Tag: religion in the public square

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Marginalization of Non-Progressive Thought

We are pleased to present this guest editorial from U.S. Army Chaplain Don Zapsic (ret.)

The marginalization of conservatism on the public square is a stubborn reality in post-Christian America. The impact of this chilling trend upon political and religious thought often emanates from cultural institutions inspired by the radical left. Churches are no exception as evidenced by the avocation of theological liberalism ever-seeking to co-opt the sacred for the proliferation of the secular agenda. The impact of this unholy union is further facilitated by an all-too-eager mainstream media that is essentially the mouthpiece, megaphone, and PR department of all things liberal.

A poignant example of a coordinated action by multiple arms of the radical left intended to stymie conservative religious and political dissent is featured in the now infamous “Covington boys” incident. Enter in Father Edward Beck, CNN commentator on religion who had the following to say about MAGA hats in relation to Catholicism, “MAGA hats have become political code for an agenda that is often in opposition with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (CNN opinion piece).” Some of the political code referenced by the priest deals with 1) abortion- President Trump identifies as pro-life as does the Catholic Church 2) Immigration- opposed on the right based upon a national security and economic crisis of epic proportions 3) climate change– radical left dog whistle for an oppressive carbon tax and 4) inequitable distribution of the world’s resources … a.k.a. Marxism.

Another prominent commentator on religion by the name of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger debunked the liberation theology that Father Beck sympathizes with, “because of Marxist principles and its association with political movements (U.S. Catholic October 2014 edition).” I favor Cardinal Ratzinger’s assessment of social justice since Marxism has a poor track record when it comes to respecting individual property rights as well as restricting freedom of religious expression. So what could the radical left have in common with a Roman Catholic priest? Both are deeply rooted and committed to liberal thought and practice regardless of whatever else they may otherwise profess allegiance to.

Lest I should fall prey to the folly of operating as some kind of unexamined political hack, my religious legitimacy for writing this article as an ordained minister extends no further than the biblical principles that I seek to promote. On the political front, I support capitalism despite its shortcomings and abuses due to its tried and proven capacity for uplifting the human condition. I also support America’s representative form of government because of the freedom and liberties it affords to those it seeks to represent. Neither the economic theory nor political philosophy just cited is above the rule of law or God’s Word. The fact that I spent five years obtaining a Master of Divinity degree; served a two-year stint in the pastorate; and twenty-four more years of military service in the Army Chaplaincy does not negate the readers responsibility to verify and validate the contents of this article. The doctrinaire liberal actively resists the notion that Scripture alone is the basis for truth in many cases elevating human reason above the authority of Scripture.

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It is fair then to assert that liberalism is a religion in, and of itself (at least in matters dealing with competing interests that seek to contradict the liberal mindset). The government according to the radical left is regarded as the Higher Power in perpetual acquisition of perpetual power. God in this political and religious realm is regarded more as a figurehead much like the queen or king of a debunked kingdom. Liberalism in its various manifestations champions change as its cornerstone doctrine. When change for the sake of change is the primary motivator, even an abject failure provides yet another opportunity for change along with further government expansion. The technical name of this manmade religion is “secular humanism” whereby man, and not God, “is the measure of all things (Protagoras of Abdera).” It should come as no shock that marginalization is a logical response to any competing interest viewed as trying to impose arbitrary truth upon such an unfettered mindset.        

The characterization of conservative political and religious marginalization in the public square is more of an indictment on the right than on the radical left. To lose “One Nation under God” over many decades suggests more of a controlled retreat than an outright coup. A ‘controlled retreat’ being a military concept describing two lines of defense leapfrogging backwards as one line covers the backsides of the other line of retreat. Unlike liberals, modern day political conservatives view the Constitution as the nation’s legal gold standard and yet historically lack the stamina and force of conviction to adequately defend it. Conservative Christians on-the-hand have fared little better than their political counterparts seeing church attendance slip coupled with record-high church closures. Lest the liberals get too proud of their many disruptions, consider the following proverb, “Any donkey can kick down the barnyard door, but it takes a carpenter to build one.”

On a more contemporary note, Father Beck and I would inevitably disagree on a variety of fronts, but we are on the same page when it comes to recognizing the MAGA hat as something more than just a red, four-lettered head covering. To Beck it symbolizes much of what is currently wrong with our great country. To me, it is progressively becoming a symbol of incremental marginalization of conservative political and religious free speech on the public square. Since when is wearing a MAGA hat at a right-to-life rally justification for radical left recrimination against a group of civic-minded teenagers? You just can’t make this stuff up!

