BURLINGTON, Vt., June 20 – Vermont religious leaders joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today to address the moral implications of extreme wealth and income inequality.
Bishop Thomas Ely, the Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak, Monsignor Roland Rivard and Rabbi Joshua Chasan joined Sanders to emphasize that increasing wealth and income inequality in the United States is one of the great moral issues of our time and is undermining the fabric of our nation.
“At a time when more Americans are living in poverty than at any time in our nation’s history, the middle class is disappearing and we have the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country in the world, we have a moral responsibility to reduce the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else,” Sanders said.
In the United States today, the top 1 percent owns 38 percent of the nation’s financial wealth while the bottom 60 percent owns just 2.3 percent of the nation’s wealth. Today in America, the Walton family which owns the Wal-Mart discount chain, owns more wealth than the bottom 40 percent of Americans. In terms of income, in recent years 95 percent of all new income has gone to the top 1 percent.
Ely, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, said in his Lenten message earlier this year, “I want to be clear that for me economic justice and income inequality are indeed moral issues of immediate and urgent concern.”
Today, the bishop elaborated, “the systematic undermining of the middle class has had serious consequences for the preservation of families, health, education and employment and even greater consequences for those in the bottom 30 percent,” Ely said. “Social unrest is a growing possibility.”
Bujnak, the conference minister of the United Church of Christ in Vermont, said, “It seems to me that a moral economy must be concerned with a fair balance for all. To settle for anything less is to fail to do the just and right thing.”
Chasan, a rabbi at the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington, Vermont, said, “As the power of wealth in our country is concentrated in the hands of a very few, democracy is falling apart because the center is not holding. At stake is not only economics, but also our very capacity to be free. We are once again in a time that tries the soul of America.”
Rivard, who was given the distinction of monsignor from Pope Benedict XVI after serving as pastor of Christ the King-St. Anthony Parish in Burlington, joined Sanders to demonstrate his concern for growing inequality in the United States.
“Today,” Sanders said, “the United States is No. 1 in billionaires, No. 1 in corporate profits, No. 1 in CEO salaries, No. 1 in childhood poverty and No. 1 in income and wealth inequality in the industrialized world. From a moral perspective, from an economic perspective, and from a political perspective, we have got to do better than that.”
Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141
Just checking in to see what
Just checking in to see what is happening in Brattleboro. Michael, I must say this has been a passion of mine since 1972. The True Bible Communism that Karl Marx borrowed from came from the that band of followers known as “The Way”. In Acts 2:44 we see, and it must be demonstrated again,”that all that LOVED shared everything in common and that there was not a needy or Super-Rich person among them!!! No not one!
This kind of economic justice has never been able to be legislated. It is a matter of a surrendered heart! “Imagine All The People Living Living Life as One!”
The Mythology and Hypocrisy of Poor Christians
What little influence the Jewish Marx borrowed from Christians in his economic system is dubious.
From the beginning, the Christians have been the hypocrites who sold poverty to the poor all the while it built up its own elitist wealth – that is profoundly vast to this very day.
We both can’t speak for John Lennon, but I’ll allow myself the understanding that his antireligious stand would contraindicate your sentiments and your attempt to quote him out of context.
More specifically, Lennon urged us to “live as one” with “no religion too.”
True Religion is Re-connecting People
Vidda, True religion in the Greek means to relink, as in a chain, people to people. The true expession of what Yahshua ,the man, caused to establish 2,000 years ago has not been visible on the earth since that time.
Many of my generation became inflamed with the cause of justice, peace and equality. We saw groups such as the SDS, Commune Movement and on and on attempt to bring about a new social order that would be ruled by love. Their still is a Hope, a longing alive on the earth, that a people, a nation would fulfill John Lennon’s and Bob Dylan’s prophetic cries!!
As “It’s A Beautiful Day” sang the White Bird Must Fly! Or she will die and so will the deepest longing of mankind’s heart. That we would be free from the curse of living for yourself, selfishly.
