[Sosfbay-discuss] Spiritual Progressives

[alexcathy at aol.com]

A couple of quick follow-up points about Michael Lerner.


First, the movement to reassert a progressive spirituality is much 
bigger than Lerner or even two or three nationally famous charismatic 
leaders.  JIM WALLIS, longtime editor of "Sojourners" has published a 
whole book on the subject "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong 
and the Left Doesn't Get It."

George Lakoff touches on this in his book "Moral Politics."

Over the holidays I read a book by Bill Press titled "How the 
Republicans Stole Christmas."

Even Jimmy Carter has recently weighed in with "Our Endangered Values." 


My man, Cornel West, who I knew slightly when I was living in Boston, 
has always been talking about this stuff.


Remember back in 2003 during the big round of desmonstrations all over 
the world against Mr. Bush's imminent war?

Rabbi Michael Lerner was one of the ones scheduled to speak in San 
Francisco.  International A.N.S.W.E.R. objected on the ground that 
Lerner was a supporter of Israel.  All the co-sponsors of the march had 
agreed that if any one group objects to a speaker, then that person 
would not speak.  Accordingly, Lerner was not permitted to speak.

Now, here is the part of the story that, in my opinion, really tells us 
something about the character of the man.

He marched against the war that day and urged all of his friends to go 
right ahead with all the things they were planning to do.  The 
goddamned media... as always... tried to play this up as a "schism" 
within the ranks.  Lerner, to his great credity, refused to play the 
media's game.  C'mon, how many of these prima dona celebrities would do 
that?  You gotta give him a point for being secure enough to know that 
the movement is not just about him.


Alex Walker