It is important to note that the retreat of conservative political and religious influence on public platforms across America is mostly self-inflicted. If this were not the case, conservatives by-and-large would be just one big unhappy family of victims utterly powerless in the face of a relentless, liberal, change machine. Principled change must begin at the margins of public discourse and not left to mainstream politicians, clergy, and media operatives to do the heavy lifting for the rest of us. Only then, will high school students be able to safely wear the hat of their choosing in our nation’s capital without fear of being berated and threatened by physically-grown people who should know better.     

Illustration: Pixabay       

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Is Atheism America’s state religion?

Is atheism becoming America’s official state religion?

As Christians celebrate the Christmas season and Jews observe Chanukah, the usual disputes over the recognition of those holidays in the public sector are expected, but there is a growing new dimension to the legal battles.

Throughout American history, there has always been a vigilance, since the Constitution was ratified, against one creed taking precedence over others.  However, despite the Constitutional prohibition against the establishment of a preferred theology, there is increasing evidence that atheism is taking a prohibited place as an official state doctrine.

Examples abound, far beyond the usual arguments over holiday decorations in government buildings.

Examples abound. Heartland reports that Montana officials have proposed the exclusion of religious schools from a state scholarship program.

“A draft of the rules by the state Revenue Department excluded religious schools from receiving funding through [a scholarship] program. If the rule stands, it will set a precedent calling existing Montana tax-credit programs into question, “because these programs also allow donations to go to religious groups,” Smith said at the hearing. “These tax credit programs include the college contribution credit, the qualified endowment credit, the dependent care system credit, and the elderly care credit. According to the department’s position that tax credits constitute public funds, these programs would also be unconstitutional…According to officials at the state Department of Revenue, religious schools were excluded in order to adhere to the state Constitution, which has provisions prohibiting direct or indirect funding of religious organizations.” Opponents of the move say it violates the U.S. Constitution.”

The American Civil Liberties Union  notes that some of the restrictions against religious activity in public schools are wrong.

“The Constitution permits much private religious activity in and about the public schools. Unfortunately, this aspect of constitutional law is not as well known as it should be. Some say that the Supreme Court has declared the public schools “religion-free zones” or that the law is so murky that school officials cannot know what is legally permissible. The former claim is simply wrong. And as to the latter, while there are some difficult issues, much has been settled. As a result, in some school districts some of these rights are not being observed.”
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The trend towards restricting traditional religions has affected the military.  The military newspaper Stars and Stripes  recently reported the concern of Ron Crews, a retired Army colonel and chaplain. “There has been a growing concern about chaplains being able to continue to minister what I would call ‘the full counsel of God’ in their ministries.”  The article notes that “For 240 years, since the U.S. Army’s founding in June 1775, chaplains have been welcome in the military. Generals from George …to George C. Marshall considered chaplains indispensable to a unit’s emotional and spiritual well-being…” In recent years,  Carew notes, “Washington has issued wave after wave of new regulations, some of which conflict with many chaplains’ long-held religious beliefs…[he cites] multiple cases, in which he contends chaplains have been censored or had their careers effectively ended for espousing their beliefs.”

Atheism as a creed is a growing practice in the United States. In some ways, it is, rather than merely an absence of religion, a philosophical practice that increasingly takes on the attributes of faith-based sects. In 2013, the Huffington Post described how, on Sunday mornings, atheists in Houston gather together for services:

“Sunday mornings at Houston Oasis may have the look and feel of a church, but there’s no cross, Bible, hymnal or stained glass depictions of Jesus. There’s also nary a trace of doctrine, dogma or theology. But the 80 or so attendees at this new weekly gathering for nonbelievers come for many of the same reasons that others pack churches in this heavily Christian corner of the Bible … inside the conference room in a nondescript office building on the city’s west side, it’s hard to ignore the structural similarities to a Sunday morning church service. There is live music played and performed by members that is intended to spur reflection as well as entertain; a collection is taken up in a passed wicker basket.”

Huffington also described the appointment of an atheist chaplain at Stanford “There’s an atheist chaplain at StanfordJohn Figdor has a degree from Harvard Divinity School and he does what chaplains do. He counsels those in need and visits the sick. And what’s more, he’s welcomed as part of the Office of Religious Life.”

  A research project from the Liberty Institute finds that “Attacks on religious liberty in the public arena are perhaps the most widely recognized and one of the fastest growing forms of hostility to religion in the United States today.”

The current battles in religious affairs in the public square can be substantially distinguished from past precedent.  Unlike prior disagreements, they do not involve one religious sect (Catholics vs. Protestants, Christians vs. Jews, etc.) against another, as much as they do a growing atheist philosophy that opposes any place for faith systems in public life.

The complete elimination of religion in public life does not have legal precedent to stand on.  In fact, it runs afoul of the First Amendment mandate that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” which prohibits favoring one creed over another, since the forced absence of any religion is essentially the forced placement of atheism as a preferred or established creed.