Radical Religion and the Demise of Democracy

  By Rudy Barnes, Jr.

            Radical religion is fundamentalist religion.    Jewish, Christian and Islamic forms of fundamentalism are reactions to advances in knowledge and reason that have become threats to libertarian democracy, human rights and the secular rule of law.  Fundamentalism seeks to reverse the libertarian politics of the Enlightenment and restore the theocratic politics reflected in ancient scriptures and holy laws.  Radical religion could well be the demise of democracy. 

            Roy Moore and the evangelical Christians who support Donald Trump represent a Christian version of radical religious fundamentalism that seems pervasive among Republicans.  The Islamic version of radical religion (Islamism) is prevalent in the Middle East and Africa, while Jewish fundamentalism is gaining strength and threatening democracy in Israel. 

            The current controversy over Roy Moore’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate goes beyond allegations of sexual harassment.  It has revealed radical religious beliefs held by Republican conservatives who seek to restore ancient Biblical values that are remarkably similar to those of radical Islamism.  That’s because the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an share a common Semitic cultural background and an emphasis on obedience to holy law as a standard of legitimacy.

            The ancient religious laws in the Bible and Qur’an are authoritarian standards of legitimacy and incompatible with democracy, human rights or the secular rule of law.  Religious fundamentalism is a relatively recent phenomenon that did not become a formidable force in Judaism, Christianity or Islam until the early 20^th century; but since then religious fundamentalism has grown to be a threat to libertarian democracy in religious nations.

            American politics are polarized by a radical right Republican Party supported by fundamentalist Christians and a radical left Democrat Party defined by identity politics.  There is no longer a moderate center to preserve a stable democracy.  A politics of reconciliation is needed, and since 70% of people in the U.S. claim to be Christians, reconciliation must begin within the churches that shape U.S. standards of political legitimacy.

            A politics of reconciliation should be based on the greatest commandment to love God and our neighbors—including our neighbors of other races and religions—as we love ourselves.  That’s a common word of faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims that is needed to prevent the further demise of democracy.

            Radical Christian fundamentalism undermines democracy with ancient values that legitimize bigotry and hatred.  It promotes “family values” and a prosperity gospel that contradict the altruistic teachings of Jesus; and it promotes extending the individual right to the free exercise of religion at the expense of providing for the common good.

            In Islamic nations, radical Islamism denies the fundamental freedoms of religion and speech with apostasy and blasphemy laws, and denies women and non-Muslims equal justice under law.  Radical Islamism is on the rise.  It promotes authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and Africa, and is undermining libertarian democracy in Indonesia and Turkey.

            There is a symbiotic relationship between religion and politics, and radical religion has undermined American democracy.  A politics of reconciliation is needed to prevent the further demise of democracy, and it should be based on the altruistic teachings of Jesus summarized in the greatest commandment.  It is a common word of faith that can oppose the threat of radical religion to democracy in America and around the world. 

   

Notes:

On the Roy Moore controversy, see Dana Milbank: Roy Moore and Republicans, taking the Bible literally but not seriously, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/roy-moore-and-republicans-taking-the-bible-literally-but-not-seriously/2017/11/10/07f57c6c-c61f-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1; also, Nicholas Kristof: God should sue Roy Moore, at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/opinion/roy-moore-sexual-assault.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fnicholas-kristof&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection; also, David Atkin: The curious defenses of Roy Moore betray the evangelical culture of child sexual abuse, at  https://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/11/11/roy-moore-and-the-evangelical-culture-of-child-sexual-abuse/; also, Christians: Our silence on Roy Moore isn’t enough, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/christians-our-silence-on-roy-moore-isnt-enough/2017/11/14/1d459cda-c96e-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?undefined=&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.

