Walking? Or Just Talking? 'Family values' crowd drags God into the mud of partisan politics.
Ignorance, fear, and xenophobia know no party affiliation. It would appear, however, that it has a home on the Religious Right. Time was when one's religious beliefs were considered one's own business, and the separation of church and state was sacrosanct.
The times, they do appear to be a-changing....
AUSTIN, Texas -- When it comes to religion, I've always believed it's more important to walk the walk than to talk the talk. I come from a tradition (Episcopal) that considers it rather in bad taste to wear your religion on your sleeve, presumably from Matthew, Chapter 6, Verses 5 and 6:
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
Of course, I also had some Baptist input and so am fond of making a joyful noise unto the Lord. Texans even like to sing hymns around campfires while drinking beer -- I'm not sure if that counts.
I long ago learned to shy away from the stink of sanctimony. We are all familiar with pietistic hypocrites and spiritual humbugs wearing dog collars. I doubt the clergy is more afflicted with canting Pharisees than the legal profession is with sleazy chiselers, but neither type is exactly rare.
I would certainly not argue that those with strong religious beliefs have no place or business in our political process. This is, after all, a country based on a diversity of creeds and cultures. The problem is when religious beliefs are used to DEFINE the political process. When the legislative process bumps up against Fundamentalism, we all lose. The sad reality is that the world cannot be stuffed into the narrow little box that Fundamentalists demand.
Republicans talk about a "big tent", but the reality is that you are only welcome in their tent if you happen to fit into their narrow little box. Give us your tired, your poor, your rich white Christians....
Back in the 1950s, when the late Rep. Bob Eckhardt was still in the Texas Legislature, a bill to cut off all state aid to illegitimate children was under debate. After listening to some of his "Christian" colleagues explain why illegitimate children should be left to starve, Eckhardt rose and said, "I am not so much concerned about the natural bastards as I am about the self-made ones." I consider that one of the most Christian things I've ever heard said during legislative debate....
Two hundred years of not terribly rigid separation of church and state has given us one precious gift. As a quote attributed to James Madison (never been able to find the correct citation on it) put it, "The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries." Religious strife is still soaking the soil with blood, isn't it, in Kosovo and elsewhere....
Is it Christian to cut money for Head Start? Is it Christian to cut poor children off health care? Is it Christian to cut old people off Medicare? Is it Christian to write memos justifying torture? Is it Christian to cut after-school, nutrition and AIDS programs so multimillionaires can have bigger tax cuts?
Historically, the Bible has been used to justify some stupefying crimes, including slavery and genocide. I see no indication we are any better at divining the Lord's intent now than we ever were....
I have seen too many Psalm-singing, Bible quoting, Holy Joe hypocrites in politics to think these frauds improve the moral tone of our public life. Getting snookered by some canting humbug is even more depressing than getting snookered by a plain old crook.
Beware those who make a show or a parade of their piety: Keep watching for the ones who walk the walk.
Given our involvement in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, you'd think that we would have developed a healthy fear of fundamentalist fear-mongering. Sadly, this would seem to be one lesson we have yet to learn.
One of our biggest problems is that our government still operates on the "squeaky wheel" principle, and the people who make the most noise tend to be those who feel they have the most to fear.
Those who walk the walk tend to be the ones working behind the scenes to do what they see as the Lord's work. Those who merely talk the talk may grab the majority of the column inches, but it doesn't take much to see them for the hyprocrites they truly are.
