Religion as Politics

From Crooks and Liars, a note on the continuing rift between the old guard and the newer generation of evangelicals. Quoting CNN (and do note that CNN has put this under "Politics" rather than "Religion"):

Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word “evangelical” has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.

The statement, called “An Evangelical Manifesto,” condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

“That way faith loses its independence, Christians become ‘useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology,” according to the draft.

The declaration, scheduled to be released Wednesday in Washington, encourages Christians to be politically engaged and uphold teachings such as traditional marriage. But the drafters say evangelicals have often expressed “truth without love,” helping create a backlash against religion during a “generation of culture warring.”

“All too often we have attacked the evils and injustices of others,” the statement says, “while we have condoned our own sins.” It argues, “we must reform our own behavior.”

From Warren Smith at One News Now, a presumably unintentionally ironic essay on the subject. This is the funny part:

So a reasonable question remains: What is the true purpose of this document? If it really is, as Os Guinness maintains, a "charitable call to reform," why not let voices from the "conservative" or so-called "pro-family" wing of the evangelical movement have input? The worst that could happen is this: the drafters could ward off a nagging concern that they are backroom schemers, attempting to assert an exclusive claim to leadership over a sometimes (regretfully) fractious, though still powerful, evangelical movement. And what is the best thing that could happen? The signatures of Jim Wallis, Rick Warren, Billy Graham, and Jim Dobson on the same carefully crafted document. Now that would be truly historic.

It seems to me that this is a goal worth striving for -- unless, of course, the assertion of power and control, and not a "charitable call to reform," is what this document is really all about.

Of course, you'll note he doesn't mention that power and control is what the "conservative, pro-family" -- that is to say, the political -- wing of the movement has always been about. (And do keep in mind that One News Now is the propaganda arm of the American Family Association, headed by the Wildmons -- two more of the "conservative" wing.)

Digby has some comments on this as well. Taking off from the case of Spc. Jeremy Hall, the atheist who was hassled by his command:

I respect religion and I think it should be practiced freely and virtually without limits in a free society. But this kind of coercion, if true, is fundamentally un-American and that it's being practiced in the US military under the direct auspices of the government is mind boggling.

It would be very nice to think that a Democratic president would issue orders to change this, but I suspect that he or she will actually do nothing. less than nothing. Their new embrace of religiosity in public life will have to be constantly affirmed in some way and considering the existing suspicion in the military of all Democrats, I would be very surprised if a Democratic administration would pursue this particular issue.

I doubt that any administration will make it a priority to root out the rot in the Pentagon, which is a shame -- I should think that even politicians would have figured out that you can't leave democracy to the generals.

Oh, wait -- that assumes the politicians favor democracy. Sorry.

There may be more on this -- I've got to run right now -- but don't hold your breath. If I get to it, I get to it.