Religious group pushes liberal activism

Religious group pushes liberal activism
By Rich Barlow
August 9, 2008
The rhythms of the American political system dictate a quadrennial national introspection of our values and ideals. For Jordan Braunig, Judaism is the wellspring of his personal values. And so the 27-year-old rabbinical student at Hebrew College found himself walking amid drizzle and bits of litter along a Dorchester street last week, hunting for voters to register.

Righteous Indignation, cofounded by Rabbi Or Rose of Hebrew College, takes its name from a book Rose helped edit last winter that was a collection of essays on social justice from progressive Jews. The voter registration drive, sponsored by Righteous Indignation and three other groups representing Muslims, Christians, and Jews, followed a May conference that drew activists from around the country to Hebrew College. It also preceded a planned series of events before the November vote, including presidential debate parties.

In the introduction to their book, Rose and his coeditors cull admonitions to do good from Israel's prophets. Jeremiah condemned those who failed to give "a hearing to the pleas of the needy," while Isaiah commanded, "Devote yourselves to justice, aid the wronged, uphold the rights of the orphan, defend the cause of the widow."
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We've all heard a lot about moral values over the years and family values, with people pointing their fingers at others who live their own lives. We've heard a lot more about hating and condemning them than we've heard about taking care of them. When you have someone doing most of the screaming about who to hate and what to stop, always ask yourself as you hear what they are against, what they are really standing for. Is it righteousness, mercy, compassion, understanding or are they always too busy trying to stop others from doing something so that no one notices what they themselves are doing?

Things get really twisted up when we forget what we were supposed to learn about the faiths we claim to have. Last I heard, most major religions talk about taking care of others, the poor, the needy, and even the Statue of Liberty addresses this group too many in this country would rather forget. We see what reward that has obtained for this nation in this economy produced by only taking care of the wealthy. It's refreshing to see these young men remember that what they are doing is about doing the work set forth from God and not by one religion over another.