Michael Gerson has commented on the role of religion in democracy in describing how America can overcome its egotism, citing Jacques Maritain: “Right political experience,” he said, “cannot develop in people unless passions and reason are oriented by a solid basis of collective virtues, by faith and honor and thirst for justice.” In particular, it is the “urge of love” that allows us “to surmount the closed borders of the natural social groups — family group and national group — and extended it to the entire human race.”  In the absence of a “democratic state of mind,” Maritain warned, “nothing is easier for political counterfeiters than to exploit good principles for purposes of deception.” “And moreover,” he said, “nothing is easier for human weakness than to merge religion with prejudices of race, family or class, collective hatreds, passions of a clan.”

See https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-can-america-overcome-its-egotism/2017/11/02/1d9ed372-bff0-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html?wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1.

On how Trump gets religion, evangelicals say, and now wants to broaden his reach, see    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gets-religion-evangelicals-say-and-now-wants-to-broaden-his-reach/2017/11/12/b33e8e88-bf3f-11e7-959c-fe2b598d8c00_story.html

Fareed Zakaria has commented on how the cancer of Islamist extremism spreads around the world, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-cancer-of-islamist-extremism-spreads-around-the-world/2017/11/02/30162342-c005-11e7-959c-fe2b598d8c00_story.html?undefined=&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.

         

Related Commentary:

          

(12/8/14): Religion and Reason

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2014/12/religion-and-reason.html

(12/15/14): Faith and Freedom

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2014/12/faith-and-freedom.html

(1/11/15): The Greatest Commandment: A Common Word of Faith

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/the-greatest-commandment-common-word-of.html

(1/18/15): Love over Law: A Principle at the Heart of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/love-over-law-principle-at-heart-of.html

(4/12/15): Faith as a Source of Morality and Law: The Heart of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/04/faith-as-source-of-morality-and-law.html

(5/3/15): A Fundamental Problem with Religion

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/05/a-fundamental-problem-with-religion.html

(8/2/15): Freedom and Fundamentalism

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/freedom-and-fundamentalism.html 

(8/9/15): Balancing Individual Rights with Collective Responsibilities

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/balancing-individual-rights-with.html

(1/23/16): Who Is My Neighbor?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/who-is-my-neighbor.html

(1/30/16): The Politics of Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-loving-our-neighbors-as.html

(2/27/16): Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy in Faith, Freedom and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/02/conflicting-concepts-of-legitimacy-in.html

(4/30/16): The Relevance of Religion to Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/the-relevance-of-religion-to-politics.html

(5/7/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/05/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation.html

(5/21/16): Religious Fundamentalism and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/05/religious-fundamentalism-and-politics.html

(6/18/16): A Politics of Reconciliation with Liberty and Justice for All

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/06/a-politics-of-reconciliation-with.html 

(8/5/16): How Religion Can Bridge Our Political and Cultural Divide

http://www.religionleitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/08/how-religion-can-bridge-our-political.html

(9/10/16): Liberty in Law: A Matter of Man’s Law, not God’s Law

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/09/liberty-in-law-matter-of-mans-law-not.html

(9/17/16): A Moral Revival to Restore Legitimacy to Our Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/09/a-moral-revival-to-restore-legitimacy.html

(11/19/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation Based on Shared Values

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation_19.html

(11/26/16): Irreconcilable Differences and the Demise of Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/irreconcilable-differences-and-demise.html

(1/21/17): Religion and Reason Redux: Religion Is Ridiculous

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/01/religion-and-reason-redux-religion-is.html

(2/25/17): The Need for a Revolution in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/the-need-for-revolution-in-religion-and.html

(3/4/17): Ignorance and Reason in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/the-need-for-revolution-in-religion-and.html

(3/18/17): Moral Ambiguity in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/03/moral-ambiguity-in-religion-and-politics.html

(4/22/17): The Relevance of Jesus and the Irrelevance of the Church in Today’s World

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/04/the-relevance-of-jesus-and-irrelevance.html

(6/24/17): The Evolution of Religion, Politics and Law: Back to the Future? http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/06/the-evolution-of-religion-politics-and.html.

