Inside
NCR
The religious right in America is a
slippery phenomenon, difficult to categorize by theology or identify by
denomination. We know something of certain fundamentalist and literalist
segments of the population: In the past, NCR has reported on the Left
Behind series (June 15, 2001, issue) whose titles consistently make it onto
bestseller lists.
In an exegetical sleight of hand that many Catholics might find
simultaneously frightening and amusing, these books, and others of the genre,
bring all of biblical history crashing apocalyptically into current political
and religious circumstances.
I say amusing not to demean others’ biblical viewpoint, but
because in an earlier era that is perhaps how we Catholics might have viewed
things also. But the view was so far outside the mainstream that it was easy to
leave to itself.
It would not stay to itself, however. In recent decades that
right-wing element, based on a fundamentalist view of the world, has asserted
itself like never before. In the hands of right-wing religious leaders such as
Pat Robertson or the Rev. Jerry Falwell and others, our sacred texts become
blueprints for an equally right-wing American political agenda. The gospel is
turned into a tract justifying every capitalistic whim. And the Book of
Revelation becomes a literal point-by-point guidebook on the countdown to
Armageddon, with Jerusalem smack in the epicenter.
All of this may seem rather fantastic to those outside such
circles, but as Margot Patterson’s reporting shows this week (see Page
13), that circle has grown in recent years and has moved beyond its solely
religious framework to have a significant effect on international relations --
and even U.S. foreign policy.
It may seem appalling to some that such extreme views would hold
any sway in serious political circles, but the convergence of two
fundamentalisms -- Christian and Jewish -- has made for a powerful, if bizarre
alliance. It is unlikely that very many in any administration in Washington sit
around sifting through Robertson’s or Falwell’s takes on Armageddon.
But it is unmistakable that political leadership feels both Christian and
Jewish fervor in the form of political force and pressure. What is more
distressing is that political leadership too often caves in to such
pressure.
As in much of the thinking of the religious right, in this case
theology and our sacred literature is at the service of strange gods
indeed.
As the volume on the war rhetoric
gets cranked up another notch every day, there’s some consolation that
more reasonable voices will be heard. In this issue, we report on a group of
100 ethicists at leading universities around the country calling for extreme
caution and use of reason as the Bush administration continues to beat the war
drums. We report also in this issue on the growing voice of the peace lobby,
both stateside and internationally.
-- Tom Roberts
My e-mail address is troberts@natcath.org
National Catholic Reporter, October 11,
2002
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