“Red States and Blue States” is so 2008.
The culture wars over abortion and gay marriage seem like distant memories.
Now, the fissures that divide our nation have taken on a character not seen since the late 1960’s – or maybe even the late 1800’s. The dominant emotion is anger – about illegal immigrants, Muslims, and the President. We’re not talking about differences of opinion or sharp disagreements over policy. This is something much more disturbing, producing rhetoric such as the following:
“Children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants should not be considered citizens, and we should repeal the 14th amendment if that’s what it takes to deport them.”
“Islam is not a religion. It is a political government bent on destroying the United States.”
“If this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those second-amendment remedies.”
“Obama is secretly a Muslim who is using a fake social security number to hide the fact that he was not born in the U.S.”
What is feeding all this anger? It is certainly not high-minded principles of limited government or deeply-held religious convictions. Look at where the anger is directed – toward Latinos, Muslims, and America’s first president of color. This anger is rooted in fear of differences; fear of America actually becoming what we’ve always said it was in principle: a place where anyone can worship as they choose; where people of all ethnicities are welcome. We are now about 40 years away from the moment when people of European descent will no longer constitute a majority of the U.S. population. This is a frightening prospect for some in our country. How far is the angry fringe willing to go to stop this from happening?
The growing chasm in American politics today is not between liberals and conservatives or between Democrats and Republicans. The alliance of angry voices lies outside traditional parties and ideologies. Recent Republican efforts to co-opt the anger movement are proving to be perilous. Not all Republicans believe that the best way to take on the President’s policies is to question his religion and citizenship. Not all Republicans are willing to sacrifice three amendments to the constitution in order to keep America from becoming more diverse. That’s why principled conservatives are warning that the short-term electoral gains of co-opting anger are not worth the long-term price of national leadership.
More importantly, from where I stand, the worn-out divisions in the Christian community over cultural issues are now paling into insignificance, and a consensus of religious leaders from across the spectrum is emerging to condemn rhetoric and behavior that fuels misunderstanding and hatred. Recently, such a coalition roundly condemned “Burn the Quran Day,” inspired by a Florida church. In addition, Christian conservatives and liberals have united in calling for sensible immigration reform. Maybe out of this troubling passage in our nation’s history will emerge a new religious consciousness that stands above politics. Rather than seek to take over political party platforms, religious leaders are better suited to call attention to ways we can work together and call foul when political rhetoric is out of bounds.
People of faith will certainly disagree about nearly every important issue facing our nation in this troubling time. But we can also be the conscience of the nation as the debates continue. Debate the president’s policies, but don’t question his citizenship or carry protest signs portraying him as a witch doctor. Debate the merits of any religious center being built near ground zero, but don’t slander the entire religion of Islam. Debate the best way to reform immigration law, but don’t punish innocent children for the sins of their parents – and don’t treat all Latinos differently on the suspicion that they might be illegal aliens.
Christianity is the religion of “do not fear.” Our scriptures tell us that “perfect love casts out all fear.” There is no reason why Christians who have divergent views on specific issues cannot stand together against fear-mongering and fear-inspired anger, calling for dignity and respect in all our national debates. The triumph of the principal of religious freedom will come when, despite our differences, people of faith stand together for the values of civility and diversity, ensuring that we always have the freedom to worship as we choose. If we do not speak up, or let faith communities get caught up in the hysteria, our nation may well devolve to the point that we are no better than the societies we condemn as a threat to our way of life.
Copyright 2010 by J. Mark Lawson
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