In the decade since I left the Senate, American politics has been characterized by two phenomena: the increased activism of the Christian right, especially in the Republican Party, and the collapse of bipartisan collegiality. I do not think it is a stretch to suggest a relationship between the two. To assert that I am on God's side and you are not, that I know God's will and you do not, and that I will use the power of government to advance my understanding of God's kingdom is certain to produce hostility.
By contrast, moderate Christians see ourselves, literally, as moderators. Far from claiming to possess God's truth, we claim only to be imperfect seekers of the truth. We reject the notion that religion should present a series of wedge issues useful at election time for energizing a political base. We believe it is God's work to practice humility, to wear tolerance on our sleeves, to reach out to those with whom we disagree, and to overcome the meanness we see in today's politics.
For us, religion should be inclusive, and it should seek to bridge the differences that separate people. We do not exclude from worship those whose opinions differ from ours. Following a Lord who sat at the table with tax collectors and sinners, we welcome to the Lord's table all who would come. Following a Lord who cited love of God and love of neighbor as encompassing all the commandments, we reject a political agenda that displaces that love. Christians who hold these convictions ought to add their clear voice of moderation to the debate on religion in politics.
Well said, by former Senator John C. Danforth. Read more in NYT.
1 comment:
The agenda of other Christians ought to be exposing the fine print of what the leaders of the Christian radical right actually believe about their religion. It's a very strange package of theocratic dominionism, & anti-scientific & anti-humanist doctrines - much of which would unsettle supporters who think it's only about a handful of button issues.
Also, dig, dig, dig for those skeletons in the closet: the mistresses, the disowned gay & lesbian children, the mishandling of non-profit funds, the wealthy lifestyles, the utterly crackpot statements they made before they wore tailored suits & got into corporate boardrooms.
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