During this election year, U.S. publishers have put out 20-some books assailing religious conservatives’ political activism, often with angry titles such as “Religion Gone Bad” or “The Hijacking of Jesus.”
Now two prominent “mainline” Protestants are sounding off with somewhat more moderate pre-election manifestos:
“Faith and Politics: How the ‘Moral Values’ Debate Divides America and How To Move Forward Together” (Viking) by John Danforth, former Republican U.S. Senator and United Nations ambassador.
And “Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority From the Religious Right” (Simon &Schuster) by Bob Edgar, former Democratic Congressman and now National Council of Churches general secretary.
Both assert that their views are religiously righteous but so, naturally, do conservatives. Danforth especially complains that activism on the right is divisive. Conservatives cry foul, saying this means they must simply capitulate to those holding opposite beliefs.
Unlike some, Danforth and Edgar affirm conservatives’ right to join the political fray. They could hardly say otherwise, since United Methodist Edgar and Episcopalian Danforth are both politically engaged clergymen. They’re vexed mostly about Protestants, though Catholic conservatives also agitate.
Both authors contend that conservatives convey un-Christian attitudes, take wrong positions and ignore more important moral issues.
Edgar says the right’s “holy trinity” is opposition to abortion, same-sex relationships and stem-cell research. This “may be a sincere agenda; it is not a Christian one,” he contends (in effect reprimanding some within his own church council).
His espoused Christian trinity: world peace, environmental protection and help for the downtrodden. Conservatives don’t exactly disagree but embrace different solutions.
Abortion? Edgar thinks it should remain each woman’s choice, and besides, the practice “merits not a single word in the Bible.” That’s literally so, though conservatives see biblical teaching at stake.
As a senator, Danforth voted with abortion opponents, reflecting both Missouri constituents and his belief that the Supreme Court should let citizens and legislators set policy.
Danforth thinks Massachusetts’ highest court was wrong to legalize gay marriage by fiat, but says conservatives’ bid to amend the U.S. constitution is worse. He’d leave this to state legislators and personally wants both church and state to recognize same-sex unions.
Edgar says only two Bible passages mention homosexuality (actually there are more references than that) and doesn’t know what to make of them. But he’s convinced that gays don’t choose their sexual orientation and are simply “what God has made them.” He accuses a “cynical” Bush White House of treating homosexuals like biblical lepers.
Stem cells? Edgar’s brief discussion waffles, saying the ethical issues are highly complex, yet Jesus taught us to heal the sick and such research is medically promising.
For Danforth, the stem-cell dispute is a major reason he’s taking on the religious right. His brother, Don, died of Lou Gehrig’s disease and he favors government funding in hopes of future cures.
Another pivotal issue for Danforth came last year when Congress directed federal court review of whether to withdraw feeding tubes and bring death to the brain-damaged Terri Schiavo. He thinks the federal government should stay out of such cases.
Danforth sidesteps terrorism and Iraq, a major emphasis for Edgar. No strict pacifist, Edgar says World War II was justifiable and a case can be made for the first Gulf War and invading Afghanistan – though he doesn’t make it.
But he complains that invading Iraq didn’t involve self-defense because Saddam Hussein, though a tyrant, posed no threat to the United States, nor did President Bush exhaust peaceful diplomatic efforts.
He says the U.S. invaded because Iraq “had something we wanted” – oil.
Meet the authors
John Danforth bio: www.un.int/usa/danforth.htm
Bob Edgar bio: www.ncccusa.org/news/2000GA/edgar.html
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