Shaking the Gates of Hell: Faith-Led Resistance to Corporate Globalization
We are living at a time when humanity and the earth itself face unprecedented danger. The current form of corporate-dominated globalization is escalating the plunder of the earth’s riches, accelerating the release of greenhouse gases, increasing the exploitation of workers, expanding police and military repression, and leaving poverty in its wake. The most powerful nations in the world support and promote this growing momentum, which pays off handsomely for a few wealthy individuals, giant corporations, and the politicians whose coffers they fill.
The destructiveness of the global economic system presents a moral challenge to all people of faith and conscience, especially those of us whom this system benefits. People who live in richer nations, especially the United States, bear particular responsibility. Our government dominates key global institutions that affect the daily lives of millions. Our military-industrial complex enforces a form of globalization that harms the poor, benefits U.S.-based corporations, and seeks to ensure unfettered access to the world’s resources. Our patterns of over-consumption lead to increasing poverty, inequity, and environmental degradation. Our action and our inaction affect others, for our lives intermingle with the lives of people around the world and with the whole web of life.
If corporations continue to amass greater wealth and power, poverty and inequity will continue to grow. More and more people around the world will be deprived of the basic necessities of life. Communities that have been self-sustaining for generations will continue to disintegrate, as local artisans, small businesses, and small farmers lose out to competition by transnational corporations. Native peoples will continue to be driven off their lands. Jobs will continue to be lost and labor standards will spiral downward. Places of beauty and diversity will continue to be devoured to create wealth for the few. The resulting social upheaval will require increasingly repressive police forces and ever more jails and prisons. Rich nations, especially the United States, will continue to enforce the corporate colonization of the world through military power. These patterns are already well underway, and are leading to social upheaval, repression, terrorism, war, misery, and ecological collapse.
In short, if we do not turn things around, we face a living hell, a hell on earth. The gates of this hell are open and looming before us.
The destructive forces at work in this crisis are not abstract or irreversible, but emerge from actual institutions that hold political, economic, and military power. The institutional “Powers” that make up the dominant global economic system include the transnational corporations that drive the global economy; rule-making bureaucracies such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO, national governments, and the US military/industrial complex, the primary enforcer of corporate globalization.
How can we respond to the growing power of corporations and their domination of the world’s cultures, governments, and global institutions? Our response must have both an inner and outer dimension, since the commercialization of culture and the commodification of life affect our inner lives as well as the outer world. Our bodies, minds, spirits, and relationships are affected by corporate globalization and by the ideology that accompanies it. The response that I propose is faith-led resistance to the current global order, resistance that involves every aspect of our lives.
It has been said that great evil requires great resistance. Struggles for justice have always required people who were willing to stand up with courage and to step out in faith.
Will we be successful in stopping the global consolidation of corporate power and the empire it supports? No one knows what the outcome of this struggle will be. But as Gandhi said, “You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no results.”
In addition, the movement for global justice is strong and growing. People who have been working passionately on various issues for years are seeing their causes converge. They are coming together in the struggle to resist global annihilation and to develop creative alternatives for a hopeful future. People are rising up. This is a global movement, largely nonviolent and deeply democratic. As a popular book on the topic proclaims “We are everywhere.”
The seeds for an alternative, hopeful future are being planted even now by individuals and groups around the world who are working for a world in which each person’s work contributes to the common good and provides dignity and a living wage, everyone has the right to basic necessities of life, corporations are accountable, widespread use of
poisons is prohibited, nuclear weapons are dismantled, and wilderness is protected as a common heritage of all creatures. The seeds for widespread spiritual, social, economic, and political change are being planted as people participate in nonviolent resistance and develop alternative ways of living, often modeled on indigenous and traditional ways of life.
People of faith can join with others to “shake the gates of hell,” resisting the horror of a barren, violent, and poisoned future, while developing viable alternatives to help build a peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
This article includes excerpts from Shaking the Gates of Hell: Faith-Led Resistance to Corporate Globalization by Sharon Delgado, newly released by Fortress Press. Reverend Delgado is an ordained United Methodist and Executive Director of Earth Justice Ministries. For more information, go to www.shakingthegatesofhell.com.
It is the multinational corporations that are working to manipulate the end times crowd that is allowing this to happen, IMHO.