(7/1/17): Religion, Moral Authority and Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-moral-authority-and.html.

(7/15/17): Religion and Progressive Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-and-progressive-politics.html

(9/2/17): The Evolution of the American Civil Religion and Habits of the Heart http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/09/the-evolution-of-american-civil.html. 

(10/21/17): The Symbiotic Relationship between Freedom and Religion

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/the-symbiotic-relationship-between.html.

(10/28/17): The Moral Decline of Religion and the Seven Woes of Jesus

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/the-moral-decline-of-religion-and-seven.html.

(11/4/17): What to Believe? Truth or Consequences in Religion and Politics http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/11/what-to-believe-truth-or-consequences.html.

A Politics of Reconciliation that Should Begin in the Church

  By Rudy Barnes, Jr.

            Not since the Civil War has America been so divided.  It has become balkanized by race and religion, as evidenced in our partisan gridlock, gerrymandered congressional districts, and divergent doctrines of Christianity.  To avoid further polarization we need to promote a politics of reconciliation that can provide functional pluralism for an increasingly diverse population.

            Where to begin?  Over 70% of Americans claim to be Christians, so that a politics of reconciliation should begin in the church.  The first step is for Christians to acknowledge that the altruistic moral teachings of Jesus should be applied to their politics.  Otherwise their Christian religion is as spiritually dead as a body without the spirit. (see James 2:26)

            Every Christian in America has the moral duty to be a steward of our democracy.  That requires applying the moral imperatives taught by Jesus in our democratic processes, especially in electing our leaders.  When Christians ignore their duties of discipleship in politics, they not only undermine U.S. democracy, but also the moral legitimacy of the Christian religion.

            Black Christians and evangelical Christians have long related their religion to their politics, but mainline white denominations have avoided mixing religion and politics.  Even so, partisan politics have become defined by race, and gerrymandered voting districts have institutionalized partisan politics along racial lines, resulting in dangerous political polarization.

              The greatest commandment to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves is a common word of faith that can break the religious and political gridlock.  When Jesus was asked, Who is my neighbor? he answered with the story of a good Samaritan who stopped to help a wounded Jew. (Luke 10:25-37)  That was a radical message for Jews who detested Samaritans as apostates.

            With partisan politics polarized along racial lines and more political animosity than ever, Christians need to be reminded that loving their neighbors of other races, religions and even those they detest is a moral imperative of their faith.  Christians who exempt politics from their faith are hypocrites—and while Jesus taught love for others, he condemned hypocrites.

            Christians need to make their faith relevant to their politics with the stewardship of democracy.  They should consider the values of candidates and political issues without making political endorsements.  In the past churches have considered issues of slavery, temperance, civil rights—even the lottery.  Today they are facing contentious issues of sexual preference that are polarizing religion and politics, but regrettably these issues are not being discussed in church.    

            In promoting a politics of reconciliation, there will always be contentious issues.  That’s the nature of a pluralistic democracy.  Christians need to learn to disagree agreeably as they discuss how to relate their Christian values to candidates and political issues such as tax reform, health care, immigration and foreign policy; and prior to elections they should invite candidates to church hall meetings, where a church venue should promote more enlightened political views.   

            The church offers a big tent for all legitimate political preferences, from libertarian politics that emphasize individual rights to socialistic politics that emphasize the common good, but populist demagoguery must be opposed.  Unfortunately, white South Carolina Christians have supported populist demagogues from “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman to Donald Trump. 

            The greatest challenge for democracy today is to balance individual rights with providing for the common good; but achieving that balance will be difficult with America polarized by a two-party duopoly that is split along racial lines.  A moral revival is needed to promote a politics of reconciliation, and that revival should begin in the church.  Its purpose should not be to promote political unity, but to make Christians better stewards of their pluralistic democracy.    

