An Excursion into Liberal Theology

I’ve had occasion over the years to note that one prominent affectation (and principal defect) of liberalism is its belief/confidence in the godlike power of government. Susan Dunn’s terrific recent book, Roosevelt’s Purge: How FDR Fought to Change the Democratic Party (about FDR’s ill-conceived and disastrous attempt in 1938 to root out his party members who were unsupportive of the New Deal), offers this delightfully illustrative story:

An anecdote about a southern schoolteacher and her class told by Ferrol Sams, Jr., a physician and writer from Fayetteville, Georgia, encapsulated Roosevelt’s quasi-divine status below the Mason-Dixon line.
“Children, who paved the road in front of your house?”
In response, the chorus, “Roosevelt!”
“Who put electricity into your house for you?”
“Roosevelt!”
“Who gave your uncle a job in the WPA?”
“Roosevelt!”
“Who got your daddy an old age pension?”
“Roosevelt!”
All right, Children. Now. Who made you?”
After a moment of silence one little boy asserted stoutly, “God.”
Whereupon a barefoot towhead leaped up in the back row and yelled, “Throw that sorry Republican out of here!”

Happy Mother’s Day everybody.

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