One crowd calls itself the faithful and wants to bring about the apocalypse, and this person represents another faction that wants to prevent it.
Again, I have to ask, how much longer will we stay confined within this negative historical feedback loop of people who want an insane warrior sky god to come down, enslave us and dominate the world for them?
Mind-boggling, utterly mind-boggling…
hey there ggpearl,
In the barren oily pool dividing the prior prefabricated holiday and the next, here’s an invite to all of you who look down on these posts and don’t post for whatever reason - fear, disdain, whatever.
Come on in this indiscriminate substance is fine! put on an avatar or not and just jump in.
If you’re out of line, either one of the mammas or one of the pappas will start settin you straight.
The mammas will get yall thinking in terms of it’s not black or white but shades.
the Pappas will cuss for makin problems with just callin it the one thing or the other.
Ok so the one group might get all mystic on you, just think of it as different colors rippling over and around you. I’m pretty sure it seems to me they’re nudging you up into lighter areas nearer the surface, but you got to get in to see that.
True, the other side or both might take the switch to you, beat on the brat, but as it’s only thoughts it might just sting for a bit and help clarify what you’re saying. Or maybe you’ll just let it roll off your back.
Just an invite for this murky piece of time from one of it’s aquatic inhabitants.
point being, we’re looking for the paper clip and rubber band to cripple this god damn thing if it’s even remotely possible. We need more help.
speaking in biblical terms for a new era.
Speaking of more HELP.
I bring great empowering and excellent N E W S:
Our belief in the systematic bought-and-paid-for inattention of the mass media may in fact be an illusion and gov’t hype to completely dis-empower us to “work the system”., as evidence points to what they’ve actually been doing - and it’s “simple” repetitive phones calls and threats to hurt circulation, not total subjugation!
OK, it might be simple, but that is hardly the same as easy, right?
Please follow this link here, for ‘Confessions of “an editor who ran Bush propaganda”‘, where in summary that editor states that:
Wow, isn’t insidiously clever to make us think we :
(1.) Have a liberal minding media, but then
(2.) Convince us that it’s really not going to speak the TRUTH, but
(3.) it still may be POSSIBLE to find truth again, if we finesse it as well as the shrub’s SHOCK troops do, as they’re clearly massively funded and organized for the ‘duration’.
(4.) The re-Thuglicans likely have a quite distributed tag-team fon tree for each media outlet ALL across the globe, and duplication of pressuring (to own editor) would only improve their (or OUR ODDs) for impact.
(5.) OK, don’t even bother with FauxNews, but maybe ‘the denuded emperor pix’ will leak out?
What GRASS ROOTS ACTION does it take from any of US?
_a._ Any person willing to call, and call again (watching the news wires, and being aware each day)
_b._ Heavy hitter progressive thinkers that will ACT (like STARS, Media celebrities, actors, chamber Commerce, talkers) with real influence, and or patience.
_c._ Lots of ‘cold calls’ in attempts to find each media
_d._ Attempt to convert retrenched re-Thuglicans as “double-agents” for TRUTH, as they know who to call
Like I said initially, this is SIMPLE, but it’s hardly EASY.
We ALL can Go for IT, as we deserve the best media that OUR money (remember WE are the actual circulation- right?) can influence and buy.
P.S. Thanks to inspiration posts throughout CD, and my apologies for cross-posting this to get this powerful message out, as bandwidth is likened to our CD’s very blood coursing through the ethereal veins of OUR WEB.
Namaste
__ __ __ __ We must be the change
__ __ __ __ we wish to see in the world __ Gandhi
They should start these sessions by suggesting the articles they intend to write. Let the posters here kick it and ourselves, around for a bit. Go mystical on it.
Then, Re edit their articles, or Re write them, and then print them.
That way we will see there’s true democracy rather than people working for a buck.
What faith is really going to lead resistance to Corporate Governance? The Catholic Church is one of the original Corporations and has long claimed that they wanted to rule the world. The other faiths might pay lip service to the idea, but really their leaders would give their left nut to be in the Catholic’s position.
yeah, do you assume people of faith by necessity belong to an organization? you are being categorical.
We don’t need faith to understand the problems.
