Jim Wallis was on "The Daily Show" recently and in the interview, he declared that the era of religion in politics is over:
Click here for the clip
Like it or not, Americans, as a whole, are religious. But as we've seen throughout history, and especially in the last few years, when you mix religion and politics, the result is usually tragedy. Politics is the rule of law over the people. Religion is the rule of God over man. But because God didn't make it 100% clear exactly what he wanted, differing interpretations, each of which is convinced of its own veracity, can lead to a great deal of strife. Your god may believe that I shouldn't be allowed to marry someone of the same sex, but my god does not. Your god may believe that I should be able determine what happens within my own body, but my god does not. And the beat goes on...
The religious right was the reason why John Kerry lost the election in 2004. It's why Huckabee won the caucus in Iowa. It's part of the reason why every single president we've ever had has been a believer, and will be for the foreseeable future.
So is the period of religion in politics over yet? I don't think so. But my hope is that the era of James Dobson and Pat Robertson is soon coming to a close, that Christian demogogy will soon be trumped by Christian compassion and progressivism. For the sake of our country, I pray it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Is The Era of Religion in Politics Over? According to Jim Wallis, "Yes."
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2 comments:
My church back home in NJ is a classic conservative evangelical church. While not really on the deep right, it still has Sunday School classes on evolution and occaisional sermons on girls wearing too-revealing clothes.
I was amazed a couple of weeks ago when I was home to hear the pastor preaching *against* the Moral Majority and lambasting the fact that Christianity had become so obsessed with power and politics that it was denying its core identity.
I think you are right that the sort of Pat Robertson James Dobston type reigion-in-politics might (hopefully) be waning.
"the end of the Pat Robertson, James Dobson types"
Please, God, let it be. I am so frustrated with Christians hammering people with our religion.
Interesting site, here, of something new coming in the Christian-political realm.
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