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 recent years, we have been 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 relationship between religion and politics in our day has an added dimension that in previous generations would never have been a factor - Muslim-Americans, some seven million of them. How does their religion enter into the political arena?
What about this "line between church and state"? Despite all our protests, 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 text 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 ..." (Isaiah 1:1 RSV). 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!" (Isaiah 1:10). Sodom? Gomorrah? Those two cities had been turned to toast long before and were thus names automatically associated with judgment - similar to the derisive tone that we sometimes use when describing something as a Las Vegas or San Francisco.
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" (Isaiah 1:11). Then God turns thumbs down on fancy religious processions - "this trampling of my courts" (Isaiah 1:12). Forget the extra commitment offerings and the fragrant incense, the special services of worship and celebration. "I cannot bear your evil assemblies" (Isaiah 1:13), 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" (Isaiah 1:15). This is the ancient equivalent of a thoroughly 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.
"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." - Isaiah 1:16-17
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 a half century 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." - Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)
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 do it and "be devoured."
Religion and politics - as old as the ancient prophets; as modern as tomorrow's newspaper. In my estimation, it is impossible to keep them separated 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, 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!
So saying, I will have to admit that sometimes I grow weary of the incessant campaigning. The temptation is to just find some comfortable cocoon somewhere and hide. 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.
William Sloane Coffin's Credo is a collection of some of the more remarkable writings of this passionate, prophetic pastor whose life was 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."[1]
One final word. For those who feel fed up with the whole process, 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 US 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 US 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 US as a result of that war.[2]
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.
1. William Sloane Coffin, Credo (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 2004), p.69.
2. Rick Beyer, The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy (New York: Harper Resource, 2003).