Social Gospel

I'm beginning to write a fairly large paper for my Church History class, and I've decided on my topic: The Social Gospel of the early 20th century.

Very interesting topic. I've begun by reading Urban Masses and Moral Order in America: 1820-1920 by Paul Boyer (written fairly recently), and A Theology for the Social Gospel by Walter Rauschenbusch (written 1910s).

It's amazing to see the parallels to today. 100 years ago, America went through a transition to Urbanization. The chief problems were "moral ills" (here being prostitution, alcohol, etc.). Today America is going through a transition to Globalization. The chief problems many people see today are "moral ills" (here being the errosion of the Family--James Dobson-- pornography--found online--gay marriages, and abortion).

100 years ago, reformers sought to fix the problems through legislation. It didn't work. America hated prohibition, prostitution is still found for those who want it. Today, reformers are seeking to fix our problems through legislation. In the long run, laws against gay marriage won't work, the courts will not turn back Roe v. Wade, legislating against online pornography will be very hard because of the internet's lack of national boundaries.

The way problems were "fixed" 100 years ago--well, not necessarily fixed, but dealt with--was through something called Environmentalism. No, not what you're thinking of today dealing with global warming. Environmentalism as in creating parks. "Raymound Calkins insisted that the answer to the saloon and other urban vices did not lie in forcing the masses into a moral straitjacket. Instead, he argued, reformers must study the social needs met by the saloon, the dance hall, and so forth, and develop alternatives to meet those needs without the evil side effects" (Boyer 221). He provided ideas like soda bars/candy stores (think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)/municipal theaters/playgrounds/parks instead of alcoholic bars, dark theaters to make-out in, dark places to "park the car," etc.

What did this do? Well, it did not cause the country to become the utopian place many reformers expected, but it did try to show the public that "the imperatives of urban life required the subordination of individual gratification to the larger social good" (Boyer 223).

The social order of the public gradually was changed (though not as far as many reformers wanted). But, this transformation required a fundamental rethinking of the processes by which a society achieved ethical consensus; and that in the future, social and moral control would depend not upon coercive repression, but upon a benign manipulation of the urban environment so as to evoke the desired behavior" (Boyer 232).

Can we today try to make a change in America like happened 100 years ago? Is our new communications device--the Internet--causing us social problems that have yet to work itself out in our society because only 12 years ago was the Internet made commercial? How can we fundamentally rethink the way in which we as a people achieve an ethical consensus in a rapidly diversifying ethical society?

I have no answer for this presently. Can we use the internet to create more opportunities for us to do social good? What can we do to "fix" the "moral ills" of America, or do we just need to let them run their course? Jesus told us that the poor would always be with us, should we focus on propping them up? Is the Church doing a terrible job at helping those in need in the community? (My pastor at church was telling me that the church gives a benevolence offering, but can only help out families in less than $20 a piece--does this help at all?) Should we prop up and raise up one family at a time (a long process) financially, give them a job, teach them finances, help raise their children, provide entertainment, and provide an education so they can help others? What must we do?

Sidenote: Currently, we need to keep the internet free of manipulation from companies, it must be neutral in what is sent over it because it is such an untapped resource.

All Words, No Ideas?

I've had many friends recently tell me that I should not support Barack Obama because he is too light on his policy issues - he does not know what he would do to support his ideas. I have always found this absurd. Now I have proof.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633


Barack Obama has had more bills co-sponsored than Hilary Clinton in the last 3 years. (He works better with other people)
Barack Obama has had a higher percentage of bills become law than Hilary Clinton in the last 3 years (he'll be ready on day one)
Barack Obama is fine with risky business (supporting Americans more than corporations) as shown by his sponsored bill against lead paint.

Late January/Early February

So much has happened in the last month, it's funny to look back on everything.

Politically: Barack Obama has won the last 10 democratic primaries/caucuses (everything after Super Tuesday). And I've definately realized I hold to more Democratic ideas rather than Republican ideas. I care more about the social issues facing the poor and needy, than those of upper-class white people. I desire to see us exit Iraq ASAP. I think universal healthcare would be a good thing. I don't care about the Immigration issue. I think we should ready ourselves for global warming (even if it doesn't come, we should leave the earth better than we found it). And, I love Barack Obama's technology policies. (open internet, government accountability, investing in future tech, improve infrastructure, make America competitive) http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/

p.s. politically, I also think some of the things the ACLU does is totally justified. I am no longer being brainwashed by my high school and my old church to think that every liberal is against Christianity.

Educationally: Four major things I've come to deal with. 1) It's okay to fail a class (I've received an F on 2/3 of my quizzes in Greek, and got a C- on my last test. 2)Martin Luther (of Christian Reformation fame) was really inappropriate. He drew some of the first political cartoons in history, some of which featured the pope playing a horn out of his ass. He also asked his best friend to watch him have sex on his wedding night to prove his wife was a virgin. (Peep show!) 3)Soren Kierkegaard was awesome. Christian Existentialism is intriguing. 4)Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style not only is informative but is funny because I'm studying the rules to make text layout beautiful.

Socially: I'm getting good at Guitar Hero, I'm on expert now.
I've started running again (two weeks in a row, I've ran more than 3 miles).
I have a girlfriend.
School and my workstudy take up so much time.