“Religion is for the feeble minded”. Governor Jesse Ventura
Faith of the Spirit, not of orthodox religion, moves hearts across the globe because those of us who can love, and love life, the world, each other realize the spark of Divinity planted within ever sentient being. THAT alone gives rise to faith in an eventual BETTER outcome. This author nails all the shit that’s hitting the fan, and why it’s wrong, whatever one’s religious denomination.
Good ideas above,
In a normal United States: there should be a separation of church and state; in other words, religion has no place in politics. Evangelical “faith based initiatives” are what got us into this mess in the first place. Starting phony Christian invasions of the holy land; building a base on top of Babylon; pretending to liberate, when occupation of Muslims was the real goal.
But we don’t have a normal United States anymore. The government has been hijacked by Globalization Oil terrorists, and the constitution has been grossly violated.
If we at some point decide to take it back; nonviolently of course; then I agree with the reverend that including faith based groups in the solution mix is essential. No peaceful people’s revolution in Asia was successful without support of both the church and the military. Burma Thailand, and Pakistan are recent examples of how people loose their democracy and ability to choose their leaders to strong men when you don’t have both faith and might on your side. We the citizens, would have to have unwavering support from both the military and the churches to nonviolently flush this corrupt cabal of globalization politicians down to helll and start completely over without party machine corruption: just candidate debates open to all groups.
We would then set up war crimes tribunals for this administration, regain our credibility in the world, and then address the coming global environmental crisis we all will face.
No one hates orthodox religion more than me, but at the same time, the world crisis is so great we must drop all our differences and band together like the original thirteen colonies did against tyrant King George the Third.
Keep the faith,
pac
How about a more precise title for this article?
[Shaking the “Gate of God”: Truth-Led Resistance to Broadcast Media Suppression]
Siouxrose said:
“Faith of the Spirit, not of orthodox religion, moves hearts across the globe because those of us who can love, and love life, the world, each other realize the spark of Divinity planted within ever sentient being.”
That’s what I’m talking about. I see it as the optimism that all our problems are caused by stupidity and will eventually be overcome by increasing knowledge. I won’t call it a “spark of Divinity” because it implies direct interference by God, but it sounds nicer than “we are evolving” which could be indirect interference by a God.
Beware anyone who puts “Rev.” in front of her name.
ezeflyer - Yeah.
twoblueday - perhaps some can use names/titles to manipulate, but shouldn’t it be the message that matters? We get to choose.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
A recent “Now” program featured James Dobson, calling for the resignation of Rich Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. Cizik was a strong advocate for christian activism to counter the effects of global warming. And Dobson pointed out that Cizik’s stance was both “anti-American and anti-capitalism”. Meaning, presumably, that it did not have Jesus’ blessing.
ezeflyer - if you are still here, one other thing being that this is a fairly quiet conversation. I’ve been thinking of changing my name to: “updownallroundflyer”. What do you think?
Nah, i’ll just stick with what i have.
On a separate matter, in response to an earlier note from you regarding “working together” (or something like that)…just let me say, i think many of us are already working together. The momentum has changed - don’t you think? I personally feel better about the direction things seem to be heading. I am hopeful and i hope you are also because hope is free ain’t it?
Anyhow, i would lastly like to add that over the past several months i have very much appreciated the insight you bring to the conversation. Thanks.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
Charlotte, NC
Sorry to say this, but I think it needs saying.
Of course I see what is happening, and agree with the writer here. However, what these Christian leaders always fail to address, is the fact that it was western european christian missionaries who were the vanguard of bringing the imperialistic european movement into the ‘new world’ and other non western cultures. This is the root of the problem. Suppression of the soul of all that was not ‘christian’. The rest is, of course, history.
I am sorry to say, that as long as the voice I am reading, comes from organized western supremacist relious leaders, I feel the hypocracy and intellectual disconnect runs too deep to be taken seriously. “Faith based” is usually translated into “church based”. It is simply tired and lacks creative imagination. Sorry.
Paradigm Shifter - Your choice obviously, but if you “pre-judge”, then you may miss out on a leaning opportunity. Don’t you think?
Peace,
Ken Hausle
Hey, i meant to say “learning” - not “leaning”.
Gracious, i think i am going to get back to the wallpaper-removal job i am on just now. Peace to everyone in this conversation.
