5.15: Religion and Politics

Religion and Politics

In the United States, as is the case elsewhere, religious affiliation is a good predictor of political behavior. In the US, Evangelical Christians and Mormons rank among the most politically conservative voters in the US year after year. For nearly 100 years after the Civil War, many Southern Baptists were fervent supporters of the Democratic Party (Abraham Lincoln was a Republican). The so-called “Reagan Revolution” of the 1980 created a much-energized alliance between Republicans and conservative Christians. Certainly, part of the switch was motivated by the Democrats’support of Civil Rights for African Americans, but hot-button religious issues, particularly abortion, drove many Evangelicals to the Right (Republican). Leading the charge were several high-profile television ministers, such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. The new alliances, particularly with the pro-business/anti-taxation element of the Republican Party forged during the Reagan era have caused some Evangelical Christians some discomfort however. The numerous Biblical restrictions on usury, for example, have made it difficult for some Evangelicals to fully support Republican policies calling for de-regulation caps on the interest rates charged to people taking out loans.

In the United States, as is the case elsewhere, religious affiliation is a good predictor of political behavior. In the US, Evangelical Christians and Mormons rank among the most politically conservative voters in the US year after year. For nearly 100 years after the Civil War, many Southern Baptists were fervent supporters of the Democratic Party (Abraham Lincoln was a Republican). The so-called “Reagan Revolution” of the 1980 created a much-energized alliance between Republicans and conservative Christians. Certainly, part of the switch was motivated by the Democrats’ support of Civil Rights for African Americans, but hot-button religious issues, particularly abortion, drove many Evangelicals to the Right (Republican). Leading the charge were several high-profile television ministers, such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. The new alliances, particularly with the pro-business/anti-taxation element of the Republican Party forged during the Reagan era have caused some Evangelical Christians some discomfort however. The numerous Biblical restrictions on usury, for example, have made it difficult for some Evangelicals to fully support Republican policies calling for de-regulation caps on the interest rates charged to people taking out loans.

RELIGIOUS CONFLICT

Human beings have struggled against one another for a variety of reasons. Religious disagreements can be particularly intense. Sectarian violence involves differences based on interpretations of religious doctrine or practice. The struggles between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, or the wars associated with the Protestant Reformation and Counter Reformation, are examples of this form of conflict. The current violence seen between Sunni and Shia Muslims is also in this category. Closely associated with this kind of conflict is religious fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalism rests on a literal interpretation and strict and intense adherence to the basic principles of a religion. The conflict arises when religious fundamentalists see their coreligionists as being insufficiently pious. Extremism is the idea that the end of a religious goal can be justified by almost any means. Some groups that are convinced that they have divine blessing have few limits to their behavior, including resorting to violence.

Another form of religious violence is between completely different religions. Wars between Muslims and Christians or Hindus and Buddhists have been framed as wars for the benefit or detriment of particular religions. What is described as religious strife, however, is often not. Although some religions are fighting over doctrinal differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition.

The Israel/Palestine conflict is a struggle over territory, resources, and political recognition. The Rohingya crisis in Myanmar has less to do with religion and more to do with differences in ethnicity, national origin, and post-colonial identity. Massacres in Sahelian Africa are better framed as farmers versus herders. The long running violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland is better framed as a violent dispute between one group who holds allegiance with the Republic of Ireland and the other who holds allegiance with the United Kingdom.

This is not to say that religious violence does not exist. It does. The most obvious example of this in recent years has been the emergence of Islamic State. This organization carries all the worst examples of religious extremism- sectarianism toward other Muslims (the Shi’a), attempted genocide of religious minorities (Yazidis and Christians), and brutal repression through the apparatus of the state.