February 28, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
Learning From the Sin of Sodom

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

For most of the last century, save-the-worlders were primarily Democrats and liberals. In contrast, many Republicans and religious conservatives denounced government aid programs, with Senator Jesse Helms calling them “money down a rat hole.”

Over the last decade, however, that divide has dissolved, in ways that many Americans haven’t noticed or appreciated. Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, pushing successfully for new American programs against AIDS and malaria, and doing superb work on issues from human trafficking in India to mass rape in Congo.

A pop quiz: What’s the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization?

It’s not Save the Children, and it’s not CARE — both terrific secular organizations. Rather, it’s World Vision, a Seattle-based Christian organization (with strong evangelical roots) whose budget has roughly tripled over the last decade.

World Vision now has 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. That’s more staff members than CARE, Save the Children and the worldwide operations of the United States Agency for International Development — combined.

A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion. The head of World Vision in the United States, Richard Stearns, begins his fascinating book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” with an account of a visit a decade ago to Uganda, where he met a 13-year-old AIDS orphan who was raising his younger brothers by himself.

“What sickened me most was this question: where was the Church?” he writes. “Where were the followers of Jesus Christ in the midst of perhaps the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time? Surely the Church should have been caring for these ‘orphans and widows in their distress.’ (James 1:27). Shouldn’t the pulpits across America have flamed with exhortations to rush to the front lines of compassion?

“How have we missed it so tragically, when even rock stars and Hollywood actors seem to understand?”

Mr. Stearns argues that evangelicals were often so focused on sexual morality and a personal relationship with God that they ignored the needy. He writes laceratingly about “a Church that had the wealth to build great sanctuaries but lacked the will to build schools, hospitals, and clinics.”

In one striking passage, Mr. Stearns quotes the prophet Ezekiel as saying that the great sin of the people of Sodom wasn’t so much that they were promiscuous or gay as that they were “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49.)

Hmm. Imagine if sodomy laws could be used to punish the stingy, unconcerned rich!

The American view of evangelicals is still shaped by preening television blowhards and hypocrites who seem obsessed with gays and fetuses. One study cited in the book found that even among churchgoers ages 16 to 29, the descriptions most associated with Christianity were “antihomosexual,” “judgmental,” “too involved in politics,” and “hypocritical.”

Some conservative Christians reinforced the worst view of themselves by inspiring Ugandan homophobes who backed a bill that would punish gays with life imprisonment or execution. Ditto for the Vatican, whose hostility to condoms contributes to the AIDS epidemic. But there’s more to the picture: I’ve also seen many Catholic nuns and priests heroically caring for AIDS patients — even quietly handing out condoms.

One of the most inspiring figures I’ve met while covering Congo’s brutal civil war is a determined Polish nun in the terrifying hinterland, feeding orphans, standing up to drunken soldiers and comforting survivors — all in a war zone. I came back and decided: I want to grow up and become a Polish nun.

Some Americans assume that religious groups offer aid to entice converts. That’s incorrect. Today, groups like World Vision ban the use of aid to lure anyone into a religious conversation.

Some liberals are pushing to end the longtime practice (it’s a myth that this started with President George W. Bush) of channeling American aid through faith-based organizations. That change would be a catastrophe. In Haiti, more than half of food distributions go through religious groups like World Vision that have indispensable networks on the ground. We mustn’t make Haitians the casualties in our cultural wars.

A root problem is a liberal snobbishness toward faith-based organizations. Those doing the sneering typically give away far less money than evangelicals. They’re also less likely to spend vacations volunteering at, say, a school or a clinic in Rwanda.

If secular liberals can give up some of their snootiness, and if evangelicals can retire some of their sanctimony, then we all might succeed together in making greater progress against common enemies of humanity, like illiteracy, human trafficking and maternal mortality.