Peace,
Ken
I met a man several years ago. He was a “homeless” Lakota Sioux who traveled from state pen to state pen, buying handmade jewelry from incarcerated Natives from the many tribal Nations. He was one of the most beautiful souls I had ever met. He was sick and cold, tired and hungry. He came to the Native Center to try and sell his wares. I sat him by the fire, fed him, gave him some hot tea, and he slept for awhile.
After he woke up, I bought some pieces of jewelry from him, at the time I could afford it.
I was very worried about his health and his ability to stay warm that night.
He would not let me take him to a shelter. I started crying in my fear that his sickness would worsen.
He reached out and hugged me close for many minutes. I could hear the wheezing in his lungs.
When he finally let me go, he told me, in a very quiet voice, that a few months prior to our meeting he had a vision.
He was in a friends backyard, looking at the stars, when all of a sudden, the sky opened and the ancestors of all the nations in the world looked down and smiled at him. Every color was there, and all of them were smiling. The vision was about inclusivity, and how there is no way but one to bring peace.
We are the ones who allow the artificial differences to stand and block our paths. When we can let go of self-imposed fears/hatreds and religions, we will know peace.
I gave him some cough syrup, and my grandmothers knitted quilt I had in my car. It was all he would allow me to do. He smiled at me and held my cheeks like a gentle father/uncle. The he left.
The next morning, the younger Native boy who had been traveling with him brought my quilt back. I asked where the man was, the boy said he was going to try and go home. He had not been there in years.
In my life, I had never connected with anyone on that level before. I think that the same could be said for him.
His name was Lok. Similiar to the Norse god of mischief, chained and tortured by the One Eyed War God Odin. And Lok was going home.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
For what its worth,
love GG
GG - thank-you so much for your note.
Love can turn things around on a whim if love wants to. Seems that way to me.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
It is what I can offer Ken.
Peace to you as well.
GG
GG PEARL - thank you, I am moved to tears, and connected vicariously with your abundant telling of this encounter.
Namaste
__ __ __ __ We must be the change
__ __ __ __ we wish to see in the world __ Gandhi
GG PEARL: For more than 10 years I have tried all sorts of ways to bring the symbolic language of the heavens, the GREAT inclusive circle composed of light’s own magnificent hues (see each as a ray, which is the root word for RACE, and thus planned tribe)into larger public discourse. I see in the celestial circle a MODEL for peace among tribes, and wish to teach this model to young people as a means to transcend what I term the “ancient ism divisions,” which have long divided people (to the point the lion’s share of too many nations’ resources is devoted to weapons or products that do intentional harm) on the basis of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender and class/caste. This book, (which I believe I was born to write) is just about in print… it’s title: Cassandra’s Tale: Invitation to the Circle. It’s quite funny and allots profound metaphysical truths at the level of awareness the reader brings to the text, Zen koan style!
PS thanks for extending love/kindness to that fellow traveler of the Light.
[Shaking the “Gate of God”: Truth-Led Resistance to Broadcast Media Suppression]
Yes? No? Maybe so?
Double B Bull-s
Bugs Bunny:
Na!
What a buncha ma-rooons!
Sister,
I am absolutely a RED LETTER Christian.
Tell us why the Reagan Ron Pauls hate carrots.
A person’s faith or belief system has nothing at all to do with well thought out content. The content of this article looks carefully at the problem of US economic world hegemony. What is said is correct as I see it. However, to change this directon would require a one day strike of all systems on the globe.
Someone,tell me what police forces would shut down, or military, or any other service that sees to it that the society and its people continue to do what they are told. As I look at the problem the natural forces that are gathering exclusive of any human control, other than there creation of attempted control of nature, wll not cease. All this will decide how the world rights itself or if it rights itself after most life is extinguished. But it will take many thousands of years in any case. The probability of life renewing itself is dependent upon how severe the human interferance of the natural systems of this planet become and how severe the positive feedbacks loops become!
The possibility of a Martian environment is happening. We want to explore Mars . . .it is not necessary for we have the beginnining of the process here. But the systems devised to explore Mars are being developed but the time for survival in that kind of environment have not been sufficiently developed for extended life. But think of it there are people who care to exist in that way and willingly put themselves in that environment as a way of life.
Take heart there will be some means of living for a while for some regardless of how difficult it becomes. It has been said by many there are too many people on this planet in any case. What matter to those persons if four fifths of the population perishes.
IKE