Friday, September 22, 2006

On the other hand

I am reminded of the Amistad incident, when lawyers and churchmen decided that persons on a slave ship were human beings deserving of humane treatment.

And they worked hard to make the courts agree.

There are powers other than the legislative and political that work in this country, and methods other then elections for changing the laws. Not even habeas corpus was granted to the people by King John, but had to be extracted by great effort. Our leaders may be quislings, but the people don't have to be. And religious individuals have an obligation, and a great authority, behind them and surrounding them. We have the clouds of witness to show us the way, and give us the courage, to do what is right. Especially for the alien and the foreigner and the stranger, to whom it can honestly be said we owe the greatest obligation of all. Especially those of us who call our selves Christians.

Because whatever we do to the least of these....

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