"What Happened to Morality?" With the Reverend Jim Wallis

Bill and the Rev. Jim Wallis discuss the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and the troubling moral and ethical implications of Donald Trump's victory. Wallis is the inaugural holder of the Chair in Faith and Justice and the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice. Wallis expresses deep concern that the election of Trump, someone who openly repudiated basic values of honesty, decency, and respect, reveals a profound crisis of character and values in American culture.

Wallis argues that Trump's rise was enabled by grievances, fears, and a sense of abandonment among many Americans, particularly the working class, who felt shut out by the political establishment.

Wallis suggests this election has revealed the strength of racism, sexism, and Christian nationalism in American politics, which worked to undermine the candidacy of Kamala Harris.

Wallis calls on faith leaders and people of moral conviction to resist the normalization of Trump's authoritarian tendencies through nonviolent actions, civil disobedience, and a renewed commitment to the core values of truth, justice, and compassion.

Overall, the conversation emphasizes the deep moral and spiritual reckoning required in the wake of Trump's election, and the need for principled resistance grounded in timeless human values.

You can order Jim’s latest book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy here.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by the Laborers’ International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org.

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