God or no God is not the only choice
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Over the years, I, like many other religious Americans, have felt increasingly pulled between two horses. What do I mean?
Those who remember the Hercules movies of the 1960s will recall that Hercules was chained to two horses, ready to tear him apart by galloping in opposite directions. Face grimacing, muscles popping, Hercules strained to hold them back.
Like Hercules, many of us religious Americans have felt chained to the twin horses of extreme atheism and Christian evangelicalism, horses that threaten to pull our culture apart.
Like evangelicals, we've tangibly experienced God's presence in our lives. We know how important religious faith is to life. We share their emphasis on a traditional morality that roots us in something deeper than objective reason.
Still, like the atheists, we cherish the freedom to doubt because we struggle with doubt every day. We value rational, scientific thinking because we see how much it enhances and improves life worldwide. We are religious, spiritual and rational, logical people seeking a balance between freedom and faith.
Why are the two extremes such a problem?
Because given the choice, both would be rid of the other in order to purify the culture from their point of view. Neither can truly win, but their battle consistently tears at the fabric of a culture designed for diversity.
For example, I've recently heard advocates of atheism lament the influence of religion in our political, cultural and international thinking. In a recent op-ed piece in the Post-Gazette, Victor Bernard said he considers oppressive the inclusion of the phrases "In God We Trust" and "one nation under God" on our coins and in the Pledge of Allegiance. He states that our "civic space must be God-free" so that "we can come together with our fellow citizens as equal participants in this American experiment in democracy." Basically, he is saying that in public dialogue and debate religious people should give up language that reflects their beliefs, while atheists can maintain theirs. How does that achieve equality? God-neutral language is atheistic, and demanding God-free language is an attempt to rid the culture of religion.
First Published July 25, 2010 12:00 am
