We have been meditating on the teaching that lies behind democracy that Jesus and Eckhart talk about: The dignity and nobility of all persons, their rights and responsibilities born of being “images and likenesses” of the Holy One, the Great Mystery, the Creator and “Source without a Source.”
Such uplifting teachings come up against hard reality in history. Jesus encountered it surely—that is what his crucifixion was all about. Eckhart encountered it. We are encountering it on many fronts today where forces of greed and power for power’s sake seem to be playing out at will in many domains.
One of these is the Supreme Court fashioned as it is today by the Heritage Foundation and its primary operative, Opus Dei member and recently crowned billionaire, Leonardo Leo.
Yes, this is the same Heritage Foundation that birthed for all of us to see the notorious Christofascist blueprint for Trump’s second term should he be elected in November, Project 2025.
Read it and weep. Read it and act.
This is the same Heritage Foundation whose president Kevin Roberts just proclaimed that “we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” Many people interpret this to mean he is explicitly threatening political violence if the right does not get its way.
Robert Reich, former labor secretary, has referred to the recent Chevron decision to denounce the “administrative state” and all regulations this way: “The Six Corporate-Owned US Supreme Court Justices have completed their assigned mission.” What is that mission? To destroy agencies assigned the tasks of “protecting the public from corporations that seek profits at the expense of the health, safety, and pocketbooks of average Americans.”
If you substitute the word “protection” for “regulation” you see who benefits—consumers, workers, average people desiring clean air and water, healthy food and tested drugs. A “corporate legal movement” has been mobilizing for 53 years to get what the unsupreme court just gave them.
The six Republican-appointed unjustices eliminated the ability for agencies like the FTC, EPA, FDA, OCSHA to protect people from corporate misconduct. Instead of decision making through in-house tribunals, they must now go through “far more costly and laborious processes of suing corporations in federal courts before juries.” Justices Roberts, Thomas and Alito were part of this “conservative legal movement”** as young lawyers, as are Trump’s three recent appointees.*
* Robert Reich, “The Six Corporate-Owned US Supreme Court Justices Have Completed Their Assigned Mission,” Common Dreams, 7/3/2024.
** Robert Reich, “The Corporate Legal Movement: Who’s really behind the Supreme Court’s attack on the so-called ‘administrative state.'” Robert Reich Substack, 7/1/2024.
See Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
See Fox, “’Sermon’ Thirty-Six: Everyone an Aristocrat, Everyone a Royal Person,” in Fox, Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart, pp. 510-530.
See Helen Kenik, “Toward a Biblical Basis for Creation Theology,” in Matthew Fox, ed., Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes, pp. 27-75.
And Fox, “Meister Eckhart and Karl Marx: The Mystic as Political Theologian,” in Fox, Wrestling with the Prophets, pp. 165-198.
And Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth.
Banner Image: STOP PROJECT 2025 Rally across from Heritage Foundation at Triangle Park, Washington DC, 27 January 2024. Photo by Elvert Barnes Photography on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
Reich speaks of the tension between “corporate capitalism” and “democratic capitalism” with the underlying question being: “Who is in charge—big corporations or the people”? Which side are you on and what are we doing about it?
Recommended Reading
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics
Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
Matthew Fox’s comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart’s sermons is a meeting of true prophets across centuries, resulting in a spirituality for the new millennium. The holiness of creation, the divine life in each person and the divine power of our creativity, our call to do justice and practice compassion–these are among Eckhart’s themes, brilliantly interpreted and explained for today’s reader.
“The most important book on mysticism in 500 years.” — Madonna Kolbenschlag, author of Kissing Sleeping Beauty Goodbye.
Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes
In this book, Fox gathers scholars from various cultures and traditions such as Helen Kenik, Jon Sobrino, Nicolas Berdyaev, Rosemary Ruether, M. D. Chenu, Mary Jose Hobday, Ronald Miller, Monika Hellwig, James Kenney, Justin O’Brien and others to approach creation spirituality from many traditions and many angles.
“An exciting and important book…a pleasant alternative to the oppressive burden of the fall/redemption tradition.” ~ New Review of Books and Religion
Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life
In one of his foundational works, Fox engages with some of history’s greatest mystics, philosophers, and prophets in profound and hard-hitting essays on such varied topics as Eco-Spirituality, AIDS, homosexuality, spiritual feminism, environmental revolution, Native American spirituality, Christian mysticism, Art and Spirituality, Art as Meditation, Interfaith or Deep Ecumenism and more.
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
Fox’s spirituality weds the healing and liberation found in North American Creation Spirituality and in South American Liberation Theology. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of every religious and political persuasion to unite in a new vision through which we learn to honor the earth and the people who inhabit it as the gift of a good and just Creator.
“A watershed theological work that offers a common ground for religious seekers and activists of all stripes.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.
4 thoughts on “When Injustices & Unjustices Attack Democracy”
The enclosed video in today’s DM of the recent testimony at a congressional hearing by Del. Rep. Stacey Plaskett is very powerful and clear about what is at stake in November’s presidential election. I wish all Americans would hear her testimony that the choice is truly about whether we want American society to continue being a Democracy, or do we want it to become a dictatorship under Trump. The dangerous warning signs are already there such as the recent decisions by our ‘Unsupreme’ Court, by Project 2025 of The Heritage Foundation, and by the cult corruption of most congressional Republicans who mindlessly follow Trump.
Trump is a cult leader and cult leaders do not last, but how much harm and yes evil can be done in the meantime. It does seem big corporations are in charge with much help from the un-supreme court. We have to pray and work in any way we are able for justice and compassion for all peoples and for the earth.
I watched the documentary “Bad Faith” the other night. Good history, but it was terrifying at first. After a couple of days reflecting on it, I came to a conclusion. How many times at a demonstration against the war or for a woman’s bodily autonomy have I been told “America Love it or Leave it?” Many times. So now “Christian” nationalists are calling for a change in our system of government. They argue that the U.S. Constitution never had a separation of church and state. (It has had.*) They call for a dismantling of checks and balances between the three branches of government, consolidating power within the executive branch. (Three co-equal branches of government are foundational to our system of government.) I could go on. Project 2025 is un-American. If Christian “nationalists,” don’t support our system of government, it is they who do not love our country. They are not Christians. They are not even nationalists. That’s a message we ought to get out. “American love it or leave it?” I believe America is big enough for all our voices, but who is it who doesn’t love our country? Maybe they should consider leaving.
*The First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Our founders were shaking off the oppression of one form of Christianity over other forms of it.
Amen. The Founders knew what religious wars and kings could do in the way of damage. They set up a system intended to honor the will of the majority and still protect the rights of the minority. It is tragic how the so called Christian nationalists twist the Constitution in the same way they twist the Bible. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We need to pray the hell out of them and act in every possible peaceful way. Exposure of Project 2025 is a positive step. If we work hard and are lucky, maybe this country will follow France away from the extremes of the right wing.