{"id":4602,"date":"2017-07-31T10:00:06","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=4602"},"modified":"2017-07-31T16:12:56","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T00:12:56","slug":"to-change-the-world-week-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2017\/07\/31\/to-change-the-world-week-six","title":{"rendered":"To Change The World, Week Six"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"To
To Change The World<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today\u2019s read\u00ading is about the reli\u00adgious right. I know some of you are con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive and some of you are lib\u00ader\u00adal. Whichev\u00ader camp you align with, I encour\u00adage you to read both this chap\u00adter and the next chap\u00adter (on the reli\u00adgious left) care\u00adful\u00adly, seek\u00ading to gain sym\u00adpa\u00adthy for the side you oppose. I also encour\u00adage you to read the attached essay \u201cThe Prob\u00adlem With Con\u00adser\u00advatism<\/a>\u201d by J. Budziszews\u00adki, a Chris\u00adt\u00adian polit\u00adi\u00adcal philoso\u00adpher at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Texas. He has a com\u00adpan\u00adion essay about lib\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism which I\u2019ll send next week \u2014 so whether you are lib\u00ader\u00adal or con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive you\u2019ll find a chap\u00adter that describes your views fair\u00adly while also encoun\u00adter\u00ading a thought\u00adful cri\u00adtique of your tribe.<\/p>\n

Any\u00adway, on to today\u2019s insights. Hunter is fair and insight\u00adful in describ\u00ading the Chris\u00adt\u00adian right:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the present world order, many if not most of the prin\u00adci\u00adples [polit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adtians] most esteem have come under fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal chal\u00adlenge. There has been a chal\u00adlenge to het\u00adero\u00adsex\u00adu\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty, to monogamy, to mar\u00adriage as a life-long com\u00admit\u00adment, to the sacred respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty of par\u00adent\u00ading, to the author\u00adi\u00adty and auton\u00ado\u00admy of the fam\u00adi\u00adly. There has been a chal\u00adlenge to the sanc\u00adti\u00adty of human life, most clear\u00adly in the ear\u00adli\u00adest stages of life but also life at its most vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble and at its end. Not only has there been a chal\u00adlenge to the truths of the Chris\u00adt\u00adian faith and the tra\u00addi\u00adtions and scrip\u00adture that express them, but there has been a chal\u00adlenge to the very con\u00adcept of truth as well. And there has been a chal\u00adlenge to the moral author\u00adi\u00adty of the church. These chal\u00adlenges have been expressed intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly, edu\u00adca\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, and artis\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly, but also com\u00admer\u00adcial\u00adly, through adver\u00adtis\u00ading, and in the range of enter\u00adtain\u00adment media. Not least, all of these chal\u00adlenges have also been expressed legal\u00adly and polit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly.\u201d (page 111)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I would be sur\u00adprised if you have not heard sim\u00adi\u00adlar sen\u00adti\u00adments in the lob\u00adby after church. In response,<\/p>\n

Con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adtians \u201cdefend a promi\u00adnent role for reli\u00adgion in pub\u00adlic life, a tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal nuclear fam\u00adi\u00adly, and tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal moral\u00adi\u00adty.\u201d (page 122)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hunter deeply under\u00adstands the per\u00adspec\u00adtive of con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adtians. It makes me won\u00adder what church\u00ades he has attend\u00aded. Even in small things he gets their self-under\u00adstand\u00ading. I think it would sur\u00adprise many at Stan\u00adford to learn that most polit\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly-engaged con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive evan\u00adgel\u00adi\u00adcals con\u00adsid\u00ader them\u00adselves to be the true activists who pur\u00adsue human flour\u00adish\u00ading in the face of an unjust cul\u00adture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this view, the Toc\u00adquevil\u00adlian lega\u00adcy that cel\u00ade\u00adbrates the active role of reli\u00adgion in pub\u00adlic extend\u00aded into the mod\u00adern age through the abo\u00adli\u00adtion\u00adist move\u00adment, pro\u00adhi\u00adbi\u00adtion, and with the civ\u00adil rights move\u00adment of the 1960s and it extends to the present in the move\u00adment against abor\u00adtion, homo\u00adsex\u00adu\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty, and the like. In their own view, con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adt\u00adian activists are any\u00adthing but strange. They are, rather, the \u201cright\u00adful heirs\u201d of pro\u00adgres\u00adsive Chris\u00adtian\u00adi\u00adty.\u201d (page 114)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hav\u00ading said all of that, Hunter address\u00ades some\u00adthing that I hear often: many con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adtians are fed up with the Repub\u00adli\u00adcan par\u00adty because they feel tak\u00aden for grant\u00aded.<\/p>\n

