[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 19:25:30 -0700
You write "I agree. But" . . . but, but, but, but I did address your
"but": "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."
But admittedly not quite your emphasis. In the past there was, especially
amongst Dispensationalists such a strong belief, a peculiar belief, in the
separation of Church and state, that they chose, many of them to separate
themselves from the voting booth. My opinion is that belief has been
almost entirely abandoned. If they stay away it will be because there is no
one they can in good conscious vote for, not because they are abandoning
their new-found belief in voting.
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of John McCreery
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 7:08 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The Religious Right Isn't What It Used to Be
On 10/29/07, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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.
There is no denying that religion, like politics, has always been a big
tent, with lots of room for all sorts of different acts. There is also no
denying that during the 80s and 90s the folks whose focus was opposition to
abortion, gay rights and evolution forged a powerful political block that
became a vital constituency for the Republican Party.
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. But I don't think that this is the central concern of political
analysts. Historically, evangelicals have oscillated between inward-turning
disengagement from politics and outward-turning political involvement. The
inward turn typically follows a period of religious enthusiasm. Add
elections that in recent years have turned on razor-thin majorities or
Supreme Court decisions, and the likelihood that even a small percentage of
those who came out strongly for Republicans in recent elections may stay
home or support a third-party candidate has to be a Republican strategist's
biggest nightmare. On the opposite coast from you, in my home state of
Virginia, two successive Democratic Governors (Warner and Kaine), a new
Democratic Senator (Jim Webb) and a strong possibility that he will acquire
a Democratic colleague when Mark Warner runs for the Senate next year shows
the effects that even small shifts in the demographics of voting can have on
what had been seen since Nixon as a solidly red state.
John
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/ <http://www.wordworks.jp/>
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