Religion and Politics ☀
An Observation About Religion and Politics
Again…hypocritesAmong Christian conservatives, it is an article of faith that the United States is a Christian nation. (It isn’t, by the way.) Thus, to these conservatives, it is imperative that the laws of the United States reflect Christianity. Therefore, abortion should be outlawed, homosexuals should not be allowed to wed, and teachers should lead children in prayer.
However, those same conservatives, when it comes to Christ’s teaching about charity, believe that government should stay out of it. When it comes to Christ’s teaching about pacifism, never mind that–we have to resist evil by fighting wars. When it comes to rendering unto Caesar, it’s all about lowering taxes, baby. And of course, when it comes to Christ forbidding people to get divorced–well, we all know how prominent Christian conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich feel about that.
So which is it, Christian conservatives? If Christian percepts should be placed into law, that means no divorces, taxes are cool, all goods should be shared in common, and we shouldn’t commit any acts of violence–even if our enemy strikes us. You know that Jesus Christ hates it when people pick and choose. So either all law should be based on Christian percepts, or Christians should practice their morality outside the confines of the state. None of this cafeteria stuff.
In the original article, the author (Alex Knapp) issues the same charge against the “Religious Left” in the “reverse direction”.
I don’t think it’s a valid assessment, however — and some of the charges against the “Religious Right” also belay some erroneous assumptions.
First, most of those on the “Religious Left” would have no issue whatsoever with teacher led prayer, as long as it was conducted in a “universal” (non-denomination, ecumenical, maybe even multi-religious) manner.
On the gay marriage issue, many Bible believing Christians view the passages admonishing against homosexuality in the same light as those that ban the charging of interest or ordering of women to veil their head and remain silent in church.
Regarding abortion, just about all Christians deplore the heinousness of the act, but differ on absolutist measures to employed to eliminate the practice. Some Christians see it as a crime of “murder” in all cases, whereas some, while opposed in principle, acknowledge the moral quandaries real life presents, and consequently engage a pro-life campaign from a different tack.
On the flip side, conservative Christians reject the conception of a pacifist Jesus (though, “pacifism” is a misnomer here, the praxis of Jesus was centered in nonviolent resistance, a third way that rejects both cowardly passivity and redemptive violence), and point to passages in the Book of Revelations or foreshadowings in the Old Testament. Or, as an ironic come around, interpret Jesus instructions to “turn the other cheek” to not be taken literally.
And in opposing government acts to implement charity and compassion, conservatives believe it’s not the role of government, but of the church and private individuals, acting out on their own resolve. Because conservatives view government as “them”, not “us”.