Notes:             

Michael Gerson has lamented the deplorable state of morality in politics, “With two very sick political parties that have a monopoly on political power and little prospect for reform and recovery.”  Gerson has pessimistically predicted that our two political parties cannot save themselves (and us) from a political earthquake that will make America’s future “uncertain, maybe unknowable.”  See  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/our-political-parties-cant-save-themselves/2017/11/06/0304c3f8-c321-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?undefined=&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.

David Brooks has noted that 2017 is the centennial of the Bolshevik Revolution, when Lenin and Trotsky took over Russia with a new authoritarian moral order under communism.  That was possible because Russian democrats and the Russian Orthodox Church failed to assert their moral authority.  A similar moral default may be undermining democracy in the U.S. today.  See https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/the-week-trump-won.html.

David Bentley Hart has asked, Are Christians supposed to be Communists? based on a teaching of Jesus in Luke 14:33 that requires giving up everything as a condition of discipleship. See https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/opinion/sunday/christianity-communism.html.

Mitchell T. Rozanski has opined that reconciliation among Christians may be closer than we think.  He promotes a Christian unity, or reconciliation, among Christian denominations that respects diversity but eliminates acrimony over religious and political differences.  See     

http://religionnews.com/2017/10/30/reconciliation-among-christians-might-be-closer-than-we-think/.

On how the prosperity gospel explains Donald Trump’s popularity with Christian voters, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/15/how-the-prosperity-gospel-explains-donald-trumps-popularity-with-christian-voters/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1. 

On President Trump praising Robert Jeffress as a wonderful pastor who says Satan founded the Catholic Church, see  https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-trump-promotes-book-by-wonderful-pastor-who-says-satan-founded-the-catholic-church.

Related Commentary:

(1/11/15): The Greatest Commandment: A Common Word of Faith

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/the-greatest-commandment-common-word-of.html

 (6/18/16): A Politics of Reconciliation with Liberty and Justice for All

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/06/a-politics-of-reconciliation-with.html

(6/28/15): Confronting the Evil Among Us

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/06/confronting-evil-among-us.html

(7/5/15): Reconciliation as a Remedy for Racism and Religious Exclusivism

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/07/reconciliation-as-remedy-for-racism-and.html

(8/2/15): Freedom and Fundamentalism

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/freedom-and-fundamentalism.html (8/9/15): Balancing Individual Rights with Collective Responsibilities

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/balancing-individual-rights-with.html

(1/23/16): Who Is My Neighbor?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/who-is-my-neighbor.html

(1/30/16): The Politics of Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-loving-our-neighbors-as.html

(2/18/17): Gerrymandering, Race and Polarized Partisan Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/gerrymandering-race-and-polarized.html

(2/27/16): Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy in Faith, Freedom and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/02/conflicting-concepts-of-legitimacy-in.html

(4/23/16): Standards of Legitimacy in Morality, Manners and Political Correctness

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/standards-of-legitimacy-in-morality.html

(4/30/16): The Relevance of Religion to Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/the-relevance-of-religion-to-politics.html

(5/7/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/05/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation.html

(8/5/16): How Religion Can Bridge Our Political and Cultural Divide

http://www.religionleitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/08/how-religion-can-bridge-our-political.html

(9/17/16): A Moral Revival to Restore Legitimacy to Our Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/09/a-moral-revival-to-restore-legitimacy.html

(11/19/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation Based on Shared Values

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation_19.html

(11/26/16): Irreconcilable Differences and the Demise of Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/irreconcilable-differences-and-demise.html

(2/25/17): The Need for a Revolution in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/the-need-for-revolution-in-religion-and.html

(3/18/17): Moral Ambiguity in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/03/moral-ambiguity-in-religion-and-politics.html

(4/22/17): The Relevance of Jesus and the Irrelevance of the Church in Today’s World

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/04/the-relevance-of-jesus-and-irrelevance.html

(7/1/17): Religion, Moral Authority and Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-moral-authority-and.html.

(7/15/17) Religion and Progressive Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-and-progressive-politics.html

 (8/19/17) Hate, History and the Need for a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/08/hate-history-and-need-for-politics-of.html.

