KETR recently joined a partnership of Texas public radio stations known as the Texas Newsroom. Led by stations in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, the Texas Newsroom features a daily hour-long program, The Texas Standard, as well as weekday morning and afternoon morning editions and local coverage of All Things Considered. We bring you live news coverage from across the state. news program.
Recently, the Texas Newsroom asked if KETR could be a part of its Religion and Politics series, so I wrote an article about African American churches in Northeast Texas, as well as personal perspectives and choices in a world where faith is political. suggested how it would affect.
A phrase often heard in the black church is “The world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.” This refers to the intrinsic value of man and his dignity as a child of God. You don’t have to be religious to understand the spirit of this idea, but it also calls into question all of our worldly relationships in which we are always measured in terms of social or material capital.
This idea that our values are not lost or gained as we move through life is an interesting basis for engaging in the political world, especially in an era when the toxicity of discourse has reached saturation levels. It also becomes.
The story we ended up with can be found here on the Texas Standard site and here on our own site. Overall I’m satisfied, but I really regret that I didn’t have time to elaborate on the topics introduced in the story. Even the longer format of a four-minute public radio story can at best point out a particular dynamic or situation, and deeper understanding depends on whether the listener decides to want to know more.
My main takeaway from visiting Mount Moriah Temple Baptist Church in Commerce and East Caney Missionary Baptist Church in Sulfur Springs is that the worshipers there pay attention to the personal character of political candidates. is. This is evident not only in their actions, but also in: the ripple effects of their presence in public spaces;
“It’s very disturbing when you hear that a certain religion agrees with a candidate when the candidate isn’t speaking truth, he’s not speaking love,” said Henry, an East Caney believer. Ross said.
This approach does not preclude the idea of selecting candidates or ideologies based on public policy details. Instead, it makes the process more inclusive by including the moral qualities and inclinations of political candidates as criteria for political decision-making.
“There is one thing God is not: God is not the author of chaos,” says Anthony Henry, a member of the Commerce City Council and Mt. Moriah.
“So if Christ is in this, there will be no division after that,” Henry said. “It will unite people. So if there’s still division, you’re manipulating Christ and God for your own benefit. It’s older than sand. People have been like that from the beginning. This is what kings and judges did to get what they wanted. We are dealing with the same thing in the political realm. It’s not just that, but it’s over.”
Rev. Larry Dixon serves as pastor of Mount Moriah Temple Baptist Church, the largest African American faith community in commerce.
Henry also described his own personal efforts to practice moral discernment without practicing moral judgment. This is one of the most difficult balancing acts, but nearly all faith traditions encourage practitioners to assess the moral quality of actions without passing judgment on the moral quality of individuals or, even more dangerously, groups. Seeking to identify.
“That’s the question the man in the mirror has to ask himself,” Henry said. “Because if I answer that person’s question, that makes me a judge, but I’m not a judge. And you’re doing the same thing they’re doing. It’s following your way, my way, using the name of Jesus, but I didn’t write the book. I didn’t write the rules. You know, when I lie down and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, I go back to the earth, and I have to answer to someone. I can’t put myself in a higher position than anyone else.”
Issues of sex and sexuality were also mentioned in the Texas Standard story. Issues related to sexual orientation and gender are at the heart of a touchy subject, often referred to as “culture war” issues. On these issues, those who spoke with KETR for the Texas Standard article expressed a variety of opinions, none of which were more likely than the extreme positions on the topic that seem to dominate public discourse. It had even more subtle nuances.
“Jesus gave us a command,” East Caney student Minder Kelly said. “He said, ‘Love one another.'” On a personal note, there are gay people in my family. There are transgender people in my family. Do I agree with that? No, but do I love them? yes. “
The view leans conservatively, but supports the state’s efforts to crack down on cities like Denton that include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in local anti-discrimination ordinances. It doesn’t mean anything. No one I spoke to for this story seemed to begrudge legal protections for such groups. This centrist’s views are privately conservative and publicly progressive, and do not fit either progressive or conservative beliefs as commonly presented.
Despite the range of opinions I heard on sexuality and other topics, those who spoke on the record were united in one sentiment. “We must collectively face collective challenges and not let fear drive us to self-destruction.”
“Otherwise we would be living like the great Babylonians and other peoples who were on the mountain top but ended up descending into the valley,” said Mount Moriah Temple Baptist Church. Pastor Larry Dixon warns. “Because what was important is no longer so important. You reap what you sow. I don’t care who you are. It has color. What you sow, you will reap. If you plant corn, you will get corn.”
The rest of the Texas Standard religion and politics series can be found here.
