Editor’s note: This commentary is by Mark Skelding, of St. Albans, a retired educator who most recently was a faculty member for Southern New Hampshire University’s Graduate Program in Education. He previously worked at Food Works/Two Rivers Center for Sustainability.
[S]eparation of church and state is fundamental to democracy. But separation of church and state isn’t the same as separating our religion (which for Americans is primarily Christian) from our politics. Yet it seems we’re becoming a nation who sees no difference between the two.
Supporters of Republican senatorial candidate Roy Moore are a striking example of this. Their attempt late last year to elect him to represent their version of Christianity, family values, and character while excusing him for alleged behavior contrary to Christian doctrine is … actually, it’s hard to find words for what it is.
What about these next examples? Are they evidence of how insidious compartmentalizing our spirituality from our words and actions has become?
First is an unbending allegiance to the Second Amendment and relentless opposition to gun control. The Second Amendment is essentially a government (“Caesar”) decree. It was written by flawed and fallible men during a unique context in our nation’s history and for more than 200 years has been variously interpreted by state and federal courts. Wouldn’t honoring the Sixth Commandment, never committing murder, and … doing everything in our control to help keep others from being able to commit murder be more in line with our nation’s professed faith?
A second example is free market competition and a trickle-down economy. The advantaged climb to the top and accumulate greater and greater proportions of our wealth but sufficient voluntary redistribution of that wealth (described in various ways throughout the Bible) clearly isn’t happening. Isn’t this type of economy more reflective of Darwinian survival of the fittest and evolution of species than of Christianity?
Free market competition and health care fits this pattern, too. Prior to the Affordable Care Act we especially saw this. Leaving health care in the hands of for-profits is survival of the fittest at its worst. Those who are the “fittest” can afford to pay steadily rising health care costs and those who are less fit physically and financially either go untreated or into crippling debt. Wouldn’t supporting universal health care be more in line with Christian compassion?
Two especially glaring examples of this disconnect are nationalism and patriotism. The Bible clearly reveals that there are no geo-political boundaries or national identity to the church. People of one nation are no better or worse than those of other nations and we’re to indiscriminately love our neighbors even to the point of loving our enemies. Regarding patriotism, Christians know not to be idolatrous and worship false gods.
Our current push for exclusionary immigration laws is contradictory as well. Some argue such laws are needed for our safety, but our faith tells us that with belief in God we’ve nothing to fear. Others argue these laws are needed because immigrants are taking Americans’ jobs, yet the Bible promises that God will provide and we shall not want. A third argument is essentially that America is for Americans. Wouldn’t we be truer to our professed faith if we welcomed all people into the fold, humbly putting them above ourselves and their needs ahead of our own?
Examples like these abound and here’s one more … deregulation. Rescinding regulatory safeguards and freeing corporations to profit at the expense of human health and safety is hardly caring for others as we would have others care for us. And how do doing away with environmental regulations, gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, and giving industry a free pass to exploit our resources and degrade the environment square with our biblical charge of stewardship?
The hypocrisy we witnessed coming out of Alabama last fall was shocking. Its dismissal in the White House and lukewarm condemnation from congressional lawmakers were even more so. And just when we think it can’t get any worse, Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council (a pro-life, evangelical Christian organization) publicly forgives Donald Trump for his pre-presidency adultery in exchange for him being a conservative, despite the fact Trump continuously disregards at least four other commandments. And now we have the porn star and Playboy bunny scandals routinely being dismissed by conservatives as well. But maybe being jolted by hypocrisy such as this is a good thing given how numb we’ve become to our slow but steady normalization of separating our religion from our politics.
Our political views are a direct reflection of our underlying character and regard for others. They are also an extension of our religious beliefs. It’s disingenuous to argue that separation of religion and politics is possible. If it were then what’s the point of religion?
