Compassion Is Only One Dimension of Religion

The euphoria over faith-based organizations has reached the level of irrational exuberance, to borrow a phrase from the almighty himself, Alan Greenspan.

While there is the predictable protest that President Bush may have thrown too big a bone to the religious right, there is surprising receptiveness by the public and political pundits to give a chance to the newly established White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. After all, it is possible that criminal behavior and various addictions might have something to do with a moral vacuum in people’s lives.

So far, however, there is something missing in this exuberance over the faith community’s role in solving the nation’s problems. Compassion is only one dimension of the faith of Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. Central to any religious tradition worth its salt is the notion of justice. So far, the Bush administration has framed the debate in functional terms--namely, the social service role of religion--and has ignored the prophetic call-to-action aspect.

If the administration is going to champion religion, then it better be equally prepared to take seriously the critiques of its social policy agenda, such as tax cuts for the wealthy. If religion does nothing more than serve as an extension of government, it better fold its tent. One of the essential roles of the church, temple or synagogue is not just to serve the poor but to work toward eliminating the structural forces that create poverty. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and providing shelter to the homeless are essential moral responsibilities of every religious community. But it is also the task of religion to be a judge and critic.

Indeed, there is great potential for faith-based programs to transform people’s lives, with some of our most recalcitrant social problems being most effectively addressed by strong doses of religion. But don’t expect generic forms of civil religion to have much effect on keeping kids out of gangs or getting one off of drugs. Putting “In God We Trust” banners on schools, or signing off with “God bless America,” will not cut much ice with people in need of a fix or those craving the community of a gang because of inadequacies in their own family lives.

On the other hand, there are a lot of good-willed people in the religious community who are willing to lend a hand to the poor. Hence, partnerships with government will enable them to increase their capacity to do job training, provide child care and build affordable housing.

In many ways, the new White House agency’s job is simplified because the service delivery system is already in place. There are 300,000 congregations spread throughout the United States. These congregations have buildings (often relatively unoccupied during the week), and there is leadership in place, as well as volunteers who believe that service to others may have something to do with life’s meaning.

So, let’s get on with the experiment, and while we are at it, don’t forget that corporations and foundations have an important role to play. Diversified funding sources are important, including the tithes and offerings. Without the latter, congregation members have no stake in maintaining the integrity of the service being provided, and faith-based initiatives would lapse into inefficient bureaucracies.

Compassionate conservatism needs to be matched with calls to action for justice in our land. President Bush needs to acknowledge the “voice” of religion as well as see its potential for dealing with the disadvantaged and wounded of our society.