Many political leaders and aspiring leaders seem determined to spend way too much time reminding Americans how religious they are.
A growing number of evangelicals seems to be going through a new “great awakening” by realizing that salvation does not come through partisan politics.
Recent books by evangelicals such as David Kuo, Randall Balmer and Darryl Hart have challenged the Religious Right’s view that Christians have a duty to use the political system to exercise control over society.
Now, another evangelical has joined that movement. Charles Marsh, a professor of religion at the University of Virginia, has just published Wayward Christian Soldiers (Oxford University Press). Marsh, the son of a Southern Baptist minister and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, is interviewed in today’s edition of The Politico, a Washington, D.C., publication.
The Politico reports that in the book, Marsh “attacks – occasionally with biting sarcasm – politicians and evangelical leaders for using Christianity to seize control.”
In the Q&A, Marsh makes a number of interesting points, including this startling admission: “As an evangelical Christian, I would be more than happy to vote for a president who never talks about religion.”
Marsh also says, “It does seem like a time when we could use a lot less religious talk…I do see a coming faith fatigue….” He notes that several books critical of religion have sold well recently, adding, “I’m hard-pressed to imagine any reason for their popularity [other] than the recent religious saturation of the public square and all the shrill and noisy religious talk.”
Marsh goes on to admonish the Religious Right, remarking, “I really fear the overused and misused language of conservative Christianity has brought us to a place where we have severed ourselves from moral and intellectual obligations of Christian traditions. Tradition admonishes the way we talk about God. It appreciates the mystery. Pulling it out as a talking point or one-upmanship over a political opponent is bordering on heresy.”
Amen to that! Unfortunately, many political leaders and aspiring leaders seem determined to spend way too much time reminding Americans how religious they are. And the media is willing to play along. The next presidential election is 16 months away, and we’re already seeing an unhealthy fixation on religion. At a forum broadcast on CNN last month, three leading Democratic contenders were peppered with questions on how often they pray and what they pray for.
The country faces serious issues. The war in Iraq, the future of Social Security, medical care, immigration and energy costs are among them. Chances are, voters want to hear a lot more about where the candidates stand on these and other matters rather than listen to any more talk about where, when and how often would-be presidents attend a house of worship.
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