Faithful Democrats
Have we been
complicit in the rise of the political Christian conservative movement because
we have not successfully raised our voices in loud reply?
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The same
morning I heard about the Faithful Democrats fellowship, I got an email from a
friend who wrote:
“I hate that the right take ownership of faith…”
And
this from someone who is a passionate Democrat and an atheist!
And
of course the link between “Christian” and “Right” is absurd. Just
the day before I had been at a wake with one of my favorite people –
my seventy-something Irish Catholic godfather who sends me more progressive
political-action emails than anyone I know. His sister was teasing him
and she pointed a finger across the table and accused, “Liberal!” He got
that twinkle in his eye and took it with glee: “That’s just a synonym for
Christian.”
Amen. So how has this happened? How has the ‘religious
right’ become a household phrase (not to mention the most influential voting
block in our nation), while I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard the phrase
Religious Left (“Is that someone who’s Left the faith and no longer goes to
church? Sorta like a Lapsed Catholic?”) Perhaps a more relevant
question: have we – the countless thousands of faithful folks whose God calls
them to social justice, open-mindedness, and a celebration of diversity – been
complicit in the rise of the political Christian conservative movement because
we have not successfully raised our voices in loud reply?
My friend was calling me to action. Even an atheist can
recognize that God is not on the ‘side’ of the right-wing so why, she wonders,
am I letting them get away with it? But here’s the thing: faith doesn’t
talk itself up. Many of the most spiritual people I know have their most
passionate conversations not about God, but with God. I
know several powerful and dynamic people of faith who would make fantastic
leaders in a campaign to wrangle votes for liberal causes, but instead they
channel all (and I mean all) their energy into those causes
themselves. I for one have found that while my faith propels my
convictions, and while I am quick to speak out when I feel there is injustice
being perpetrated, I don’t drop God’s name in the process. I think it,
but I don’t use it. Somewhere along the line “Thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord in vain” started to be taken as: “Don’t Swear” (How did that
happen?!) But I have always heard the commandment to mean “Don’t use My name
and talk about Me to make your point. Instead let me be your
engine and let your actions speak for themselves.” So I am genuinely
puzzled about how to ‘take back ownership’ of faith in a sphere where the
phrase “God Bless America” is starting to make me nauseous when I hear
it.
More
than once in the past days and weeks I have caught myself in the spontaneous
prayer, “Please, please, please God, let Barack Obama win the election.
Please!” And then of course I realize that this is a democracy and God
doesn’t get a vote. Only hundreds of millions of individual humans do,
who are each responsible for their choice. Christianity
believes that God took human form to help show us the magnitude of our human
responsibility. Christ put his life in our hands. With this
election I see it all unfolding again. With talk of wars and drilling in
Alaska I see again the magnitude of our responsibility and the vulnerability of
that which is paradoxically far greater than we are, and yet in our hands to
nurture or crush.
A
new prayer is bubbling up: “Dear God, let me be worthy of the
responsibility, and may all those with the power and responsibility to vote do
so out of a connection to that which is universally sacred and divine.
Between now and November 4th, may I be your active and humble
servant – and please show me how to do that, because I don’t know what that
looks like in the sphere of this election.”
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