(9/23/17): Tribalism and the American Civil Religion

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/09/tribalism-and-american-civil-religion.html.

(9/30/17): The 500^th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation: What Does It Mean Today?   http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/09/the-500th-anniversary-of-protestant.html.

(10/7/17): A 21^st Century Reformation to Restore Reason to American Civil Religion http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/a-21st-century-reformation-to-restore.html.

(10/28/17): The Moral Decline of Religion and the Seven Woes of Jesus

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/the-moral-decline-of-religion-and-seven.html.

(11/4/17): What to Believe? Truth or Consequences in Religion and Politics http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/11/what-to-believe-truth-or-consequences.html.

What to Believe? Truth or Consequences in Religion and Politics

   By Rudy Barnes, Jr.

            In religion and politics, finding truth can be elusive, but the failure to distinguish truth from falsehood has its consequences.   In presenting his version of truth, President Trump has denigrated traditional media sources with fake news.  In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, God’s truth is found in their holy scriptures.  That’s why those religions are called religions of the book.

            St. Augustine stated the conundrum of understanding and believing truth this way: Do not seek to understand so that you may believe, but believe so that you may understand.  Discovering God’s truth requires reason, but reason alone is not enough.  A leap of faith is needed to bridge the gap between worldly reality, reason and the ultimate truth, which can come in many forms.

            There are two categories of religious truths: the mystical and the moral.  Mystical truths relate to the ineffable nature of God.  They are ultimately speculative and known only by faith and experience.  Moral truths define our human relationships and come in the form of voluntary moral standards of legitimacy or in coercive religious laws.  Religious laws have no place in libertarian democracies, and voluntary moral standards of legitimacy are subject to reason.

            Thomas Jefferson understood the distinction between mystical and moral matters of faith, and asserted that only moral standards were relevant to our politics.  In politics Jefferson considered the moral teachings of Jesus “the most sublime moral code ever designed by man,” and he discounted mystical religious beliefs “that don’t pick my pocket or break my leg.”       

           

            What is truth? (John 18:38)  That rhetorical question of Pontius Pilate has echoed down through the ages.  Jesus had earlier told his disciples: I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6; see commentary on these verses at pp 330-331 and 416-417 of The Teachings of Jesus and Muhammad on Morality and Law: The Heart of Legitimacy at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3gvZV8mXUp-aTJubVlISnpQc1U/view).   

            John’s Gospel is unique.  It presents Jesus as the mystical Logos, or Word of God (John 1:1-18), and is more like a gospel of the Holy Spirit than of the man Jesus.  John 14:6 is problematic.  If taken literally it supports exclusivist Christian doctrine that limits salvation to those who believe in Jesus as God’s one and only Son; but if considered the word of God (Logos), it can be considered a universal truth compatible with all three religions of the book.

            In our democracy, the way, the truth and the life taught by Jesus relates to our politics, and the new command to love one another (John 13:34) summarizes the moral imperatives taught by Jesus.  It complements the greatest commandment in the other three gospels to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, including our neighbors of other races and religions. 

            The love command is considered a common word of faith for all three religions of the book, and all three religions recognize Jesus as a great prophet.  If Christians were to emphasize following the teachings of Jesus as the word of God rather than worshipping Jesus as God, they could promote religious and political reconciliation.  Without a politics of reconciliation based on shared moral values, continued polarization will likely lead to the demise of our democracy.

            If we are truthful, we will acknowledge that truth and morality are relative and we tend to believe whatever we want to believe; and the internet contributes to that ambiguity by providing false truths that are congenial to every viewpoint.  But for those who are sincerely seeking God’s truth, it begins with loving our neighbors—even those we don’t like—as we love ourselves, and then struggling with its uncomfortable applications in our social relations and politics.               

