Medium Post 12/1

After reading The Political Theory of Mass Incarceration and discussing it in class, I have begun to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between religion and justice, and how that has evolved according to different voices throughout history. King’s belief about moral law contrasted greatly with many politicians of his time. His belief that moral law was guided by sacred principles posed a threat to many politicians who championed strict adherence to the law.

James J. Kilpatrick, and other southern men with his perspective, believed that non-violent protests, such as sit-ins, were breaking the law. This reflects their belief that the law is in line with God’s will, and to threaten the law is to question the intentions of God. Conveniently, this belief helped justify the perpetuation of segregation and other racist laws of the time period. It seems to me that this religious rhetoric was masking the intentional subjugation of African Americans.

This Evangelical rhetoric is not as antiquated as I would have expected it to be. Pastor Robert Jeffers’s sermon reflects the endurance of this interpretation of the law. In his sermon, he said that, “Law enforcement are the ministers of God.” He meant that to question any discriminatory law, would be to question the will of god. This assertion contrasts with King’s view of moral law, which would be reformed according to divine justice. Jeffers also said that, “to resist the police is to resist god himself”. When I heard this phrase, I was struck by it. Not only does it reflect the evangelical view of moral law, it perpetuates the narrative that white males are inherently superior. While not all law enforcement officials are white males, this demographic does represent a large portion of law enforcement. By asserting that white males possess the will of God, Evangelicals perpetuate the narrative that white males are superior in God’s eyes. I found the narrative of Kilpatrick and Jeffers to be parallel, and equally problematic.