The Kerryization of the Church

John Kerry has come under a ton of fire (does he get a Purple Heart for this?) for his now infamous comment about kids getting stuck in Iraq if they don't get a good education. Much commentary has been uttered about the slip, and some of it revolves around Mr Kerry's tactics as a politician: Mr Kerry was also widely criticized (a trend is developing here) for not responding to the Swift Boat ads quickly enough and forcefully enough in the 2004 Presidential campaign. That error is thought, in many circles, to be the misstep that foundered the ship of his candidacy. Once Republicans decried Mr Kerry's 'botched joke', he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice; instead, he fought back immediately and forcefully, with language that was borderline inflammatory. The commentary (which I am not linking because there is so much of it) is that Mr Kerry is always fighting the previous battle. He should have come out fast and hard with the Swifties and didn't. He should have apologized quickly for the 'stuck in Iraq' thing, but he applied the lesson learned of the last battle. Mr Kerry seems to always be one step behind--fighting the battle already waged and learning its lessons one engagement too late.

I wonder if the PCUSA hasn't suffered a Kerryization. Many Presbyterians were on the wrong side of slavery and Civil Rights issues. We learned those lessons--some of us a little late. Now, we seem to be of the mind that we are not going to make the same mistake twice. Having caught on to those progressive movements late in the day, we are now quickly embracing any progressive idea that comes along, lest we be proven wrong, yet again. We are still fighting the previous battle. The problem is that progressivism is not a consistent good. (What is!?) Some progressive causes are thoroughly Biblical--focus on the poor would be one example. Some are not Biblical--abortion comes to mind. The traditional agenda stands under the same criticism. Supporting the Civil Rights movement (and now racial reconciliation) is a strength of the progressives and is to be lauded and followed. Fighting against abortion is a strength of the traditionalists and is to be lauded and followed. Chasing after every action that is progressive because we're stuck in the prior contest is theological suicide. Or political, if you're John Kerry.