            God’s truth can be problematic.  Loving all people requires that we protect them from those who would do them harm, and the latest terrorist attack in New York illustrates the paradox.  One dysfunctional hate-filled man has reignited fear and hatred toward Muslims, but rooting out potential terrorists requires the cooperation of all Muslims.  If hatred in the name of God is part of the problem, then love in the name of God must be part of the solution.

            The truth is that our love for others is our only real defense against hate.  God’s will is to reconcile and redeem humanity in a flawed world, while Satan seeks to divide and conquer—and Satan does a convincing imitation of God in the mosque, church and politics.  The consequences of ignoring God’s truth are dire: further religious and political polarization, hate and violence.

 

Notes:

On how Trump broke conservatism with his assault on truth by asserting lies, discrediting sources of opposition and then declaring victory based on media applause, which in a democracy gives lies legitimacy, see https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-trump-broke-conservatism/2017/10/23/e68f180e-b817-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?undefined=&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1.

 

On fraudulent news and the fight for truth, and how to create order out of media chaos and disinformation, see  https://pen.org/faking-news/; see also, the pro-free speech way to fight fake news at http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/12/the-pro-free-speech-way-to-fight-fake-news/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Flash%20Points%2010/12&utm_term=Flashpoints.

   

Kurt Andersen has a presented a dire and fantastical picture of religion in Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, a 500-Year History (Random House, 2017).  Andersen sees the Reformation as allowing Protestants to reject the Vatican and start their own religion, then reject that religion and “start their own new religions again and again.”  Then “The Enlightenment liberated people to believe anything whatsoever…and in the marketplace of ideas, [it was assumed that] reason would win.”  Andersen asserts that reason never won this religious and political free-for-all in the marketplace of ideas and the internet, and he cites Emanuel Kant’s explanation that religion is burdened by questions “it is not able to ignore, but which…it is also unable to answer.”  Today fantastical doctrines of religion circulated on the internet continue to trump more practical moral doctrines (pages 52, 53).  It should be noted that Andersen’s book emphasizes the mystical side of religion and does not address its moral imperatives.

Related Commentary:

(12/15/14): Faith and Freedom

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2014/12/faith-and-freedom.html

(1/11/15): The Greatest Commandment: A Common Word of Faith

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/the-greatest-commandment-common-word-of.html

(1/18/15): Love over Law: A Principle at the Heart of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/love-over-law-principle-at-heart-of.html

(1/25/15): Jesus Meets Muhammad: Is there a Common Word of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims Today?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/01/jesus-meets-muhammad-is-there-common.html

(4/12/15): Faith as a Source of Morality and Law: The Heart of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/04/faith-as-source-of-morality-and-law.html

 (1/23/16): Who Is My Neighbor?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/who-is-my-neighbor.html

(1/30/16): The Politics of Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-loving-our-neighbors-as.html

(2/27/16): Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy in Faith, Freedom and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/02/conflicting-concepts-of-legitimacy-in.html

 (6/18/16): A Politics of Reconciliation with Liberty and Justice for All

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/06/a-politics-of-reconciliation-with.html

(6/21/15): Christians Meet Muslims Today

 http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/06/christians-meet-muslims-today.html (6/28/15): Confronting the Evil Among Us

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/06/confronting-evil-among-us.html

(7/5/15): Reconciliation as a Remedy for Racism and Religious Exclusivism

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/07/reconciliation-as-remedy-for-racism-and.html

(7/12/15): Reconciliation in Race and Religion: The Need for Compatibility, not Conformity   http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/07/reconciliation-in-race-and-religion.html (8/2/15): Freedom and Fundamentalism

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/freedom-and-fundamentalism.html (8/9/15): Balancing Individual Rights with Collective Responsibilities

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/balancing-individual-rights-with.html

(8/23/15): Legitimacy as a Context and Paradigm to Resolve Religious Conflict

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/legitimacy-as-context-and-paradigm-to.html

(8/30/15): What Is Truth?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/08/what-is-truth.html

