Liberation Blogology,for justice

PEACE,


I thought I would explain the title of my blog to save any wondering on what it means. My title Liberation Blogology is a play on Liberation Theology. Liberation Theology came out of Latin America, mainly Brazil, in the 1960's. Latin American countries were under the oppresive thumb of the United States. Right wing dictators were in power bolstered by U.S. compainies such as United Fruit, who had vast holdings in these countries. Land owned by wealthy elites was toilled by compenseros, peasants who lived in abject poverty. The catholic church in Latin America was very much in line with the elite. The church leaders learned to manipulate the peasantry; the main goal was to keep the compenserios in line with the Goverment policies. However a group of priests, mostly Jesuits from Peru and Brazil, started a new theology based on the New Testament.There interpertation of the Bible(one in which I believe) was that Jesus came to earth to empower the poor and downtrodden, and lift them up with hope for a productive and happy life in the present rather than in the afterlife as they had been told. The Jesuits, led by Leonardo Boff and Gustavo Gutierez, preached a gospel of complete liberation from tyranny, and oppression. They began Faith Based meetings where the gospels were read and discussed. The people were empowered by these Priest to stand up to any type of oppression. They were taught that Jesus was born into poverty, lived a life of poverty, and rejected all types of opppression. Jesus loved the wealthy but rejected the selfishness and had high regard for the less fortunate among them.
These priest were Revolutionary men teaching a Gospel about a revolutionary man who died over two thousand years ago. They taught a social gospel mixing socialism or Marxism with the teaching's of Jesus. Their concern was the welfare of the people and did not want to cater to the whims of the elite. They gave the peasants the tools to learn and to understand that they did not have to accept the poverty or oppression that they have been handed. This was not their lot in life and the Jesuits advocated attempts to rise above this harsh life by any means necessary.This thinking eventually got them in trouble with the Vatican and some priests such as Father Jon Sobrino were disciplined and lost their priestly duties. There is so much more to this story and a lot can be found on the internet. Liberation Theology is weakend but is not dead. Any time we speak up for the poor and downtrodden we are practicing Liberation Theology. This practice has less to do with any religion and more to do with human rights. All of us who care about the rights of others need to pick up the banner that these brave Jesuits first raised and carry it to every oppresed people on this earth. I know that the lovers of peace and justice are out there, people like my friends Cutter, Paige, Sue and ArabSpring. Please keep up the good fight and God Bless. Wherever one is oppresed no on is free.
PEACE & SOLIDARITY
BOB FLANAGAN