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Following is an excerpt from an interview with Randall Balmer, professor of American Religious History at Barnard College, Columbia University and author of such provocative books as Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, Thy Kingdom Come and God in the White House. (The full interview will appear in a forthcoming issue of The Wittenburg Door. )
DOOR: Why did John F. Kennedy, Jr. need to “bury” the religious issue while W trotted out his faith as a badge of honor?
BALMER: Essentially, that’s the story I’m trying to tell in God in the White House. How did we get from the Kennedy’s extraordinary speech at the Rice Hotel in Houston September 12, 1960, which he told voters effectively to bracket out a candidate’s faith when they enter the voting booth to George W. Bush declaring on the eve of the Iowa caucuses that Jesus was his favorite philosopher? That’s a huge narrative arch between those two events.
DOOR: Why do you say in God in the White House that the quest for moral rectitude in Presidential candidates may be chimerical?
BALMER: The record of the past half century indicates that we as voters try to discern the moral bearings of our candidates for President. And we find that their professions faith bear very little resemblance or correlation to their performance in office. Lyndon Johnson was not a man of faith and yet as a white Southern Democrat, he pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you read the biographies of him, this was a man who despite his flaws stood on principle and was willing to stake his presidency on racial equality. Billy Graham was always tapping vast reservoirs of piety in Richard Nixon. Certainly he was the most corrupt president of the 20th century. George W. Bush runs for office as an evangelical Christian, the embodiment of Christian values. I think it’s virtually certain that his administration will go down in history as the most morally bankrupt administration in American history.
DOOR: Why do you say we need to shift our attention away from the candidate and towards the electorate?
BALMER: I think the electorate is culpable because we have allowed ourselves to be lulled by the gauzy bromides of religious declarations by our presidential candidates rather than scrutinize those claims. My solution is that we should stop asking the question because I'm prepared to argue it’s not all that relevant to the person’s performance in office. But if we insist on asking the questions, then we need pay attention to the answers and interrogate those claims. What if after Bush declared that Jesus was his favorite philosopher someone had asked questions like, “Governor Bush, Jesus asked his followers to love their enemies. How will that principle guide your foreign policy as President?” “Jesus expressed concerned for the tiniest sparrow? Will that sentiment in any way be reflected in our environmental policies?” “Jesus asked us to welcome strangers? How will that find expression in your immigration policy?”
DOOR: How do you account for the influence of Billy Graham’s enduring presence in the White House?
BALMER: I have enormous respect for Billy Graham. As he’s somebody who wants to be liked, he has a way of ingratiating himself to anyone, especially anyone who he perceives as important or powerful. All these presidents are politicians and they recognize that Billy Graham has a large constituency. So, if they can somehow associate themselves with Billy Graham or even been seen on the same platform with him, they can reap a certain benefit.
DOOR: Any truth to the rumors that the Religious Right is DOA?
BALMER: There are changes afoot. Certainly a younger generation is picking up on the contradictions between someone wanting to teach intelligent design in the schools and then showing little interest in the handiwork of the intelligent designer. They see the contradictions between the self-avowed fidelity to a pro-life position and capital punishment, the invasion of Iraq and the systematic use of torture. I'm wary about declaring the Religious Right dead. What they have going for it, is that it’s lavishly funded and they have a very intensive infrastructure. That’s why I’m reluctant to declare that the era of the Religious Right is over.
DOOR: How do you respond to those who express concern about the formation of a spiritual left that could prove just as odious as the Religious Right?
BALMER: I think there’s probably danger in seeking political power and influence. My reading of American religious history is that religion always functions best when it’s at the margins of society and not in the councils of power. Once someone is identified with a political party, it loses its prophetic edge. I fully affirm that people of faith should be active in the arena of political discourse and political discourse would be impoverished without these voices. But at the same time, we have to guard against being lured to power structure.
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I am glad I read the whole article, the last question with the observation that any religious movement that seeks to find itself in the center of the political arena loses its prophetic edge. Very true and one worth thinking about and expanding. My take is that the religious right, and probably any religious group that sees political influence is reducing God to a tribal deity and at adds with what Christ came to do.
"I think it’s virtually certain that his administration will go down in history as the most morally bankrupt administration in American history."
There is much that I can agree with in this interview. I am not a supporter of the Religious Right, but sweeping statements such as the one above, as well as some of his application of Scripture leave me very suspect that he may not be the most objective of writers.
" we have allowed ourselves to be lulled by gauzy bromides..." Well said. And should be really expect anything else? Americans poll out as "Christian" but most (70%) don't know that Genesis is the first book of the bible. So it's easy to redefine the gospel as an advancing sword. Just pluck some scripture and misapply. Very simple. Quite crude, but effective.
Futhermore, it pains me to say it, but Evangelicals were duped by a political machine. Frontline did a great story on how that machine kicked into high gear to put GW Bush in for his first term. Every pastor should watch this. This is how we were used as a tool to deliver power. Nobody anticipated the utter disaster that followed.
Note to Republicans: I voted for GW Bush (1st term) as a leader in a morally/socially poorish conservative Baptist church. Here is my message to GW Bush: "You used my brothers and sisters. Shame on you"
Being duped is a tough thing to accept. It's easier for us to play the victim than the tool.
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I am glad I read the whole article, the last question with the observation that any religious movement that seeks to find itself in the center of the political arena loses its prophetic edge. Very true and one worth thinking about and expanding. My take is that the religious right, and probably any religious group that sees political influence is reducing God to a tribal deity and at adds with what Christ came to do. Posted by Brad Ryden | Posted at 04/21/2008 6:34 AM
"I think it’s virtually certain that his administration will go down in history as the most morally bankrupt administration in American history."
There is much that I can agree with in this interview. I am not a supporter of the Religious Right, but sweeping statements such as the one above, as well as some of his application of Scripture leave me very suspect that he may not be the most objective of writers.
Posted by Charlie | Posted at 04/23/2008 4:57 AM" we have allowed ourselves to be lulled by gauzy bromides..." Well said. And should be really expect anything else? Americans poll out as "Christian" but most (70%) don't know that Genesis is the first book of the bible. So it's easy to redefine the gospel as an advancing sword. Just pluck some scripture and misapply. Very simple. Quite crude, but effective.
Futhermore, it pains me to say it, but Evangelicals were duped by a political machine. Frontline did a great story on how that machine kicked into high gear to put GW Bush in for his first term. Every pastor should watch this. This is how we were used as a tool to deliver power. Nobody anticipated the utter disaster that followed.
Note to Republicans: I voted for GW Bush (1st term) as a leader in a morally/socially poorish conservative Baptist church. Here is my message to GW Bush: "You used my brothers and sisters. Shame on you"
Being duped is a tough thing to accept. It's easier for us to play the victim than the tool.
Posted by Just A Tourist | Posted at 05/07/2008 7:32 AM