Politics and Religion: A Disastrous Combination.

This will be my last blog of the year, partly as my daughters who live far away are congregating at the family home and partly because I am frustrated by what I see in American politics. The Senate remains the scene of a potential filibuster to pass the budget! Hopefully, I’ll be refreshed for the New Year.

Last week, I said I would put my head in a noose and write about religion American-style. This is a first for me. In all the years that I have written about the American scene, I felt that religion was the third rail, i.e. touch it and you die. However an article in the Sunday Times of 8^th December has changed my mind. Columnist Andrew Sullivan suggested that in America, religion and politics tend to be fused and religious doctrine is wielded as a political weapon.

Sullivan poses an interesting argument. He suggests that the extreme right believed the Pope, thus the entire Catholic Church, was on its side, as opinions on abortion and contraception and its anti-communist hatred were shared with the Pontiff. Shock jocks like Rush Limbaugh invoked Pope John Paul II as a Catholic who “had no truck with leftie criticisms of capitalism.” However, recently, tea party followers like Sarah Palin – remember her, she could see Russia from her bedroom – are now questioning the ideology of the Catholic Church, suggesting it has become liberal, thus weak. Sullivan concludes that the Pope’s message of Love needs to be shared by materialistic Republicans and Democrats alike.

To ram the point home, in a message this week entitled Fraternity, The Foundation and Pathway to Peace, Pope Francis criticised injustice, human trafficking and organised crime as deterrents to the path to peace. He attacked policies of big salaries for the rich while the poor survive on crumbs and that governments should do more to close the gap. Previously Pope Francis has made his views known on trickle-down economics, financial speculation and the idea that the market knows best. He believes all are wrong and damaging to society.

Why some Republicans would think that the Catholic Church only supports their views is unmitigated gall. Do these people really think there are no Democrat Catholics in America? Is it their opinion that the Pope would support right-wing Americans who want to impose “family values” on the rest of the country? A certain Senator from Pennsylvania stood on this platform not long ago in a run for the Presidency. He was soon cast aside.

Some time ago, I came across an article in the American Sociological Review. It looked at church attendance and found that, at least in a Chicago suburb, of those interviewed who said they attended church weekly, only half actually did. If anyone wants chapter and verse for the article, they have only to ask. I don’t suggest the article proves anything except the peculiarity that a number of Americans felt too embarrassed to tell researchers they did not attend church regularly. Was there a political connection? Possibly peer pressure was in force. 

What is my position? Simple, religion and politics don’t mix. I learned this lesson well from the Founding Fathers. The first amendment to the Constitution spells this out loud and clear: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” I accept that religion plays a big part in American life. One has only to drive through any number of cities and towns to see the vast numbers of churches that are supported by the local populace. But politicising religion is a different matter and it leads to some of the grief America is experiencing now.

May I close this blog by wishing you a Merry Xmas, a Happy New Year and may your God go with you.

What About Newtown?

Over the past forty five years of travelling to the United States, I have found that there are two topics which one raises with locals only with extreme care, namely religion and gun laws. But it’s Christmas time, so this week I’m writing about guns; next week, I’ll take my chances on the power of religious interests.

One year ago in Newtown, Connecticut, there was an appalling outrage when more than twenty young children were murdered. The outcry both locally and in the United States was predictable. “How could this be allowed to happen?” was the question asked often by parents and relations as their grief was televised to the American public. It took only two days for the National Rifle Association to wade in with their solution: arm the teachers!

I have grown up in a country where arming police is a rarity. Citizens have no right to arm themselves. Indeed, it is a crime to do so except in specific situations, such as being a member of a shooting club. At large, the western world does not arm its police except in rare circumstances. As a result, are murders rife in the west? America is the murder capital of the west by a country mile. Here in the UK we are not exempt from murderous outrages but they are few and far between. However, shootings like those in Connecticut have been the norm in the US during 2013, albeit not on quite the same scale. Every month, one reads of yet another outrage.

I believe one of the real difficulties is that many Americans have a love affair with guns. I know several Americans who live in peaceful states, yet have an arsenal at their disposal in their homes. Added to this, American television is rife with violence. At all times of the day and night, you can watch people killing one another using handguns and shotguns. Indeed, one might suggest that being armed is the default American position.

Since Newtown, there has been no real debate about guns. There was a half-hearted effort by Congress to tighten up the period of time and other rules before a gun might be sold. Senate Republicans threatened to filibuster the legislation and that was that. No change. It is not surprising the members of Congress don’t want to alter the feeble gun laws. A phenomenal percentage of legislators are supported by the NRA and the latter are not shy about telling those they sponsor that not only will that sponsorship be withdrawn but the NRA will support a rival candidate.

What confuses me is that Americans really believe that they have a Constitutional right to be armed. On any sensible reading of the Second Amendment, the argument cannot hold water. The Amendment is specific; weapons may be held by people who are forming a militia. The Supreme Court in its lack of wisdom has interpreted the Amendment in a way that is contrary to common sense. I suppose with lawyers, it was ever thus.

Those who know me understand how much I love my American trips. My wife and I have friends and relations in many states. A majority of the people with whom we associate do not want to see the public weaponised. For them, it is sufficient for the police and the armed forces to be armed.

What is certain is that there is no political will to have America’s gun laws changed. I find it sad that safety is not an issue for the American public when it comes to guns but it is paramount on manufactured goods. Arguably, I am out of touch with ordinary Americans on the right to bear arms. Somehow, I don’t think I am and for sure, the people of Newtown are with me.