Rhetoric Race and Religion
The government shutdown has sparked a new wave of talk decrying the unnecessary functions of government and praising the private sector, volunteerism, and the ability of Americans to take care of themselves and their own.
Groups like “Jesus Loves Jersey” are stepping up to show how “the Church” can fill the gaps left by the shuttered government. While these types of efforts are very much at the core of what many congregations see as their role—to meet the unmet needs and to serve those who are hurting—they can also perhaps unwittingly reinforce the notion that government’s functions can be best met by private efforts spurred by individual and shared values, with congregations being uniquely suited to lead the charge.
Welfare reform and the implementation of Charitable Choice in 1996 advanced the idea that government and faith groups could collaborate in order to shoulder the burden of the social safety net. Since then, the Bush Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Obama Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, have continued to push the rhetoric that faith groups are part of the solution to our social issues—from disaster response to feeding the hungry.
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