Boehner doesn’t take bull
I missed this story last December, but perhaps many of you did too. The advocacy group Catholics United, who had in October taken the phrase “idolatry of the market” to heart and manufactured a “golden calf” to resemble the famous Wall St. bull, brought the golden bull to Washington.
Their application of the term “idolatry” to some mechanisms of a disordered market was not new (e.g., Blessed John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, no. 40), but the prophetic action with a symbolic idol was certainly innovative. After the group took the golden bull to Wall St. last October, they processed it to Speaker Boehner’s office, along with a petition in support of a financial transaction tax (H.R. 3313). They presented the petition to an aide.
I confess not knowing enough at this time about the bill to know exactly how it would affect the financial sector. But as a biblical scholar, I have to admire the tactics. Ezekiel would be so proud.
Let me state the obvious. This is the kind of bull ship that I can take!
Catholics United, a “non-partisan” organization whose executive director, James Salt, did “messaging work” for Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
Conservative Christians are often castigated for confusing the Kingdom of God with conservative, pro-American values. But many liberal Christians are blind to their own identification of the Democratic party and leftist ideals with Christ’s saving message.
Frank: your message will be quite at home here: http://www.calcatholic.com/
I’m sure Jesus would have something witty and incisive to say. Perhaps a parable of the golden calf and its worshipers. Maybe just the prophetic presence of such a symbol will eventually waken the people to notice who owns whom.