Mammon Wins Againby William B. Lindley
Round One in the current championship fight between God and Mammon was when Jerry Falwell requested state funding for his Liberty University. The funding was denied because of the pervasively religious nature of the school, as exemplified by compulsory chapel attendance and a required signed statement of faith by all faculty. Solution: relax the rules enough to give Liberty the appearance of a secular institution. This was done, and the funds were forthcoming. Liberty no longer served God, or at least so the state "sugar daddies" are supposed to believe. (This story is reported in Church—State, the publication of Americans United.) Mammon won Round One. Round Two got under way in Texas, when "queer-loving" Apple Computer Co. requested a tax break from a "queer-hating" county in Texas as part of a deal to build a new facility. The first vote was to deny the tax break and thereby cancel the deal ("we don't want them types in these God-fearin' parts"); the vote was 3-2. This drew national attention and the ire of Texas Governor Ann Richards. After much "prayerful" consideration, one county official switched his vote from God to Mammon, and the deal went through on a 3-2 vote. This little story is reported in the New York Times of December 8, 1993. Perhaps we need a glossary, with the phrases used by the fellow who switched his vote: God = "traditional family values;" Mammon = "economic development." Mammon wins again! Update: The above was written at the end of 1993. In 1994, there have been three more rounds that we know of, and probably many more that we've missed. Here goes: Round Three: The 1996 Olympics and Cobb County, Georgia. In early 1994 Cobb County passed an anti-homosexual ordinance. Meanwhile, Atlanta and environs had been chosen as the site for the 1996 Olympic Games. In particular, Cobb County was to be where the volleyball events (I think) were to take place. The Olympic Committee heard of the ordinance. Ultimatum: repeal the ordinance or lose the volleyball (worth perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars of tourist revenue). Cobb County voted to stay with the ordinance and let the volleyball go. God won round 3 (at least on the tenuous and strange assumption, supported by a few verses in Leviticus and elsewhere, that God hates queers). Round Four: The Massachusetts Blue Laws. In Massachusetts, it has been illegal for business establishments to open before noon on Sunday. This has cost the state government $15 million worth of Mammon-er, revenue per year, reflecting a considerably larger amount of lost business. Legislation was proposed to liberalize the laws, but the churches quickly rallied to the cause, reminding the Massachusetts politicos of God's commands, as reported in Church & State, May 1994. Well, it was put to a vote of the people, and the people voted for Mammon. The Blue Law reform won in the November election. Thanks to Skipp Porteous of the Institute for First Amendment Studies for telephoning us this late-breaking news. Round Five: Montana. The Church Universal and Triumphant apparently believed that it was the Will of God to stockpile weapons in preparation for the Last Days and Jesus' triumphant Second Coming. The IRS got wind of this and, with its own reasoning, which is sometimes as bizarre as that of the fundamentalists, decided that stockpiling weapons was a business. It threatened the church with denial of its religious tax exemption. The church agreed to discontinue the practice. The Will of Mammon prevailed over the Will of God. (This is reported in the July/August 1994 issue of Church & State.) (Round Two revisited: we assume that the tax break is still in place, but Governor Ann Richards lost her bid for reelection.)
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