A Comment About the Hypocrisy of Tennessee’s Redistricting Plan

[Below is the text of a brief letter of mine that was published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on 6 February 2022. The state redistricting plan was enacted by the legislature and it is widely regarded as favoring the legislative majority of Republicans over the minority of Democrats. It is thus considered to be a model of gerrymandering. Regarding my letter below, I do not really think of God as having a plan — to me that smacks too much of predestination. Instead, I tend to think of God in terms of his expectations for us humans, or as I put it, I think that God just wants us to get with the program (of caring for the sick and the poor, making useful scientific discoveries, educating our young, etc.). But I used the phrase “God’s plan” because that would be a way of speaking that Christians understand. I hope that those in the legislature who pushed through and voted for the plan are aware of how hypocritical they are.]

In thinking about the proposed state redistricting plan, I was reminded of the those who visited the holy family after Jesus was born.

First came the humble shepherds, who were graciously received by Mary and Joseph. Then came the distinguished wise men from the East: Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. Balthasar, of course, was black. Mary and Joseph graciously received him too and accepted his gift. So it seems that inclusivity has been part of Christianity from the beginning.

Now, most of the Republicans in the Tennessee House and Senate seem to be Christians, especially Evangelical Christians. I say to them, look to your consciences – and ask yourselves if your redistricting plan is really consistent with God’s great plan.