Religion and politics. In years past, we were told those were two subjects that were not good for pleasant conversation. In the church, many of us grew up hearing that religion and politics should be kept strictly apart - "separation of church and state," after all. But in 2004, we are being treated to regular helpings of both from every point on the partisan spectrum. There are regular references to personal faith by candidates on the right and left.
The press has taken note of the phenomenon and has written extensively on the subject. TIME magazine did a cover story on "The Faith Factor"(1) and asked "Just how devout do Americans want their president to be? The answer is proving to be a major reason why the 2004 campaign is so divisive." A recent poll indicates that 59 percent of those who consider themselves "very religious" support President Bush while only 35 percent support Senator Kerry; conversely, of those who are "not religious" 69 percent favor Kerry compared to 22 percent for Bush.(2)
Another story in that same issue of TIME, "Battling the Bishops,"(3) deals with the controversy among American Catholics concerning whether or not Sen. Kerry should be denied Communion because of his pro-choice voting record. A poll of Catholics asking "Do you think the Catholic Church should be trying to influence the positions Catholic politicians take on issues" found 69 percent saying no while 26 percent said yes. A subsequent question asked "Does an American Archbishop's criticism of Kerry's position on abortion make you less likely to vote for Kerry:" 83 percent said no, 14 percent said yes. Even though those responses would weigh heavily against any kind of religious litmus tests, the predicted closeness of this year's election could easily find such tests a determining factor in the final outcome.
President Bush's personal faith has never been a secret. He has declared his convictions openly since the beginning. He has talked of growing up in the church, a conversion experience on a beach while talking with Billy Graham, how meaningful a men's Bible study group has been to him. During the primary campaign debates for the presidency in 2000, he responded to a question concerning which philosopher had had the greatest impact on his life by answering "Jesus Christ." Sen. Kerry until very recently has been more reticent concerning such matters, but lately has become much more outspoken. In his acceptance speech at last week's Democratic Convention in Boston he said,
"Let me say it plainly...in this campaign, we welcome people of faith. America is not us and them. I think of what Ron Reagan said of his father a few weeks ago, and I want to say this to you tonight: I don't wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. And whatever our faith, one belief should bind us all: The measure of our character is our willingness to give of ourselves for others and for our country. These aren't Democratic values. These aren't Republican values. They're American values. We believe in them. They're who we are. And if we honor them, if we believe in ourselves, we can build an America that's stronger at home and respected in the world."
On CBS' "Face the Nation" program broadcast this past Sunday, Kerry said Bush occasionally has crossed a line between church and state, although he said he doesn't know if it's intentional or inadvertent. "I'm Christian, I'm Catholic, it's important to me," Kerry said. "It has served me through my whole life. But as I said in my speech, I'm not going to say God is on my side and I'm not going to go out and divide people. I want to pray that we are on God's side."
The relationship between religion and politics this year has an added dimension that in previous generations would never have been a factor - Muslim-Americans, some 7-million of them. In the election of 2000, Muslim Americans overwhelmingly supported George W. Bush, but polls now indicate that this year they are likely to vote in large numbers for John Kerry and Ralph Nader. This may constitute one of the most dramatic changes of heart on the part of any major voting bloc ever.(4) Interesting.
Religion and politics. No doubt we will be treated to more and more of both as we move toward November. But what about this "line between church and state?" As you may have read, The Bush-Cheney campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories for mailings, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives. That has made even some of Mr. Bush's closest friends in the church a tad uncomfortable. How do we as citizens of the United States as well as citizens of God's kingdom handle that? The easiest response would be to stay scrupulously away from anything "political" at all. Perhaps you saw in the paper last week that there is at least one watchdog group out there going around to churches listening to preaching to see if pastors are adhering to federal tax guidelines restricting political activity by nonprofit groups.(5) Hmm.
With that caveat, I wonder whether keeping religion and politics separate is possible. For that matter, I wonder whether it is desirable. I wonder if it is faithful. The witness of the prophets of old would say no.
Consider this week's lesson from Isaiah. It begins with a superscription that places the prophet in a particular historical and political context - Jerusalem "in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah;" in other words, throughout most of the second half of the eighth century BC. Little is known of Isaiah's life, but we can surmise a bit from some of the narratives of his actions. He apparently was a political "insider" with access (if not decisive influence) in the power centers of Judah.
We jump down to verse 10 and the prophet's contemptuous invitation: "Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!" Sodom? Gomorrah? Those two cities had been turned to toast long before and were thus names automatically associated with judgment.