(9/20/15) Politics and Religious Polarization

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/09/politics-and-religious-polarization.html (11/8/15): Tough Love and the Duty to Protect Life and Liberty

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/11/tough-love-and-duty-to-protect-life-and.html

(11/22/15): Dualism: Satan’s Evil Versus God’s Goodness

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/11/dualism-satan-evil-versus-god-goodness.html

(12/19/15): Taking Lives and Liberty in the Name of God

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/12/taking-lives-and-liberty-in-name-of-god.html

(1/23/16): Who Is My Neighbor?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/who-is-my-neighbor.html

(1/30/16): The Politics of Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-loving-our-neighbors-as.html

(2/7/16): Jesus Meets Muhammad on Issues of Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/02/jesus-meets-muhammad-on-issues-of.html

(4/16/16): Religious Violence and the Dilemma of Freedom and Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/religious-violence-and-dilemma-of.html

(4/23/16): Standards of Legitimacy in Morality, Manners and Political Correctness

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/standards-of-legitimacy-in-morality.html

(7/9/16): Back to the Future: Race, Religion, Rights and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/07/back-to-future-race-religion-rights-and.html

(1/23/16): Who Is My Neighbor?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/who-is-my-neighbor.html

(1/30/16): The Politics of Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-loving-our-neighbors-as.html

(4/30/16): The Relevance of Religion to Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/04/the-relevance-of-religion-to-politics.html

(5/7/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/05/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation.html

(8/5/16): How Religion Can Bridge Our Political and Cultural Divide

http://www.religionleitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/08/how-religion-can-bridge-our-political.html

(9/10/16): Liberty in Law: A Matter of Man’s Law, not God’s Law

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/09/liberty-in-law-matter-of-mans-law-not.html

(9/17/16): A Moral Revival to Restore Legitimacy to Our Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/09/a-moral-revival-to-restore-legitimacy.html

(11/19/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation Based on Shared Values

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation_19.html

(11/26/16): Irreconcilable Differences and the Demise of Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/irreconcilable-differences-and-demise.html

(2/25/17): The Need for a Revolution in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/the-need-for-revolution-in-religion-and.html

(3/4/17): Ignorance and Reason in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/the-need-for-revolution-in-religion-and.html

(3/18/17): Moral Ambiguity in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/03/moral-ambiguity-in-religion-and-politics.html

(4/22/17): The Relevance of Jesus and the Irrelevance of the Church in Today’s World

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/04/the-relevance-of-jesus-and-irrelevance.html

(7/1/17): Religion, Moral Authority and Conflicting Concepts of Legitimacy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-moral-authority-and.html.

(7/15/17) Religion and Progressive Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/religion-and-progressive-politics.html

(7/29/17): Speaking God’s Truth to Man’s Power

 http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/07/speaking-gods-truth-to-mans-power.html.

(8/5/17): Does Religion Seek to Reconcile and Redeem or to Divide and Conquer?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/08/does-religion-seek-to-reconcile-and.html.

(8/12/17): The Universalist Teachings of Jesus as a Remedy for Religious Exclusivism 

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/08/the-universalist-teachings-of-jesus-as.html.

(8/19/17) Hate, History and the Need for a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/08/hate-history-and-need-for-politics-of.html.

(9/2/17): The Evolution of the American Civil Religion and Habits of the Heart http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/09/the-evolution-of-american-civil.html. 

(9/30/17): The 500^th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation: What Does It Mean Today?   http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/09/the-500th-anniversary-of-protestant.html.

(10/7/17): A 21^st Century Reformation to Restore Reason to American Civil Religion http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/a-21st-century-reformation-to-restore.html.

(10/14/17): In the Midst of an Islamic Reformation http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/in-midst-of-islamic-reformation.html.

(10/21/17): The Symbiotic Relationship between Freedom and Religion

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/the-symbiotic-relationship-between.html.

(10/28/17): The Moral Decline of Religion and the Seven Woes of Jesus

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/10/the-moral-decline-of-religion-and-seven.html.