Rudy Barnes, Jr.
Until
November 2016 I could not have imagined Donald Trump being elected President. Back in December of 2014 I commented on religion and reason. After yesterday’s inauguration of President
Trump, whose election was made possible by putative Christians, I am convinced
that much of what passes for Christianity in America is unreasonable and even
ridiculous.
Before
his inauguration yesterday, Trump heard a sermon by Robert Jeffress, described
by Sarah Pulliam Bailey as “a Southern Baptist pastor who has a history of
inflammatory remarks about Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and gays.” His sermon
was taken from Nehemiah, set in a dark, nativist and exclusivist period of
Jewish history. Jews returning to Judah from exile built a wall to purify
Judaism from non-Jews. Jeffress’ point was that “God is not against
building walls.” It was just what Trump wanted to hear.
President
Trump’s inauguration address followed Jeffress’ nativist theme. According
to Jennifer Rubin, “The speech was a dark, ugly tribute to ‘America First,’
[in] the language of nationalism, nativism and protectionism.” Decrying “American
carnage,” Trump used “creepy statism” to define patriotism: “At the bedrock of
our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and
through our loyalty to our country we will discover our loyalty to each other.”
It was American exceptionalism on steroids, reminiscent of fascist
totalitarianism.
In promoting Trump and his political demagoguery in the
name of God, Robert Jeffries is not alone. Other popular evangelical
Christian leaders like Jerry Falwell, Jr., Franklin Graham, and Paula White
have made a mockery of the teachings of Jesus by promoting self-centered
doctrines of the prosperity gospel coupled with an exclusivist atonement
doctrine.
And the
problem is not unique to America. In Israel, an unholy alliance of
ultra-orthodox Jews and fundamentalist Christians seek to replace the Dome of
the Rock mosque on the ancient temple mount in Jerusalem with a restored Jewish
temple, and they oppose any return of occupied Palestinian territory as part of
a two-state peace process.
Religions
have polarized politics around the world, fulfilling the aphorism of Karl Marx
that religion is the opiate of the masses. There is hope, however,
that while religion is a major cause of fear, hate and political division, it
can also be a means of political reconciliation.
The
greatest commandment to love God and our neighbors as we love ourselves is
considered a common word of faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims
alike. Unlike Nehemiah, Jesus taught in the story of the good
Samaritan that our neighbors include those of other races and religions, and
that it is God’s will for us to tear down walls and build bridges to reconcile
us.
If Jews, Christians and Muslims could make loving their
neighbors of other races and religions a common word of their faith,
religion could be redeemed as reasonable.
Only then could religion help make a politics of reconciliation
possible. Otherwise, religion will continue to be ridiculous, corrupting
our politics with fear, anger, hate and division.
Notes
and earlier commentary on this topic:
On the
inauguration day sermon of Robert Jeffress on God is not against building
walls, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/01/20/god-is-not-against-building-walls-the-sermon-donald-trump-heard-before-his-inauguration/?wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1.
On
Jennifer Rubin’s commentary on Trump’s inauguration speech, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/01/20/trumps-america-is-a-rotten-place/?wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1.
On religion
and reason, see http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2014/12/religion-and-reason.html;
On the
greatest commandment as a common word of faith for Jews, Christians
and Muslims, see http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/the-greatest-commandment-common-word-of.html.
On a fundamental
problem with religion, see http://www.jesusmeetsmuhammad.com/2015/05/a-fundamental-problem-with-religion.html.
On the
need for a politics of reconciliation in a polarized democracy, see http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/10/the-need-for-politics-of-reconciliation.html.
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