It's critical to the overall mental health of the individual
Melevav,
Your reply is not without points of interest, but I will say from the start that anytime I see the term “True Religion” in any context I am put on guard. In terms of truth, the historical veracity of the character “Yahshua” which might mean “son of god” has never been fully established. At least, you didn’t refer to him with the nonsensical Jesus Christ, who of course, never existed.
As for Lennon’s and Dylan’s “prophetic cries!!” I would recommend “my generation” not to get too carried away. Prophecies are in the eye of the beholder only and are not a homogenous human experience shared by all 7.3 billion people planet-wide.
As descendent of the Cherokee nation on my mother’s side, I would not be impressed by “the White Bird Must Fly.”
But this point from me is germane: “Living for yourself” is NOT a curse and it is NOT an act of selfishness.
“Living for yourself” is, in fact, an important and perfectly normal component of all human experience. Almost no one, anywhere lives entirely for themselves, but as one part of our wholeselves it is necessary and critical to the overall mental health of each individual.
The Goal---"Imagine No Possessions
But what we are attempting to address are societies, on finite planet earth, that DO NOT consist of the 1% consuming 45% of the wealth! Back in the early 80’s the USA 5% of earth’s population consumed, ate, 45% of the International GNP. Those first disciples had such a caring and sharing attitude within themselves that it turned the then known world “upside down”.
That social order of Jerusalem in 34 AD is defintely a Cause to strive for.
The more things change the more they remain the same
That social order of roughly 2,000 years ago (there is no such date as “34 AD”) was, in fact, not unlike today. From the first fence built 10,000 years ago to hold the personal enclosure of the largest landholder back then, until 2,000 years ago, and so on, until this very day, the “1% consuming 45% of the wealth“ took root (as it were) and has never left us.
The more things change, my dear Melevav, the more they remain the same.
The “first disciples” did not, in fact, turn the “then known world “upside down.“ It took 300 years before this Jewish sect, known as the Christians, took a real foothold. And only, I repeat, only, because of the Emperor Constantine. When Constantine declared himself a christian, he decreed that all his empire would be christian as well — whether they liked it or not. Hence, so was the beginning of “Western christian civilization,” much as we know it today.
Greed and wealth knows no bounds. It is ingrained in the mote in each and every (human) eye. Given the chance, most humans gladly accept (eat) their elevation out of poverty.
There is no answer to this dilemma because the dilemma is us. Every now and then a preacher, a mahatma or an OWS will stir the muddy waters. But greed is king. It always will be.
The dust that claims us all is the only final solution. The rest is mere struggle for supremacy and satiation. If you don’t believe me, just ask our dearly beloved SCOTUS.
Scotus, Socrates, Greed and the Apex of Greatness
When you mention Scotus I am reminded of the Greek Phiolosphers and their quest for Truth. Now Socrates was a “gadfly” to the Athenian way of life, which namely became greed and power. Yes, one of ancient Greece’s outstanding students is referred to in history as “The Great”! Alexander conquered the known world but maybe if he had applied his attention to Socrates than perhaps his greedy aspirations would have been checked by a working conscience!?!?
Socrates stated that, “the unexamied life is not worth living”. One should not be led by the pursuits of wealth at the expense of others. For such teaching the ruling elite of Athens’ great society sentenced Socrates to death. For those that want to see a deep change in the way we live as humans.. Love has to be a more powerful force than greed.
Thanks, Melevav
The heights of hypocrisy
Melevav, when you mention “love” I am reminded that love is the most overused and abused word in Jew-Christian languages…too often within the heights of hypocrisy.
“Truth” is the second-most overused and abused word in Jew-Christian languages…
What is known about Socrates is that he wrote nothing down and there are no surviving texts and his students never wrote him down either, nor did they quote him in context to his own time and place. There is no realistic, unbiased account of Socrates life. Alexander on the other hand, has quite a bit known and written about him.
Therefore quoting Socrates, as you do here: “the unexamied life is not worth living,” is specious and dubious at best.
But it is not surprising to hear a believer like yourself put so much stock into believing you have portrayed both men to your satisfaction.
But the really sad part of your comment is: “One should not be led by the pursuits of wealth at the expense of others.”
