Christianity is in retreat. The greatest victory that the American left has had over the last 100years is to browbeat Christians and purge their influence from the public square, especially in politics. Yet, if American Christians were to simply flex their collective muscles, the nation would be immediately transformed and vastly improved.
Consider the glaring facts: The American population is approximately 309 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and of these, 76 percent identify themselves as Christians. That means that approximately 234 million Americans adhere to Christianity. Even if we take into account that a proportion of these Christians are nominal or practice a watered-down form of Christianity, the fact remains that conservatives have a potential army at their fingertips. If these millions of Christians were self-confident, educated in sound constitutional principles and politically engaged at every level of government, liberalism would be rendered virtually impotent in America.
Such is the simple message of a brilliant political primer, “Coherent Conservatism: A Call to Action for American Christians” (CreateSpace Publisher, Scotts Valley, California, 2009). The author, Martin Bertram, is vice president of the Republican Assembly of Kern County, California. Mr. Bertram invites Christians to assume their responsibility as guardians and purveyors of American liberty. He insists that Christians have accepted misguided ideas about the nature of their role in the republic and have therefore abrogated their civic responsibilities.
“Today, as in times past, we find politics and religion at odds with each other; there are many who use politics as a weapon against religion and there are equally many who through their religious beliefs view politics as ungodly by nature—an area to be avoided,” writes Mr. Bertram. His monograph presents the major arguments liberals have used to marginalize Christians and also counters the line of reasoning Christians have used to justify inaction in the public arena.
When the Puritans fled religious persecution in the 16th century and came to American shores, they envisioned a land in which Christianity would flourish. Yet, instead of America having become a land of religious freedom, by the 20th century, a new form of religious persecution emerged—one that uses the language of liberty and toleration to oppress Christians. “Secularism,” states Mr. Bertram, “seeks to stifle religion at every opportunity.”
This assault upon Christianity comes first and foremost in the very interpretation of America’s founding as a Christian nation. In other words, Christians have allowed secularists to rewrite our history. The left has sought to downplay the fervent religious faith that inspired the actions of the Founding Fathers; liberals have also sought to confound the religious principles that are at the heart of the founding documents and were the basis for our rights and freedoms. “Everything that is great about America is derived from that Christian foundation,” states Mr. Bertram. Even the abolition of slavery would not have occurred had it not been for the pivotal role of Christian abolitionists.
Another weapon that has been used against American Christians is the education system; the secular revolution was carried out in full force by indoctrinating the youth in humanist principles at the expense of a theological worldview. Secular humanists or “progressives” such as late-19th century President of Harvard Charles Eliot and Dean of Harvard Law School Christopher Columbus Langdell instituted reforms that undermined the nation’s Christian heritage and introduced relativity into interpretations of the law. The father of modern education, John Dewey, outlined principles that were widely adopted in the first half of the 20th century in America’s schools, whereby the focus of education is the realization of the human personality as defined by the state rather than the service of God and the greater good. Thus, students no longer received an education rooted in Christian values but one that is hostile to the Christian heritage. “Secularism is not religious neutrality; it is itself a religion—one of contempt for biblically orthodox Christianity,” writes Mr. Bertram.
Simultaneously, Christians have disengaged due to ideas such as that they should not judge others, their faith is not for the things of this world, their involvement in politics turns people away from the faith or is tantamount to forcing their convictions on others. In reality, disengagement allows the state to enact heinous policies, such as abortion, that are contrary to the most sacred tenets of Christianity and that amount to a collective crime. Passivity by Christians does not lead to a more gracious state but an increasingly barbaric one. In order to fulfill the Christian mandate to evangelize and to love one another, participation in the civic arena is required.
“For Christians, there should be no such distinction as Christian and secular areas of our lives, or secular and Christian occupations,” states Mr. Bertram, “there should only be life and life should in its totality be seen as appropriate territory for the light of Christ to be carried.” He sees an intimate connection between social and fiscal conservatism; without an active citizenry curtailing the scope and reach of government, government influence spreads to corrode the morals and values of the people. Hence, Mr. Bertram urges all Christians to get involved: prayer, voting in general elections and primaries, offering financial support to candidates, participating in local government, sending letters to the media and elected officials, joining activist groups and running for political office are among the many choices Christians have to be influential.
The Tea Party movement that has emerged in reaction to the excessive spending of the Obama administration is a testament to the power of the people. Can we imagine how different our nation would be if on a daily basis, all of America’s Christians would act in concert to uphold traditional morality and our Christian heritage? By recognizing how our secular enemies are deliberately distorting our heritage, educating the citizenry about our Founding documents, seizing control over the education of our children and championing authentic Christian political leaders, American Christians can halt the destructive march of liberalism and restore our nation to its better self.
-Dr. Grace Vuoto is the Executive Director of the Edmund Burke Institute for American Renewal.
