Jesus is telling people to “beware of the scribes.” He notes how they like to “accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.” He also notes how they like to “devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers.” Jesus understands the scribes use their positions of privilege to exploit those who are vulnerable, for example, widows. Later, Jesus again notes these differences when the scribes and a widow both take the same action of giving to their religion’s Temple treasury.
The Gospel story is an opportunity to reflect upon a current phrase, ‘Both sides do it.’ To an observer, both sides in this Gospel case, scribes and a poor widow, do take the same action. But, as Jesus notes, for different reasons, to different degrees, and with different histories – the scribes are exploiters of the widow who manipulate her into paying the Temple Tax. Accepting these facts, we cannot truthfully say, ‘Both sides do it.’ Rejecting these facts, we lie and speak the phrase, thus acting like exploitative scribes – pleased with appearance that diminishes thoughtful conscience. Diminishing thoughtful conscience is quite the point of the phrase. Differences are diminished between accurate and inaccurate, between truth and lies, as well as between good and bad, or, more concretely stated – between healthy and harmful, life-giving and deadly. All are diminished under the ‘both sides do it’ falsehood. The diminishment begins by the phrase’s assumption that there are always two sides. This is illogical, termed a fallacy of balance; everybody has a side or an opinion which should be balanced by an opposite and equally valid side or opinion. For example, the fact that the sun rises in the East, is balanced by someone who believes it rises in the West. Or the facts from all humanitarians, scientists, and societies proving the harm of gun violence is balanced with opinions from frightened people who believe guns keep them safe. Substantial knowledge cannot be balanced with or made equivalent to uniformed ignorance; especially in moral matters. But that is precisely what speakers of the ‘both sides’ lie attempt to do. Illogical balance unto false moral equivalence of ‘both sides’ is routinely asserted across moral issues in which lives are at stake; asylum seekers, health care, people wanting freedom from guns and freedom for democracy. The manipulative phrase was asserted by Trump. In an example of horrendous moral equivalency he said of neo-Nazi supporters in Charlottesville, “But you also had people that were very fine people on both sides.” Thoughtful conscience on objective truth and thus on the harm being done to human life is balanced and equivocated by Trump with a single line that is a calculated lie. The lie of moral equivalency is relayed via a modern scribal class, the corporate news media. They are pleased with appearance while they diminish thoughtful conscience and thus gain financially from exploiting the vulnerable. Fox News is scribal from its inception and invented the ‘both sides’ diversion. But all corporate media, as corporate, are, to degrees, like Fox; a scribal class rejecting truthful conscience to exploit and gain as they can. Former CBS President Lester Moonves admitted this when commenting on Trump, “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS. The money’s rolling in, and this is fun.” CNN, though not necessarily all its reporters, is also complicit. It masterfully exploits a ‘both sides’ scenario that does not exist by inventing an umpire role that is not needed. Thoughtful conscience is absent from many of its news shows in which people spar over illogical balance fallacies and immoral equivalencies that CNN hosts then referee. It makes for great entertainment, and, as a result, great plunder. Jeff Zucker, President of CNN Worldwide knows this all too well. Zucker is the former NBC Entertainment Director who spent years promoting and gaining from Donald Trump as his Apprentice star performer and is now spending years promoting and gaining from Donald Trump as his apprentice star president. Both Zucker and Trump, who has called Zucker “my personal booker” are masterful exploiters like the scribes of old.
‘Both sides’ falsehoods about balance, moral equivalence, and playing umpire have resulted in another even more pernicious scribal exploitation of people. It is the routine assertion made by many of us that people on ‘both sides’ keep growing farther and farther apart. But this is not so. Thoughtful conscientious people continue to hold place in centered integrity by relating in communion with others, by being compassionate, and by acting as healers during conflict. People diminished of thought and conscience keep moving extremely away from this core Christ-like witness. This is not two poles of opposites. This is a center of thoughtful conscientious humanity rejected by a scribal class and those it exploits. We don’t so much need to convince people of our side as much as we need to help people get back in touch with their own conscience.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, keep me true when I reach out to those who exploit.
Question: How is my moral core doing?
November 11, 2018 Gospel Mark 12:38-44 Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time