World History
I was fortunate enough to hear Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Broder speak on the campus of Central Michigan University today. He is an excellent speaker and I enjoyed his presentation. He gave an overview to the state of American politics. In addition to talking about the war in Iraq, he also discussed health care, energy costs, budget deficits, immigration, and baby boomer politicians.
Afterwards, he opened himself up to the audience for questions and comments. I thought he gave a thoughtful response to one question. An audience member asked, ?Do you think America is currently a theocracy??
Broder used history to guide his response. He answered no. Broder explained that America has seen numerous waves of faith-based activism in the past including the abolitionist movement, prohibition, and the civil rights movement. All of these faith-based groups brought politicians to power. After initial success, those faith-based politicians who became dismayed by the compromises required by politics eventually went back to church organizations. Those faith-based politicians who discovered they liked politics learned to compromise and made good contributions to the country. Broder thinks the current group of faith-based politicians in the Republican Party will follow the same pattern.
Another audience member objected to this. He said, ?But isn?t this different than those in the past who were working for social justice? Isn?t the current example different as they are forcing their religious beliefs on everyone else?? (I guess he feels that those on the left motivated by religion are examples of social justice in action but those on the right motivated by religion must be closet theocrats.)
Broder disagreed. He invoked prohibition as an example. He noted that those trying to dry up the country were attempting to impose their values on everyone else. Broder stated, ?Absolutism is absolutism.? I will add that the abolitionist movement was very successful at imposing their faith-based view of slavery on the entire nation as well. That noted, was the success of the abolitionists and prohibitionists in gaining and exercising power examples of past American theocracies? I would argue no and I think it is safe to say Border would as well.
I think the whole question of whether the current Republican leaders in power are evidence that America is currently a theocracy is because many people do not understand or are deliberately misusing the word theocracy. Theocracies by definition create a single state faith, discourage or outlaw other religions, refuse to allow believers of other religions to hold political office, and are effective at censoring the media.
Looking around America today, there is no mandated state religion, thousands of faiths flourish including Islam, non-believers including atheists and agnostics run for and win political office, and the media continually finds ways to offend people of all faiths at different times. Two major power blocks within the Republican coalition (the Mormons and the Southern Baptists) have very different religious outlooks. The Baptists even consider the Mormons to be a cult. Despite this, the two get along very well politically which would never happen in a theocracy. Is America a theocracy? Reality says no and it takes a great deal of mental gymnastics and redefinitions of theocracy to even make a case that it is.
Despite the success of American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips and the fear of some who object to religion coupled with conservatives, the theocracy argument is dead on arrival. It just does not make sense. I am grateful to David Broder for framing his rebuttal of this theocracy claim in historical terms.
- Divine Faith In Europe
Divine Faith in EuropeBetween 1730 and 1760, western Europe experienced a revivalist movement that advocated acceptance of the divine faith doctrine. This movement later came to be known as the First Great Awakening. The title was used to differentiate...
- Zeus Worshippers Demand Access To Temple
Zeus Worshippers Demand Access to Temple. Pagans have revived the worship of the Greek God Zeus. Several hundred followers have begun holding religious ceremonies honoring the head of the Greek pantheon in Greece. I believe in religious freedom and I...
- Teaching About The U.s. Congress
The article Teaching about the U.S. Congress is another excellent ERIC Digest which gives ideas for teaching about American Congressional history and assorted helpful resources in teaching about it. It is from 2001. The authors are Thomas S. Vontz and...
- The Election Of 1800: Teaching About A Critical Moment In The History Of American Constitutional Democracy
The Election of 1800: Teaching about a Critical Moment in the History of American Constitutional Democracy. This is an essay which looks at the U.S. Presidential election of 1800. It argues that the peaceful transfer of power from one political party...
- Voice Of America: High School Videochats Bridge Religious & Cultural Divide
Use Face to Faith to help your students bridge cultural and religious divides.Using videochats, Face to Faith brings together students from different cutlures and religions to facilitate better understanding on a wide range of topics including religious...
