Issue No 100 | 29 June 2001 | |
The SoapboxGod and the Unions
Michael Gadiel reflects on lessons the Trade Union movement can draw from the crisis facing organised religion in the Western World.
*************** Orthodox Christian thinking is out of touch with the real world according to Bishop John Spong. Formerly the Anglican Bishop of Newark, New Jersey and author of a number of works, including his most recent "Here I Stand" (Harper Collins). Given the controversy, and associated publicity surrounding his tour, it is was not surprising to find that it was standing rooming only at his address to the Sydney Institute last Tuesday. As a confirmed (and lapsed) Anglican I have followed the debate within the Anglican Church with some interest. But my real motivation for attending, is an interest in the parallels between the debate over reform within the church and that within the Trade Union movement. The similarities between the plight of the church and the trade union movement are many. Both are old world institutions, both are suffering declining membership, both are fighting the perception that they are less relevant, and they are both associated with particular values. The church, the custodian of the Christian Judaeo ethical set, and the Trade Union Movement of collectivism and comradeship. The currency of these values are seen to be diminished by the decline in their associated institutions. Both the churches and the trade union movement are looking for a way to re-make themselves, and reverse the slide. Using and analogy with the US Supreme Court, Spong argues that the Bible leaves the way open for progression of human thought by containing both majority and minority reports. In a court, the majority report becomes law and the minority report either disappears, or becomes the basis of future review. He argues that as our consciousness in a particular area rises we have to re-think our views. Sometimes the minority view can become the majority. To a layman like me this sounds like "we must change with the times". In particular, he argues that Christianity has struggled to adapt to developments in Science over the last five-hundred years. He cites examples such as the conflict between evolution and creationism, and the (recently withdrawn) proscription against Galileo. Obviously none of this is earth shattering stuff - but the significance is that Spong as a senior clergyman of the Episcopal Church (the US branch of the Anglican Church) is publicly saying it. Traditionalists would argue that the strength of the church, and organised religion lies in its adherence to the Bible, that the dilution of their beliefs would further erode the support that the church currently has. It seems that this is not a dissimilar dilemma to that currently faced by the trade union movement. Generally our level of support is declining, but we are still strong in our traditional areas. They stick to us because they have always been core supporters. The problem is that changing to encompass broader community support becomes more difficult because there is the perception that Trade Unions are abandoning their base. It is difficult to change with the times, particularly if you have remained static for some time because those that remain are attracted to your constancy. Spong also spoke about the concept of God. In the Old Testament God Lives in the sky and actively intervenes in the affairs of the world. This is that god that sent plagues down upon the Egyptians and parted the Red Sea for Moses. He argues however that there are other concepts of God in the scriptures, such as God as a rock - a stable platform upon which humanity rests. Also God as wind, the Holy Ghost as "the breath of God". Spong argues that such concepts of God are more suited to a previous age. Spong's strongest message came through when asked about his notion of God. His answer - God was life, vested in people, that people become divine by becoming fully human. This involved: living life fully; loving wastefully and being everything that they can be. The similarity between his philosophy and the Buddhist concept of enlightenment was not lost to this observer. Indeed, Spong seems to have successfully embraced the post-modern argument. Those that maintain exclusivity of religion - that is one particular religion is the only true religion and the only pathway to heaven - abandon one of the strongest arguments in favour the existence of God. That there are so many unlikely commonalities amongst the various established religions, even those that have evolved independently. Spong's analogy is that "it is like digging for the same ground water from different wells". Perhaps, in stretching this analogy to its limit, the final parallel between the union movement in the Church is the debate over the regression into fundamentalism. A spectator from the Pentecostal Church questioned the decline argument, claiming that his church was as vibrant as ever. The reality is that both the church and the trade unions are suffering massive declines in membership. Spong argues that the fundamentalist churches are simply churning people through, the commitment level is high, but the burnout rate is massive. He argues that fundamentalism is like putting sunlight under a magnifying glass - brighter but burns out more quickly - and is actually accelerating the decline of the church. Surely a renaissance requires firmer ground than this? Spong concluded his arguments by putting the case that Christianity still has something to offer, even if one accepts the frameworks of the modern world. The danger: that Christianity will join the ranks of the gods of Olympus. I suspect that there is a similar warning here for trade unionists. Analogy or not, perhaps religion and trade unionism, despite their differences, are encountering similar dilemmas in their battle against decline. Maybe both have something to gain by looking at the lessons of the other. As we know from history, the pendulum always swings back, the trick is to be in the right place to catch it, before someone else does. The question is where to stand, and the challenge is how to get there. Further Reference: http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/jsspong/
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