Now Isaiah quotes God directly: "The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats." Then God turns thumbs down on fancy religious processions - "this trampling of my courts." Forget the extra commitment offerings and the fragrant incense, the special services of worship and celebration. "I cannot bear your evil assemblies," God says. Perhaps the most radical announcement of all comes when God even rejects prayer: "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen." A few years ago, a fundamentalist Southern Baptist told his people and a watching world that God does not hear the prayer of a Jew. He was wrong about that, but here we encounter the plain word that there are indeed some prayers to which God will turn a deaf ear. Why? "Your hands are full of blood." This is the ancient equivalent of a throughly modern concern - don't sow your wild oats for six days, then come in on the seventh and pray for a crop failure. Your walk should match your talk.
Fortunately, those harsh words are not the last words. God continues, "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." These are more than general instructions - the admonitions about seeking justice mean to care for the powerless members of the society: the oppressed, the orphan, and the widow. This would be good stuff if one of our major parties would include it as part of their platform. After all, it has been more than forty years since anyone asked us to consider, not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country. This is eminently "political" speech - it is similar to a preacher's publicly expressed concern about cashing his tax rebate check while knowing how many millions of American children have no health insurance.
The tone shifts with verse 18. In the wonderful language of the old King James Version in which so many of us were nourished, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." If anyone wonders how political THAT is, simply recall that it was one of the most favorite expressions of one of our generation's most consummate politicians, Lyndon Baines Johnson. God is pleading for a turnaround and an outcome other than judgment. Do it and be blessed; don't and "be devoured." Well.
Religion and politics. As old as the ancient prophets; as modern as tomorrow's newspaper. In my estimation, it is impossible to keep them separate and, frankly, anyone who says so understands neither religion nor politics. Both have to do with not only deeply held convictions but the way we live our lives. In other words, as we have said before, what we believe determines how we behave. Certainly, what we believe SHOULD determine how we vote. Isaiah's message is simply this: Don't you DARE separate religion and politics! Well, now.
So saying, I will have to admit that even though it is only August I am already weary of this year's campaign. As we all know, we are a nation that is deeply divided along partisan lines, and I am sorry about that. The atmosphere is toxic, and the result has been a mean-spiritedness and reluctance to compromise or cooperate on even the most inconsequential issues. The temptation is to just find some comfortable cocoon somewhere and hide for awhile. But the message of God through Isaiah the prophet is that some issues - justice issues, clearly political issues - must be discussed. If we fail to do it, God says our worship is worthless.
My bedside reading lately has been William Sloane Coffin's Credo, a collection of some of the more remarkable writings of this passionate, prophetic pastor whose life has been dedicated to issues of social justice and national morality. He writes,
The separation of church and state is a sound doctrine, but it points to an organizational separation. It is not designed to separate Christians from their politics. For our faith certainly should inform our common life, as well as our personal, more private lives.(6)
Our natural tendency as Americans is to shy away from any melding of religion and politics. Actually, that is impossible. However, we CAN and SHOULD stay away from any blend of religion and PARTISAN politics. That would be a horrible mistake, and one to be avoided at all costs.
One final word. For those of you who are feeling fed up with the whole process and would just as soon hibernate until November 3rd, here is a tidbit to ponder. In 1842 an Indiana farmer nearly forgot to vote, but as it turned out the candidate he voted for as his state representative, Madison Marsh, won by one vote. In those days state legislators elected U.S. senators, and the next year, on the sixth ballot, and after changing his vote, Marsh cast the deciding vote for Edward Hannegan as senator from the state of Indiana. In 1846, when the U.S. Senate was sharply divided over whether to declare war on Mexico, Senator Hannegan was absent at the time. He was called into the chambers, and he cast the deciding vote for war. Consider how that one Indiana farmer's almost forgotten vote changed history, given that California became the possession of the U.S. as a result of that war.(7)
Religion and politics. Probably, the relationship between the two in this nation should not be surprising. After all, we came into being because religious people were seeking political freedom. George Washington ad-libbed the line "So help me God" at the end of his swearing-in, and Thomas Jefferson extolled Jesus as the most important philosopher in his life two centuries before Mr. Bush ever did. G. K. Chesterton observed years ago that America "is a nation with the soul of a church."
"Come, now, let us reason together..." We can talk about ANYTHING here in this sacred space...even religion and politics. After all, we are brothers and sisters, and regardless of our disagreements (and they will always come), we remember who is ultimately in charge. And THAT makes all the difference.
Amen!
1. 6/21/04, pp. 26-33
2. "Getting Religion," The Christian Century, 7/13/04, p. 5
3. pp. 34-37
4. Charles Henderson, "Muslim Voters Turn Against Bush," http://christianity.about.com/od/religionandthepresidency/a/muslimvote.htm
5. John Hanna, "Group Keeping Watch on Pulpit's Political Activities," Warren Times-Observer, 7/31/04, C 1
6. William Sloane Coffin, Credo, (Louisville, KY : Westminster/John Knox, 2004), p. 69
7. Rick Beyer, The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 tales from history to astonish, bewilder, & stupefy, (New York : HarperResource, 2003)