The continuing-to-unfold events in the Middle East provide an occasion to think about the relationship between religion and politics among the three Abrahamic faiths: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Although religion has not been front and center in the democracy movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, it lurks in the background and, for many, motivates what might look like a purely secular uprising. Of course, the recent bombing of the Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, and the assassination of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab in Pakistan, are stark reminders of the dangers presented by religious extremism and the dire consequences that emerge when religious zeal fuses with deadly civil power.
Dr. Charles Kimball, in his now classic work “When Religion Becomes Evil” (published after September 11), reminds us that religion is arguably the most powerful and pervasive force on the planet and, as such, has the capacity for ghastly evil as well as great good. A Baptist minister teaching at the University of Oklahoma, Kimball expounds on what he calls five major warning signs of human corruption of religion: 1) absolute truth claims, 2) blind obedience to a charismatic leader, 3) establishing the “ideal” time, 4) end-justifies-the-means ethics, and 5) declaring holy war.
In a new book to be released in April titled “When Religion Becomes Lethal,” Kimball examines what happens when these warning signs are not heeded and state-sponsored violence erupts in the name of religion. Kimball explores the explosive mixture of politics and religion in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. He devotes several chapters to each of the three “religions of the Book,” providing a quite helpful primer of their history, current configuration and relationships to one another, all in the context of the way they view the proper connection between religion and politics.
Recognizing that these three are by no means monolithic in their views on religion and politics, Kimball contends that the truth is always found between the extremes of theocracy on the one hand and rank secularism on the other. He shows convincingly that “the moderate and flexible center of every faith tradition has helped it to survive in the face of extremism.”
Kimball concludes with the optimistic expectation that violence in the name of religion is not inevitable. Kimball outlines how the “children of Abraham” have much in common — theologically, politically and practically — and, with education and dialogue, the dynamic, work-in-progress relationships among the groups can have a happy outcome. The widely-reported conjoinder of Coptic Christians and Muslims in Cairo’s Tahrir Square is an encouraging example of this cooperation.
While acknowledging the many shortcomings in the way we in this country balance the relationship between church and state, Kimball suggests that “the United States offers the most helpful and constructive model for negotiating the explosive mix of politics and religion today.” He calls for civility in the rough-and-tumble debate of our vital democracy and affirms the neutrality of government in matters of religion as indispensable to the solution.
I agree. The United States is one of the most religious and most religiously diverse nations on the face of the earth. Despite our religious passion and pluralism, we — for the most part — have been able to avoid the religious conflicts that have punctuated history and continue to plague most of the world today. Our commitment to religious freedom implies a responsibility to respect the religious liberty of others and to provide an example to other nations. We should model a generous attitude of religious freedom for all and zero tolerance for violence in the name of religion. This commitment requires us — Christian, Jewish and Muslim Americans alike — to stand up against extremism and call out the miscreants in our own faith traditions.
The vast majority of the world’s religions — including these three that account for more than half of the earth’s population — are historically and essentially rooted in teachings associated with love and respect for our common humanity. And, out of this “moderate and flexible center,” we must vow to find a common ground and a peaceful outcome for all of us.
This piece comes from the March 2011 Report from the Capital. Click here to read the full magazine in PDF form.
