[lit-ideas] Re: The Religious Right Isn't What It Used to Be
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:14:11 -0700
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=2
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=2&adxnn
l=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1193565601-BFlVpcV/IKrM89dEXNEbHw&oref=
slogin>
&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1193565601-BFlVpcV/IKrM89dEXNEbHw
&oref=slogin
This was indeed an interesting article, John. However, I don't think the
"Religious Right" was ever what it used to be. There was indeed a climate
of opinion amongst Dispensationalists and Evangelicals that chose to focus
on Abortion, Gay Rights and Creationism at the expense of the Gospel.
There was no "religious right movement" per se, but there was broad
agreement that these were issues worth fighting over and many seemed to want
to talk of nothing else.
Now as to the impact on the upcoming political election, which seems to be
the concern of Kirkpatrick, I doubt that the conclusion (or better, the
"suggestion") can be drawn that the former "Religious Right" will move
toward the "left." I agree with Kirkpatrick that many on the Religious
Right voted for Bush hoping to get legislation enacted that supported their
three issues - and that they have been disappointed, but that disappointment
isn't, in my opinion, going to move them Leftward. They will do as they
always have and vote the lesser of two evils, whatever those evils turn out
to be.
It is virtually impossible to define "evangelical" or "religious right."
To describe some Christian closet Liberals who are feeling free to out
themselves in Wichita isn't all that remarkable. There was an important
split in the American Christian churches back in the early part of the 20th
century when "Germanic scholarship" began making serious inroads into the
mainline churches. Just as Kirkpatrick describes the modern reaction
against pastors who preach against abortion 52 weeks a year; so in those
early days did many Christians react against a Theology that essentially
denied God. What became known as "Liberal Theology" accepted Germanic
Scholarship which included the belief that Judeo-Christian doctrine derived
from Jews seeking to understand God rather than God revealing himself to
people he has chosen. Back in those early days there were splits in most
of the main-line churches, and those splits have continued on to the present
day. Members in Liberal Christian Churches tend to vote democratic and
those in Conservative Christian Churches tend to vote Republican. There
have always been pastors moving from one position to the other, so I am not
convinced that Kirkpatrick's closet Wichita Liberal represents a ground
swell of movement toward the Left.
I supported McCain against Bush and got into a number of arguments with
people Kirkpatrick would describe as being on the "Religious Right." If
Guiliani or McCain were to be the nominee this time, many on the Religious
Right wouldn't want to vote for them, but I can't see them voting for
Clinton or Obama either. They might either not vote or vote very
reluctantly for Guiliani or McCain. If Bush didn't satisfy their
religious prejudices, how much less would Clinton or Obama satisfy them?
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of John McCreery
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 3:35 AM
To: Anthro-L; lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] The Religious Right Isn't What It Used to Be
<a hrep="
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=1&adxnn
l=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1193565601-BFlVpcV/IKrM89dEXNEbHw>
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl
=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1193565601-BFlVpcV/IKrM89dEXNEbHw">Read
it here.</a> The New York Times article to which this link points is long
but well worth reading. To me--I grew up in a pious family then became an
anthropologist--it rings true, both to what I learned to feel as a child and
to what I learned to think in graduate school. The important message here is
the resurgence of interest in values like those expressed in "Love thy
neighbor as thyself," which is a long way from the market fundamentalism
that sees individuals as fungible workers and consumers, resources to be
exploited.
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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