One on One with Jim Wallis

By Jon Melegrito

Much has been said about George W. Bush winning the 2004 Presidential election because he used religious language and talked about "moral values" more effectively than John Kerry. Bush and the Republican Party — with strong support from anti-worker forces — focused on wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage, while dodging economic fairness issues like declining wages and the outsourcing of jobs overseas.

Jim Wallis, an evangelical Christian leader, terms that strategy "outrageous behavior by a political party trying to manipulate religion for its own agenda." For example, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) appeared in April on a national telecast and criticized "the liberal, anti-Christian dogma of the Left." Also in April, officials at the U.S. Air Force Academy — an institution funded by taxpayers — revealed that in the past four years they have received 55 complaints of religious harassment by a growing and ever-more-aggressive group of on-campus, so-called "Christian fundamentalists."

In his new book, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It — a New York Times bestseller — Wallis argues that moral values encompass a broad range of issues, such as poverty, economic justice, the environment, war and government budgets.

Wallis founded Sojourners — an organization of Christians for justice and peace — more than 30 years ago and continues to serve as the editor of the group's magazine. In recent years, he has led more than 250 town meetings, bringing together clergy, civic and business leaders, citizens and elected officials in the cause of social justice and moral politics.

What do you object to about President Bush's approach to religion and politics?

The Bush campaign's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, made no secret of his intent to reach out aggressively to conservative religious voters. But the Bush re-election team seriously overstepped the proper boundaries of church and state by suggesting religious "duties" that included turning over congregational membership lists to local Republican parties. That offended even members of Bush's religious base. In mailings to churches in some states, the Republican National Committee suggested that liberal Democrats would ban the Bible and accept gay marriage if they were to win. But they know that wasn't true.

I have never seen such outrageous behavior by a political party trying to manipulate religion — while disrespecting the faith of millions of other believers who disagree with the Republican political agenda. What do such tactics say about the Republicans' respect for the black churches, when the African-American vote was again almost 90 percent for the Democrats? Is something wrong with their faith? The Republicans virtually claim to own religion. No political party owns religion.

You imply that the Bush budget is an immoral document. What do you mean?

Budgets are moral documents. They reflect the values and priorities of a family, church, organization, city, state or nation. We should ask of any budget, ‘What happens to the poor and most vulnerable, especially the nation's poorest children?' Rather than moving toward a "living family income," the Bush budget scapegoats the poor, fattens the rich and asks for sacrifice mostly from those who can least afford it. It is a moral outrage. It stifles opportunities for low-income families, which are vital for national economic security. Our future is in serious jeopardy when one in three proposed program cuts are to education initiatives; when fewer children in working poor families will be included in Medicaid; when Food Stamps are threatened; and when affordable housing is put out of reach. Cutting pro-work and pro-family programs jeopardizes the common good.

Right-wing strategists and politicians certainly seem to be winning with their moral-values campaign. Is that your view?

There was indeed a period in the 1980s and '90s when the perception abounded that "Christian" involvement in politics meant the so-called "Christian Right." But that hasn't been true for some time now. The U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, for example, has provided real social-policy leadership in the last decade and has become a clear alternative to the dominance of groups like the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition. Among the policies the bishops oppose are increased military spending and welfare reform that neglects poor working families.

What can unions and other pro-worker advocates do to keep our opponents from monopolizing moral values as a political issue?

It is possible — and necessary — to express one's faith and convictions about public policy while still respecting the pluralism of American democracy. Rather than suggesting that we not talk about "God," we should be arguing — on moral and even religious grounds — that all Americans deserve economic security, health care and educational opportunity, and that true faith results in a compassionate concern for those on the margins. When workers and the poor are defended on moral or religious grounds, it is not "class warfare," as the rich often charge, but rather a direct response to the overwhelming focus on the poor in the Scriptures — which claim that the poor are regularly neglected, exploited and oppressed by wealthy elites, political rulers and the affluent.

Was Martin Luther King Jr. a model for how to bring religious values to political life?

Martin Luther King Jr. did it best. With his Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other, King persuaded, not just pronounced. He reminded us all of God's purposes for justice, for peace and for the "beloved community" in which those who are always left out and behind get a front-row seat. And he brought religion into public life in a way that was always welcoming, inclusive and inviting to all who cared about moral, spiritual or religious values.

How is this relevant to workers and their unions?

Nearly 3,000 years ago, the biblical prophet Isaiah offered us God's vision of a good society. It includes fair and good wages, housing and health, safety and security. In America, people who work should not be poor, but today many are. We must ensure that all people who are able to work have jobs where they do not labor in vain, have access to good health care and decent housing, and are able to support their families. The future of our country depends on strong and stable families that can successfully raise their children. We must also ensure that those who are unable to work are cared for by our society. Economic security for all our people is vital to our national security. Isaiah links religious values with economic justice, moral behavior with political commitment. All of us should do the same.