This is a story of two old and close friends of mine. Both live in California — one in San Francisco, the other in sunny, conservative Orange County. One's an activist liberal, and probably an atheist. The other is an evangelical Christian. Perhaps you can guess where each lives.
These two friends don't know each other well; I'm the connection between them. And I'm in the middle in other ways: a registered Democrat, but with conservative leanings. A spiritual believer and seeker, but not convinced that my beliefs neatly dovetail with church-bred theology.
Quick question: How do you think my evangelical friend, who lives in the heart of Republican Orange County, voted in the last election?
You'd be wrong. He voted for Kerry.
My evangelical friend has been talking a lot about what he sees as the automatic anti-Christian bias in America today, especially in the months leading up to and following the recent presidential election. My initial reaction was to mock him. Of course there's a bias-but there's no prejudice involved, I told him. Evangelicals seem adept at proving themselves to be nutcases. They wrap themselves in holier-than-thou language that doesn't match their actions. They invite a reminder of Jesus' words in John 8:7: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone … .”
After listening to me patiently, my friend pointed out the obvious. Yes, some evangelicals are very extreme, very intolerant and not very Christ-like. And some liberals are extreme and intolerant, as well. But because of the immediate assumption that “evangelical” means right wing, many middle-of-the-road and liberal evangelicals find themselves isolated, and identified with a camp they don't necessarily agree with.
Right around this time, my activist liberal friend, who regularly sends emailed links to various horrors perpetrated by the Bush administration and the Christian Right, shot me a letter to the editor he had come across. The letter was from a member of the Christian Right, applauding censorship, condemning the liberal media bias, and pretty much condemning anyone who disagreed with her. According to my friend, this was evidence of the true fate that awaits all thinking liberals in America today, if those Christians aren't stopped.
Now, this same friend would be horrified by someone who called all Muslims terrorists, just because some are. He'd be enraged by someone who feels that since a single welfare mom might be a crack-addicted African American, they all are. And he'd be in a fighting mood if someone made an anti-Semitic comment.
But he sees no problem with being overtly and vociferously anti-Christian.
Of course, he understands that all Christians aren't the same. His real problem is with evangelicals. But he hasn't taken the time to understand that evangelicals are as diverse and varied as mainline Christians, or Americans as a whole. Some are even more liberal than most liberals.
Both extremes of the American political spectrum share similar features. They're intolerant of dissenting views. They feel strongly that they own the truth, which gives them the right to tell the rest of us how we should think, live and act. But I find that the liberal extreme alone features “situational” intolerance. The same person who would vigorously defend a Muslim's right to practice his religion openly and freely in the United States-even though that religion may feature “quaint” anti-feminist and religiously intolerant theology
-would just as eagerly shout down a radical right-wing evangelical.
There is an anti-Christian, or at least an anti-evangelical, bias in our current political discourse (ask yourself how you thought my evangelical friend voted). There is also a continuing anti-liberal bias in that discourse. And neither bias contributes anything positive to our culture. They're just two extremes shouting past each other, and annoying those of us caught in-between.
Before someone smart in the Christian Right launches a “Christian Anti-Defamation League,” I think Democrats and liberals may want to revisit their automatic reactions to and prejudices against evangelical Christians. Instead of forcing all evangelicals into a box, and then being surprised by how they vote, it might be wise to start with fresh eyes, and an open mind.
Few dispute the value of the philosophy and example of Jesus as evidenced in the New Testament, outside of the religious implications. And that's the starting point for a conversation.
I know that there is common ground between the right and left extremes. I stand on that ground when I think of my two close friends. And I'm learning not to prejudge either of them. After all, I should practice what I preach.
Religion News Service
David Shaw is business coordinator for Religion News Service.