A RELIGIOUS AMERICAN IS AN AMERICAN WHO SEEKS THE WEALTH AND WELFARE OF ALL
A RELIGIOUS AMERICAN IS AN AMERICAN WHO SEEKS THE WEALTH AND WELFARE OF ALL
ⓒRabbi Dr. Marc Gopin
Vice President Harris has said, “True economic freedom means that everyone has the opportunity to achieve financial security and stability. It’s about ensuring that all Americans, regardless of background, can succeed if they work hard.” It got me thinking, as a person of faith, what is it to be truly free? Being truly free means not being weighed down by insecurity, instability, and sickness. Being truly free means that your neighbors are also free because if you are the only one with freedom, you constantly fear the instability, anger, and fear of everyone who is suffering in your society. When people experience heightened fear and uncertainty, they are more likely to resort to aggression as a defensive or preemptive response. Fear of loss is a survival mechanism that triggers the “fight-or-flight” response. Research in neuroscience reveals that fear activates the amygdala, the brain region responsible for processing threats. When fear and uncertainty become chronic, the amygdala becomes overactive, leading to heightened emotional responses, including aggression.
In times of economic instability, individuals often gravitate toward their in-group for safety, leading to an “us vs. them” mentality. Historically, this has been very bad for minorities, including Jewish people. This fosters aggression toward perceived out-groups, whom individuals or groups blame for their fear or instability. When resources are scarce, people are more likely to perceive others as competitors or threats.
All of this fear of loss endemic to economic insecurity makes us less free, something that Vice President Harris understands very well. What is the cure to the assault on freedom that comes with financial instability? What can a political leader do to overcome these damaging dangers of economic degradation? She can build and support the programs that Kamala Harris has championed for all Americans, including the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Initiatives, Advocacy for Raising the Federal Minimum Wage, Maternal Health Equity and Reproductive Health Access, Expanding Housing Affordability, Climate Action and Economic Opportunity, Health Care Access and Economic Security.
A strong political leader like Vice President Harris takes actions in real policies not just empty rhetoric, because she knows our fundamental freedoms are at stake. As a religious person, being an American is the freedom to live surrounded by people who value you and who you value as sacred and unique human beings. Being free in the Bible has many meanings that stem from just economics. Freedom in the Bible means that you can manage your debts and not be “house poor” or nearly homeless. Being free means being able to and eager to learn without fear that you cannot afford the time to study. Being truly free means the gift of health without going into debt just to pay a doctor. According to Biblical wisdom, being free means you are free to work hard but not owe your last money to pay for basic food and shelter. Being free means raising children and honoring elderly parents with a safe and secure old age. Scripture does not hate wealth and prosperity; on the contrary, it sees prosperity as a gift from God. But the Bible does hate it when others cannot receive their fair share or when your wealth is such an obsession that you need to take the shirt off the back of someone deep in debt. The Bible delights in Sabbath rest for workers because human beings are not meant to toil or worry about work 24/7. Being free means resting, enjoying celebrations, and loving family time. We can all be free together, but only if we care for each other and build a society with responsible work, health, and prosperity policies like Vice President Harris has stood for her entire career.
As Vice President Harris said with such vision and wisdom, “We cannot talk about freedom without talking about the ability for everyone to thrive economically. Economic justice means building an economy that lifts up all workers and families, not just the wealthy few.”
Can any other candidate for president of the most powerful economy in the world stand by those words? Stand by and deliver those words into reality? These words are the bedrock of what Americans deserve, the basis of true freedom, and the foundation of Vice President Harris’ future work in the White House. As Vice President Harris has said, “Economic freedom is not just about surviving, it’s about thriving. And in America, no one should have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for healthcare.”
Rabbi Marc Gopin is the James Laue Professor and directs the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution at the Carter School, George Mason University.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/compassionate-reasoning-9780197537923?cc=us&lang=en&
Compassionate Reasoning - Marc Gopin - Oxford University Press
Around the globe, people who work in the helping professions are often heroic bridge-builders and creators of peaceful societies. They have in common, Marc Gopin argues, a set of cultivated moral character traits and psychosocial skills. They tend to be kinder, more reasonable, more self-controlled, and more goal-oriented towards peace.
Marc Gopin
Books: https://amzn.to/3y58Nps
James H. Laue Professor of World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution,
Director CRDC,The Jimmy and Rosalynn School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University
CRDC:
http://crdc.gmu.edu
Blog:
http://www.marcgopin.com
PODCAST:
co-owner, Gopin Associates LLC, "Building Human Relations and Healing Conflict"
https://gopinassociates.com