World History
American Theocracy? David Broder Responds
I was fortunate enough to hear Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Broder speak on the campus of Central Michigan University today. He is an excellent speaker and I enjoyed his presentation. He gave an overview to the state of American politics. In addition to talking about the war in Iraq, he also discussed health care, energy costs, budget deficits, immigration, and baby boomer politicians.
Afterwards, he opened himself up to the audience for questions and comments. I thought he gave a thoughtful response to one question. An audience member asked, ?Do you think America is currently a theocracy??
Broder used history to guide his response. He answered no. Broder explained that America has seen numerous waves of faith-based activism in the past including the abolitionist movement, prohibition, and the civil rights movement. All of these faith-based groups brought politicians to power. After initial success, those faith-based politicians who became dismayed by the compromises required by politics eventually went back to church organizations. Those faith-based politicians who discovered they liked politics learned to compromise and made good contributions to the country. Broder thinks the current group of faith-based politicians in the Republican Party will follow the same pattern.
Another audience member objected to this. He said, ?But isn?t this different than those in the past who were working for social justice? Isn?t the current example different as they are forcing their religious beliefs on everyone else?? (I guess he feels that those on the left motivated by religion are examples of social justice in action but those on the right motivated by religion must be closet theocrats.)
Broder disagreed. He invoked prohibition as an example. He noted that those trying to dry up the country were attempting to impose their values on everyone else. Broder stated, ?Absolutism is absolutism.? I will add that the abolitionist movement was very successful at imposing their faith-based view of slavery on the entire nation as well. That noted, was the success of the abolitionists and prohibitionists in gaining and exercising power examples of past American theocracies? I would argue no and I think it is safe to say Border would as well.
I think the whole question of whether the current Republican leaders in power are evidence that America is currently a theocracy is because many people do not understand or are deliberately misusing the word theocracy. Theocracies by definition create a single state faith, discourage or outlaw other religions, refuse to allow believers of other religions to hold political office, and are effective at censoring the media.
Looking around America today, there is no mandated state religion, thousands of faiths flourish including Islam, non-believers including atheists and agnostics run for and win political office, and the media continually finds ways to offend people of all faiths at different times. Two major power blocks within the Republican coalition (the Mormons and the Southern Baptists) have very different religious outlooks. The Baptists even consider the Mormons to be a cult. Despite this, the two get along very well politically which would never happen in a theocracy. Is America a theocracy? Reality says no and it takes a great deal of mental gymnastics and redefinitions of theocracy to even make a case that it is.
Despite the success of American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips and the fear of some who object to religion coupled with conservatives, the theocracy argument is dead on arrival. It just does not make sense. I am grateful to David Broder for framing his rebuttal of this theocracy claim in historical terms.
- Divine Faith In Europe
Divine Faith in EuropeBetween 1730 and 1760, western Europe experienced a revivalist movement that advocated acceptance of the divine faith doctrine. This movement later came to be known as the First Great Awakening. The title was used to differentiate...
- Zeus Worshippers Demand Access To Temple
Zeus Worshippers Demand Access to Temple. Pagans have revived the worship of the Greek God Zeus. Several hundred followers have begun holding religious ceremonies honoring the head of the Greek pantheon in Greece. I believe in religious freedom and I...
- Teaching About The U.s. Congress
The article Teaching about the U.S. Congress is another excellent ERIC Digest which gives ideas for teaching about American Congressional history and assorted helpful resources in teaching about it. It is from 2001. The authors are Thomas S. Vontz and...
- The Election Of 1800: Teaching About A Critical Moment In The History Of American Constitutional Democracy
The Election of 1800: Teaching about a Critical Moment in the History of American Constitutional Democracy. This is an essay which looks at the U.S. Presidential election of 1800. It argues that the peaceful transfer of power from one political party...
- Voice Of America: High School Videochats Bridge Religious & Cultural Divide
Use Face to Faith to help your students bridge cultural and religious divides.Using videochats, Face to Faith brings together students from different cutlures and religions to facilitate better understanding on a wide range of topics including religious...