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When church tries to shape government

By ANDREW SKERRITT
Published April 16, 2006

With the approach of Easter and Passover, two of the holiest celebrations on the religious calendar, it seemed a perfect discussion to have.

I was talking on the phone recently with Rabbi James Rudin, a visiting professor at Saint Leo University, about his book The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us (Thunder's Mouth).

Rudin, 71, is a veteran of the Jewish-Christian interfaith movement. Much of his life's work has been trying to find common ground between Christians and Jews.

But Rudin is worried. He believes that a small group, mostly evangelical Protestants but also some conservative Roman Catholics, whom he calls Christocrats, are pushing this country into dangerous religious waters. They want to make this an unambiguously Christian nation.

"A Christocrat is willing to sacrifice historic American freedoms and rights for a greater good: God's plan for the United States . . ." Rudin writes.

Like immigration and the never-ending war on terror, the role of religion in American politics, is a hot topic right now. Just read the op-ed section of any major daily newspaper or a recent Time or Newsweek. Kevin Phillips' recently published book, American Theocracy, has given the issue greater urgency.

I'm an evangelical, but I'm also a progressive. I'm very uncomfortable with too much religion in my government. I believe people change, not by coercion, but when their hearts tell them to.

Some people don't care for either religion or politics. But it's important for us Floridians to pay attention. We're faced with gubernatorial and crucial midterm elections this fall. And Christian conservatives will play a major role in the outcome. If you don't believe me, just look at the campaign being waged by U.S Rep. Katherine Harris in her bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Harris' campaign may be foundering in the eyes of secular voters, but she is a star for religious conservatives. She has shown up at a number of religious events touting her own Christian faith.

Religion seems to be the cure for ailing politicians. It's why we hear so much talk of a culture war. Conflict sells.

Rudin believes Christocrats are willing to even destroy democracy to "save" the American people from secular humanists, globalization, U.N. control and whatever other evil stalks this country.

Rudin, who grew up Jewish in heavily Southern Baptist Virginia, talks about America being a mansion with many rooms: the school room - school prayer, attacks on evolution; the bedroom - contraception, same-sex marriage; the laboratory - stem cell research; the courtroom - the Ten Commandments on the walls as in Alabama; and the hospital room - end-of-life decisions and abortion.

"Every room is under attack by the Christocrats," he said during our long discussion.

This is not an easy argument for Rudin. For more than 30 years, he worked with the American Jewish Committee. His specialty was Jewish-Christian relations, and he worked closely with Roman Catholics and Protestants of every creed and color. When he retired six years ago, he was optimistic that the big questions over the separation of church and state had been settled.

Not anymore.

While many of his arguments have been raised before, his prominent role in American Jewry has exposed him to some criticism.

Fellow Jews remind Rudin that evangelicals are some of the staunchest supporters of the state of Israel. They chide him for criticizing friends of Israel.

Others say he is being alarmist. Why worry, they say - the pendulum will swing back once these people go too far.

Rudin doesn't want to wait that long. Neither do I.

Andrew Skerritt can be reached at 813 909-4602 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602. His e-mail address is askerritt@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 00:42:15]