow! thanks for posting - recommended

Bill tells it like it is!

[0007]

44. Absolutely a master piece of a thumbnail of the folks that are

bringing down this country.

[Just Me]

46. So true. So true. I can't believe I am witnessing all this.

Never in my wildest imagination did I even think for a moment our country would be possessed by this insanity.

It makes me sad. It makes me angry as hell. It makes me fear for my son's future.

Awful.

[leesfirstalso]

47. TOOLS OF A DEMAGOGUE!

TOOLS OF A DEMAGOGUE…BRIBERY, PROPAGANDA, VIOLENCE!!!



The Bush Administration has overreached the power of the rule of a just government and moved into the realm of tyranny. By usurping power and demanding absolute authority without proper oversight, they have encroached on our civil rights and made the rule of law a mockery in our country!




http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/03/24/bush_shuns_patriot_act_requirement/

“Bush Shuns Patriot Act Requirement” In addendum to law, he says oversight rules are not binding



When President Bush signed the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act this month, he included an addendum saying that he did not feel obliged to obey requirements that he inform Congress about how the FBI was using the act's expanded police powers


.
“Bush signed the bill with fanfare at a White House ceremony March 9, calling it ''a piece of legislation that's vital to win the war on terror and to protect the American people." But after the reporters and guests had left, the White House quietly issued a ''signing statement," an official document in which a president lays out his interpretation of a new law.



In the statement, Bush said that he did not consider himself bound to tell Congress how the Patriot Act powers were being used and that, despite the law's requirements, he could withhold the information if he decided that disclosure would ''impair foreign relations, national security, the deliberative process of the executive, or the performance of the executive's constitutional duties."
Bush wrote: ''The executive branch shall construe the provisions . . . that call for furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch . . . in a manner consistent with the president's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information . . . "
The statement represented the latest in a string of high-profile instances in which Bush has cited his constitutional authority to bypass a law.”



How sad for our nation that we have a leader who regards any restraint of law on his regime an obstacle to conquer in his quest for supreme authority. “WHEN LAW IS UNCERTAIN THERE IS NO LAW!”
Apathy has no place now with Bush/His Administration/ Republicans in control and the only recourse we, as Americans, have are discontented citizens who are strong and willing to stand up, speak up, when our laws are violated by this power-hungry mob, and vote to get these demagogues out of office! Feingold for President in 2008!

[newyawker99]

65. Hi leesfirstalso!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[memory]

51. I admire Bill Moyers SO much!

I think he is one of the most truly enlightened and wise individuals in the US today. I always read everything of his that I can find and pass it around. I highly recommend all DU's to do the same!:applause:

[Uncle Joe]

55. This is outstanding,

I have the utmost respect for Bill Moyers.

Kicked and recommended.

:kick:

[VOX]

56. Moyers is brilliant and knows every inning of the score.

Each successive speech he gives is more insightful, more truth-laden, and more poetic.

I hope he's around for a long ***long** time! :thumbsup: