Hillary Clinton Shares Why She Likes Methodist Church, Talks About Social Gospel
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed her Methodist faith and her dedication to the social gospel while speaking to nearly 7,000 women at the United Methodist Women's Assembly in Louisville, Ky., this past Saturday. The politican encouraged all Christians to help those less fortunate than themselves because "we are all in this together."
During her address, the potential 2016 presidential candidate reportedly spoke little on her position in politics and focused more on how her faith has led her through her career, saying that her denomination's dedication to the social gospel has instilled in her a desire to focus on humanitarian efforts.
"I have always cherished the Methodist Church because it gave us the great gift of personal salvation but also the great obligation of social gospel," Clinton told the crowd, referring to the intellectual Protestant movement that focused on applying Christian teachings to social injustice. "And I took that very seriously and have tried, tried to be guided in my own life ever since as an advocate for children and families, for women and men around the world who are oppressed and persecuted, denied their human rights and human dignity."
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Clinton then went on to reference mark 6:30-44, the biblical story of Jesus feeding a hungry crowd of 5,000 using only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus' disciples had suggested the hungry people go into a nearby village to find food for themselves, but Jesus told his disciples to "give them something to eat."
The former Secretary of State said in her speech that she was always fond of this passage because "[Jesus] was teaching a lesson about the responsibly we all share to step up and serve the community, especially to help those with the greatest need and the fewest resources."
"Like the disciples of Jesus, we cannot look away, we cannot let those in need fend for themselves and live with ourselves," added Clinton, who was also a former First Lady during former President Bill Clinton's presidency. "We are all in this together."
Clinton, who is a member of a United Methodist church in New York, reportedly did not accept payment for her Saturday speech and refused to accept an honorarium.
Yvette Richards, board president of the United Methodists Women, gladly welcomed Clinton's appearance in a statement. "She is the daughter of the United Methodist Church and the daughter of the United Methodist women. We are paired together; we are connected. She is one of us."