This is the prob\u00adlem with elec\u00adtoral pol\u00adi\u00adtics in our time. Politi\u00adcians can\u00adnot get nom\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded with\u00adout the sup\u00adport of the grass\u00adroots activists, but they can\u00adnot get elect\u00aded and gov\u00adern with\u00adout mov\u00ading to the polit\u00adi\u00adcal cen\u00adter. It is inevitable that politi\u00adcians who do get elect\u00aded betray their most ardent sup\u00adport\u00aders by mod\u00ader\u00adat\u00ading (p.126) their posi\u00adtions. Need\u00adless to say, this comes as a source of ter\u00adri\u00adble frus\u00adtra\u00adtion to the move\u00adment lead\u00aders. Move\u00adment lead\u00aders reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly and prob\u00ada\u00adbly right\u00adly accuse Repub\u00adli\u00adcan politi\u00adcians and offi\u00adcials of \u201cjust ignor\u00ading those that put them in office.\u201d (page 125\u2013126)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hav\u00ading said that, as long as the Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic par\u00adty con\u00adtin\u00adues on their cur\u00adrent tra\u00adjec\u00adto\u00adry it is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to imag\u00adine a large-scale drift of con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adtians from Repub\u00adli\u00adcan to Demo\u00adc\u00adrat. As I said in the runup to the elec\u00adtion, I could not in good con\u00adscience vote for either Trump or Clin\u00adton and so I cast my bal\u00adlot for a third par\u00adty can\u00addi\u00addate. But I know many of my friends who vot\u00aded for Trump as a way of pre\u00advent\u00ading a Clin\u00adton vic\u00adto\u00adry. I think if I was to ask them why they would say some\u00adthing like this. \u201cSure, Trump is crazy and per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adly immoral, but Clin\u00adton is dis\u00adci\u00adplined and devot\u00aded to pro\u00admot\u00ading wicked\u00adness. I think Amer\u00adi\u00adca will be bet\u00adter off under the crazy sleaze\u00adbag.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to over\u00adstate the cen\u00adtral\u00adi\u00adty of the Supreme Court to the think\u00ading of most of my con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive Chris\u00adt\u00adian friends. Hunter nails it with this para\u00adgraph:<\/p>\n

If there is an epi\u00adcen\u00adter of the prob\u00adlem, though, it is seen in the judi\u00adcial system\u2014\u201cthe last great bas\u00adtion for lib\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism.\u201d Some have called \u201cthe sec\u00adu\u00adlar-lib\u00ader\u00adal takeover\u201d of the judi\u00adcia\u00adry the great\u00adest assault rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive self-gov\u00adern\u00adment has ever faced; an assault that is \u201cmore dan\u00adger\u00adous and suc\u00adcess\u00adful because it comes from with\u00adin and aims to destroy not just our phys\u00adi\u00adcal defens\u00ades, but the moral ideas, habits and prac\u00adtices that sus\u00adtain our char\u00adac\u00adter as a free peo\u00adple.\u201d The prin\u00adci\u00adpal instru\u00adment for their assault has been \u201can abuse of the judi\u00adcial sys\u00adtem,\u201d and in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar the Fed\u00ader\u00adal judiciary\u2019s asser\u00adtion of supreme and unchecked con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal pow\u00ader. In par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar, the U.S. Supreme Court has arro\u00adgat\u00aded to itself gov\u00adern\u00admen\u00adtal pow\u00ader that the Tenth Amend\u00adment unam\u00adbigu\u00adous\u00adly reserves to the States, arbi\u00adtrar\u00adi\u00adly with\u00addrawn the pro\u00adtec\u00adtion of the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty from gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions to come, inter\u00adfered with the pub\u00adlic cel\u00ade\u00adbra\u00adtion of reli\u00adgious fes\u00adti\u00advals and obser\u00advances deter\u00admined by the peo\u00adple, and now seeks to remove all ref\u00ader\u00adences to the Cre\u00adator, God, (p.117) from pub\u00adlic dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtions adopt\u00aded by the peo\u00adple. The cam\u00adpaign of \u201clib\u00ader\u00adals and pro\u00adgres\u00adsive forces\u201d has been noth\u00ading less than \u201cinsid\u00adi\u00adous.\u201d The prob\u00adlem, then, is not just the fact that the courts are com\u00adplic\u00adit in \u201ctry\u00ading to erase our Judeo- Chris\u00adt\u00adian her\u00aditage.\u201d \u201cThe courts have also imposed immoral deci\u00adsions on the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan peo\u00adple.\u201d The courts\u2019 deci\u00adsions lib\u00ader\u00adal\u00adiz\u00ading the prac\u00adtice of abor\u00adtion and homo\u00adsex\u00adu\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty are par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly galling since the major\u00adi\u00adty of Amer\u00adi\u00adcans oppose them. Cumu\u00adla\u00adtive\u00adly, these actions amount to \u201cjudi\u00adcial tyran\u00adny.\u201d (pages 116\u2013117)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My friends who vot\u00aded for Trump felt a huge sense of vin\u00addi\u00adca\u00adtion when Neil Gor\u00adsuch was con\u00adfirmed to the Supreme Court. Trump could do every\u00adthing else wrong and get the Supreme Court right and my friends would say, \u201cI made a good call. Thank God Hilary Clin\u00adton is not pres\u00adi\u00addent.\u201d<\/p>\n

I am very eager to see how he por\u00adtrays the reli\u00adgious left in next week\u2019s read\u00ading and then how he cri\u00adtiques them both after\u00adwards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s read\u00ading is about the reli\u00adgious right. I know some of you are con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive and some of you are lib\u00ader\u00adal. Whichev\u00ader camp you align with, I encour\u00adage you to read both this chap\u00adter and the next chap\u00adter (on the reli\u00adgious left) care\u00adful\u00adly, seek\u00ading to gain sym\u00adpa\u00adthy for the side you oppose. I also encour\u00adage you \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading \u201cTo Change The World, Week Six\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"To Change The World, Week Six - the religious right.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[117,209,210],"class_list":["post-4602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-of-random-interest","tag-politics","tag-summer-reading-project-2017","tag-to-change-the-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1ce","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4602"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4611,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602\/revisions\/4611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}