It is easy - and completely appropriate - to feel under siege by the activities undertaken by the Religious Right in America. Groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council preach a radical message of exclusion that is at odds with how many of us read the Gospels. Meanwhile, political groups aligned with the Republican Party such as the Institute on Religion and Democracy seek with intention to undermine the prophetic voices of our churches by organizing smear campaigns against our leaders and denominations. Together these organizations are out to reshape America in their image - not God's - and the vision they articulate is one of division and often hate.
Is it possible that the "religious left" in America could become the "mirror image" of the Religious Right? John Danforth thinks so. The former Republican senator from Missouri, Episcopal priest, and critic of the Religious Right spoke before the "Values, Vision and the Via Media" conference held in Washington, DC this week. ENS reports:
The idea for the conference took root after last year's presidential election, when progressive Christians organized to protest attempts by the Religious Right to co-opt the name of the church in America. Exit polls indicated that voters associated "moral values" with narrow and divisive issues -- such as abortion and gay marriage -- instead of a broader Christian agenda. This, experts agree, focused public attention on the church as guardian of personal morality rather than the church as defender against racism, poverty and war.
Conservative groups have countered that liberal Christians do have a voice in the values debate, but that more Americans support conservative Christians on many values.
Danforth cautioned, however, that "you have to be a little... humble about claiming to know what's God's will."
"When people believe that they're fighting a religious battle, nothing is more energizing then `I'm on God's side,' " he said. "But there's also nothing more divisive than that. Because once you believe that you're on God's side, therefore people who disagree with you are not on God's side, or are even enemies of God. Then there's no room for the... stuff of politics. And there's a lot of room for real hatred and animosity and bitterness."
Recapturing the values debate from the Religious Right was among the subjects conference goers discussed during Thursday seminars, and it continued to be a popular topic of conversation among those seated in the cathedral as they waited for Danforth to speak.
Cindy Marcillas, who was visiting from San Francisco to attend the conference, said she hoped Danforth's remarks would encourage conference-goers to "take back the values debate" from the Religious Right.
"It's appalling how far right this administration has gone," said Marcillas. "It's downright frightening."
Danforth, however, urged his listeners to recognize the worth of arguments being made by those who identify with the Religious Right.
"One of the points they have to make is what they believe is the loss of our moral compass as a country, and they're right," Danforth said. "They're concerned about the coarsening of America, and all you have to do is turn on the TV or go to the movies.
"They're concerned with respect to the institutions of marriage and the family -- that we have lost our bearings. And when you look at the divorce rate and the out-of-wedlock births, they've got a point.
"You may disagree with everything they say and every position they take and every candidate they support, but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they too read the Bible, and they too try to be faithful."
The question of whether religion in politics should be divisive, Danforth said, is itself debatable. He noted that some people use Scripture to support the notion that religious beliefs should divide, while others use the Bible to support the view that it shouldn't.
"I believe that the heart of the New Testament is the message of reconciliation and inclusiveness," said Danforth, who represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate for 18 years before retiring in 1994.
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I don't think for a moment that the leaders of the Religious Right have the best interests of the American people at heart or that they act out of Christian intentions. James Dobson and his allies lust for power for than anything else and have proven that they'll do or say nearly anything - even to warp the Gospel teachings into a Republican partisan message - to do it.
But the people who make up the heart of the conservative movement are not evil. Misguided. Intolerant. Frightened by change. But not evil.
There are times when they pick up on issues like violence in popular culture that progressives often overlook.
There are things that progressives can learn by listening to their voices.