Holy crap! Isn’t it ironic that that’s exactly how the Jukrislims built their vast wealth when they separated the poor from their hard-earned money with mythologies very much like your own glassy, rosy-eyed dream world of your own mythos?
Vidda
The History has no Fruit
Vidda, I just read your post on “Gendercide” and I must say that you are correct that organized religion has no evidence to show for its bloody and oppressive reign over the lives of women, children and men. We have been so busy here in the Oneonta, New York Yellow Deli and it is the spirit that draws people to our place.
There are different gods, different paths but the litmus test as to which is truly relevant will be the peace and harmony in the tree, the relationships that stem from the god one follows and devotes their life to.
Believer breeders
Melevav, it is a specious belief that insists on only allowing peace if a person believes in god, and that they are incapable of peace if they do not.
You believer breeders really should stop trying to speak for all 7.3 billion humans.
Why your reference to my “Gendercide” article shows up here rather than under the Gendercide article is not too curious, considering it obviously unites your thread here under this article, which it would not have done under Gendercide.
Your sentence “…I must say that you are correct that organized religion has no evidence to show for its bloody and oppressive reign over the lives of women, children and men” is not quite what I’m saying. Patriarchal Jukrislims do in fact have too much historical evidence of bloodshed and oppression on their their hands.
I also saw the clever plug for your Twelve Tribes deli that’s mentioned here in today’s comment.
I suppose you have no choice but to consistently insist that humans must follow a god, so much so, that any ole god will do.
The fact that there can be no peace until humans are free of belief-dependency first and secondly free of all the competing gods you people have invented can never be impressed on you.
But it should be and usually is noted by rational people that peace and harmony are not dependent on anybody’s god. People can and are perfectly fine human beings with the need of a god.
Being good "without" the need of a god...
“But it should be and usually is noted by rational people that peace and harmony are not dependent on anybody’s god. People can and are perfectly fine human beings with the need of a god.”
It’s too late, having already “gone to press,” but this is a perfectly good reason why I dislike writing this way. I am a deliberately careful slow writer when I write articles. I sometimes feel rushed in these comments sections.
Although, some would know this, already (even mr. mike), if they got this far, that I meant to type:
“But it should be and usually is noted by rational people that peace and harmony are not dependent on anybody’s god. People can and are perfectly fine human beings “without” the need of a god.”
Well, there you have it. Now I edit my comment from the 7th…just for the heck of it.
Well, no, I will not edit....
Well, well, a little quirk of iBrattleboro.
Some of my previous comments indicate under them I am allowed to:
edit reply Flag as offensive
In other cases, my own previous comments indicate under them I am allowed to only:
reply Flag as offensive
Ah, the vagaries of tech sources codes..
.
p.s...
Personally, I would prefer that you address me under my article(s), not under this one. Try using another piggyback to unite your thread, or write your own.
Piggyback believer breeders
https://www.ibrattleboro.com/sections/state-news/sanders-and-vermont-religious-leaders-address-wealth-and-income-inequality
A Tree is Known by it's Fruit.
I’ve been intrigued lately by your stories and replies in reference to religious topics Vidda, and must say that it appears you have animosity with anyone who has a faith or belief system based on a creator or supreme being.
I hope that grace will abound towards you as it seems you have anger towards those that have faith.
Will not go down with your belief-dependent horror show quietly
…” appears you have animosity…”
Gee, mr.mike, you think?
Interestingly enough, if you took more time to read my philosophy behind my stories, instead of reacting to the obvious, you might gain greater insight. But maybe your superficial view of your own faith, that is based on the simplicity of what abounds toward you, allows you to give this deceptively calm and seemingly blessed comment.
After 7000 years of these patriarchs laying waste to the lives of humanity with their forced fed father-centered, bloody culture, perhaps you might have “the grace” to forgive them.
This marvelous, gracile, mindful humanoid animal species simply deserved and deserves better than the predatory, bloodthirsty death culture we’ve been living under for thousands of years.
The simple truth is, we didn’t need the patriarchal violent beliefs back then and we don’t need them now.
It may be too late to save humanity, but don’t expect me and many, many other humans to go down with your faith-based, belief-dependent horror show quietly.