Justin Webb, BBC’s Washington correspondent, posted an article on the “From Our Own Correspondent” series today, titled “Dinosaurs, evangelicals, and the state.” It gives some insight into how the Brits and perhaps other Europeans view the United States today….
As the nation recovers this weekend from the worldly pleasures of the wonderfully inclusive festival of Thanksgiving, a festival which can appeal equally to atheist and Bible-thumper, it seems to me that the central political question facing everyone here, far more important than any to do with Iraq or the deficit or Guantanamo Bay, is whether or not the Republican party, after decades of flirting, has finally got into bed with an irrational sect.
Describe an American as a Roman Catholic and you say nothing about his or her political and social beliefs. Left-wing flower-power Democrats can be Catholics, so can right-wing socially conservative Republicans. American Jews, Hindus, even Muslims are not politically defined by their faith.
But evangelical Christians, operating inside the Republican party, have coalesced their energies and their resources around a set of beliefs on homosexuality, abortion and Darwinism which place them on the authoritarian right of every political question and at odds with science campaigning. For instance, to tell visitors to the Grand Canyon that this wondrous sight is not millions of years old, which it is.
When Webb writes, “American Jews, Hindus, even Muslims are not politically defined by their faith,” it gets at something central that I believe many Unitarian Universalists have missed. We already know that we Unitarian Universalists are not defined politically by our faith. But sometimes when we try to stand up to the religious right, we do so by adopting politically liberal stands. But we do not need to get into bed with any political party. When we make political stands we should be standing up to the religious right, not from any partisan position, but as good Americans who want to keep religious rigidity out of our government.
Dan, Who exactly are the “religious right” you’re standing up too?
Can a UU believe abortion is murder?
Can a UU refuse scientific authority on evolution or any other issue science rules on
e.g. when science ruled homosexuality an illness?
Can a UU believe marriage something licenced by the state, and not a civil right?
I think the answer Yes to all three. I think these are moral issues one can seek guidence
on from their Church but I would not call anyone a theocrat for taking a stand one way
or the other or trying to exert influcence politically one way or the other.
Bill, you’re going at this from the wrong end — you’re starting with politics, and trying to get to religion. Liberal religion does not necessarily lead to specific political stands. If you start with religion, religious liberals believe that experience is central to religion (as opposed to ecclesiastical traditions and rituals), that reason must be used in religion (as opposed to making reason secondary to faith), that individual conscience is of key importance (as opposed to ecclesiastical authority). What the religious right is trying to do is they are trying to make us do religion their way — they have even gone so far as to try to deny tax-exempt status to Unitarian Unviersalist churches because we’re “not really a church,” i.e., they’re trying to use politics to impose their religion on us.
Read Paul Rasor’s new book, “Faith without Certainty,” for an excellent definition of liberal religion.
But so many UU’s take Liberal relgion and have it lead to voting Democratic or Green
and baffled if you suggest Liberal religion can guide one in a different direction.
I don’t think someone who believes abortion is murder, or who believes same sex marriage is
not a right (rather the Gov should define and license marriage), or someone
who advocates a time of prayer in school is imposing a faith.
If that’s the case, should UU Church proclaim one can hold such views and be welcome in our
Churches? I think that would be tough for many UUs (bloggers at least) to buy off on.
And that really leaves us with the Texas tax case which doesn’t seem much a threat. Consider
the Army always seems to have a half dozen Jehovah witness locked up for refusing to salut
the flag.
I am in agreement, Paul. I am not a Republican or a Democrat, and have been registered Independent since I came of age to vote. It bothers me when UUs speak in partisan terms. I strongly, strongly dislike George W Bush – but that doesn’t make me a Democrat. Nor do I despise all Republicans. The partisanship present among some UUs closes too many doors.