A city court on Tuesday (Oct. 11) dropped charges against a group of religious and civic leaders who were arrested in July during a prayer vigil for the poor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
The vigil, held at the height of the summer’s debt ceiling debate, aimed to stop Congress from cutting funding to programs that benefit the most needy in the U.S. and abroad.
“We are guilty of one charge: the promotion of social righteousness,” said the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, director of public witness for the Presbyterian Church (USA).
There’s nothing wrong with this, but it is indicative of what is wrong with the main line churches and why they are losing members out the whazoo.
Did you catch the pompous moniker they attached to themselves? The “Rotunda 11”! It makes them sound like over-fed brats. As if they were somehow persecuted for their beliefs. What a joke.
[blockquote]as the group stays out of the Capitol for six months and submits to a drug screening.[/blockquote]
A drug screening? For Clergy? That’s the really bizarre point the article makes offhandedly. The courts require drug screening for protesters now?
““We are guilty of one charge: the promotion of social righteousness,†said the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, director of public witness for the Presbyterian Church (USA).”
Err I seem unable to find any mention of this the scripture, chapter and verse please. Let me give you a hint. Lets start Romans 3:9
9What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
No Mr. J. Herbert Nelson, there is no such thing social righteousness, you are called to preach our unrighteous and righteousness of Christ the “righteousness dying for our unrighteousness”; proclaiming Christ and the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sin.
“”We are working for an economy that protects the least of these and where the very wealthy pay their fair share,†Butler said. “We pray for members of Congress that they will repent and turn to the common good.—
No, individual Congress representatives need to repent and turn form their sin and rebellion to God like everybody else, rich or poor; you need to repent of your sin of neglecting the Gospel and God’s word for political causes and envy.