Religious Future
HILLARY
“We have to improve our credibility in the world.” This is a quote from an undecided voter outside an Obama rally. Andrew Sullivan wrote about it in The Atlantic some time ago. How do we best redeem our national image in the world, and what is that image?
This is my country, but I’m not descendent from the Founders. I’ve come to understand that the descendants of the Founders think differently than I do.
Many of these people are attempting to walk with God every day of their lives, and I have a great deal of respect for their mission. While I live a life of gratitude and humility for the clear blessings that I have, I do not worship. Thus I am not filtering the world through that lens. Can we truly have a country built on such a basic divide?
JACK
I’m getting a mixed message from you. We’re talking about two different things - Government, and the presence of God. I think we all agree that Americans have the privilege of having a faith and, if so – choosing it. As far back as I can remember, there have been discussions on the role of the church in government. In today’s lingo, most politicians seem to agree that faith based initiatives are a good thing. My personal belief is our national health depends on the separation of church and state. Yet what you have to say is very relevant to the image that we project to the outside world. The reality is that we project many different images to many different people. One of the chief causes of conflict is that in much of the Muslim world we are considered as infidels, and they would prefer if we did not occupy any of their countries. I may not agree, but do totally respect their feelings. With the exception of 9/11 and other similar attacks, most of the conflict has been between this element and our presence as an invader.
In my travels around the world I have done business in almost every arena. There again, the American image is different in different parts of the world. There are, however, some impressions that are universal. Regardless of where you look, we are the standard bearer for good living, and prosperity. This is the part of the picture that is now being distorted by current events.
Experience tells me that either as individuals, or a country, we cannot be all things to all people. Our mission should really be true to ourselves, and leave it to the rest of the world to classify us.
HILLARY
But this is exactly my point. What does the true America look like? Is it a country of immigrants from all religions and ethnicities working together in the “melting pot” to produce the best that the human race has to offer? Or are we the group that the “real” America, (i.e. Christian) tolerates?
JACK
There is how you are perceived and there is reality. In reality we have ceased to be a White Christian nation, and our diversity in the 21st century is our strength.
HILLARY
I have to jump in here because I don’t know if what you perceive about the current state of the country is accurate. I mean, just last month on CSPAN I watched a Colorado congressman speak on the floor of the House for an hour discussing how multi-culturalism is destroying our nation. If you look at the media’s description of the average American you come up with “Joe the Plumber”. We live in California, and know people from all over the world. Our sense of diversity may not be the case for the bulk of the country. This is why I am deeply concerned about the anger that is being stirred up in this Presidential election, as I see a deep cultural divide that is becoming ever deeper. If we truly have two Americas, how do we figure out who we really are and what image we want our leaders projecting around the world?
JACK
Change always comes with distortion. We do not have a split screen that shows the before and after. Certainly, intolerance lingers in many areas even as the change takes place. The mere fact that we have had an African-American running for the office of President is a strong indication we have come.
HILLARY
I got to stop you. It’s not about black/white. I’m not talking about a race war. I think that there are many black/Hispanic/Asian people who would like to see the country move closer to a theocracy where the Bible more closely dictates society. This is the divide I speak of, not a racial difference but rather a clash between the religious and the secular.
JACK
This is a question of interpretation. There is always dispute, and perhaps it is more powerful than I realize. This seems to be one of the issues in the coming elections. We will know more when the final vote is counted and the people in office will tell us what faction is most powerful. I cannot believe that Creationism will be taught in schools and be a dominant part of the life of the next generation. Certainly, it does exist today but I’ve not seen those statistics that tells me how powerful it is. The separation of Church and State is a very powerful part of our constitution and without guarantees, I hope it will prevail. If your greatest fears are realized, then you in the new generations will have to combat this kind of movement, and maintain our image as a free society for all.
Communication is inspiration! Share your thoughts below.
Leave a reply