ALEX

WELL that was a good article with a lot of
common sense.....I had also heard that SODOM
sin was arrogance and uncaring for the poor

dgrimm60

Thanks for the post up,Alex. I'm not sure how the title of the thread or the op/ed fits the details but, oh well. Kristof's piece is a mixed bag of both truthful recognition and misleading presentation. Good that Mr. K finally recognizes the overall contribution that conservative Christianity is making to the masses in a hurting world. Though this will probably have little effect on the criticisms coming from those who hate conservatives, at least one of their own has shown some factual integrity and deserves props for doing so. Misleading, however, is Kristof's implication that this conservative Christian social consciousness is a Johnny-come-lately to the ranks of the "caring". Sort of a deflection of the charges that they are only concerned about fetuses and sexuality. He quotes from the writings of "conservative Christians" who attempt to bolster this perception. Lost (conveniently?) in the presentation are the historical facts about Conservative work for the poor of this world. Somehow, Kristoff neglects to mention that World Vision was founded in 1950. He also fails to note that most of the opponents of abortion and "sexuality" have had ministries to the poor in existence decades before their critics pounded them for not caring for anything else but their personal pet agenda's. Overlooked is Mother Teresa (a prolifer),and the Catholic Charities organization.Even SDA's had SAWS/ADRA begun in the 60's,and health clinics spread over the world long before that.Interestingly, Catholic Charities has just recently had to close down their adoption agency in D.C.(?)because of government pressure to insure homosexual couple inclusion, after an 80 year existence! Did someone mention the Salvation Army? Teen Challenge? ect...ect...ect...Nicholas Kristof has done a good service in attempting to evaporate one myth, so let's now tell the "rest of the story."

I agree with the above except that we do promote Christianity through World Vision. We have been involved in World Vision for about ten years. The help we give is overtly Christian. We are not trying to "lure" anyone into any given denomination, but this is a Christian organization and we are promoting Christianity to anyone who will listen. People are not denied help if they are not Christian (few are) but many of those we help become Christian.

Here it is from the World Vision website mission statement:

We are Christian

We acknowledge one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Jesus the love, mercy and grace of God are made known to us and all people.

We seek to follow Jesus — in his identification with the poor, the powerless, the afflicted, the oppressed, and the marginalized; in his special concern for children; in his respect for the dignity bestowed equally on women and men; in his challenge to unjust attitudes and systems; in his call to share resources with each other; in his love for all people without discrimination or conditions; in his offer of new life through faith in him.

We hear his call to servanthood, and to humility.

We maintain our Christian identity while being sensitive to the diverse contexts in which we express that identity.
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This kind of overt Christianity is upsetting to many liberals, but... it IS what it is.

Yes, the real sin of Sodom... Sounds familiar... Oh yes, I remember. I have been singing that song around here for some time and have been met with great resistance by those who would rather excoriate homosexual Sodomizers than recognize God's wrath is kindled most hot at those who arrogantly squander their wealth in self-indulgences and ignore the poor and those in need.

amen...

Homosexuals are an easy target - we can easily sit back and think "that doesn't apply to me" and, like the Pharisee, "I thank you, God, that I am not like those people."

But denouncing selfishness and pride means that each of us has to take a good look at ourselves too.

aldona

I don't think that's the kind of Christian service that people object to - applies more to the approach I have heard of some groups taking, for example, whereby people will only get food or clothing after they have sat through a "Jesus" video or a sermon. (Yes, it does ghappen, although thankfully not in any Adventist groups I've heard of.)

aldona

great article alex. soooo glad to meet my brother tom and sister(?) aldona.

i tried to start a thread on whether sodom and gomorrha were destroyed because of homosexuality or not based on bible study as opposed to "tradition". funny thing, it was locked on a couple of sites. good sda christian bible thumping sites.

i got a lot of flack from some traditionalists from other sites, and a good dose of hatred.... :(

sodom and gomorrha were destroyed for just the reasons the bible says!!thank God!! and praise the Lord!!

Just tagging on.

I think there seems to be a perception that conservative Christians are only concerned about your soul, and the liberals are only concerned about your body. I am happy to see an article about World Vision.

Christ's ministry and the Bible's consistent message has to do with both. That's why the health message has been a part of our message since the founding of our church.

Christians have always done relief work. Maybe not always on a worldwide basis or through large organizations, but they've always been concerned with the needs of others.