Subscription Lists

Point of Reference

    by Fred Price

One Nation Under Gods?
Date Posted: July 30, 2010

In an article for World Magazine titled, “Gods and Country”, Gene Veith makes several statements and poses a number of questions worth consideration. His central premise being, “America’s civil religion is becoming polytheistic, raising the question: Should we prefer a naked public square to the pagan alternative?” He then begins by taking us back to a place in time where political speeches, public schools, ball games and civic organizations openly incorporated scriptural quotation and prayer into their public and private functions. In some places at certain times this is still true, but for the most part, “Today, Christianity is not only begin purged from the public square, but a new civil religion seems to be emerging to take its place.”

How did this come to be? Besides the aversion of the intentionally unrepentant to the gospel, our own religious forefathers are said to have had a hand in this process. For even as our civil institutions grew out of their biblical worldview, our founders’ uneasiness with faith being too closely entangled with the exercise of government compelled them to urge caution and set safeguards in place to insure a certain separateness between things eternal and things temporal. They believed people were saved by faith, their actions moderated in faithfulness; and that government had no business dictating a man’s response to God’s call on his life. (Thus freedom of religion, not freedom from religion as found in the first Amendment to the Constitution.)

Mr. Veith points out that, “Anthropologists say that society tends to erect a cultural religion, in order to give its institutions a sacred authority.”; legitimizing that society’s demand for obedience. Yet Christianity does not do this – our religious heritage being important to our perception of who we are and how we behave but never demanding we agree with all the policies and programs of a government or that we give complete allegiance to any particular political entity. Christianity does teach that God works through civic institutions, calling on believers to be good citizens. (Romans 13) Most other world religions being distinctly relevant to a specific culture, at times imposing their will by force, whereas Christianity works to reform cultures from within. As such, “Christians can thus be both patriotic and spiritual, as long as they do not confuse the two realms and keep their allegiances straight.”

It is at this point that Mr. Veith sounds an alarm. “Now, however, the distinctly Christian elements that have made their way into America’s civil religion… are being purged away… The reasons given are not so much secularism, that religion has no place in the public square, but of religious diversity.” It’s not fair to show preference to a particular religion, all are worthy of respect and should be equally embraced; so they say. (Or equally ignored as superstition) The question laying just beneath the surface being: Is that really true or wise?

“As government officials and” (certain elements of) “the public insist on recognizing the validity and equal representation of all religions,” (characterized as diversity) “what this may amount to is a new civil religion. This one, in effect, will be polytheistic, recognizing and paying homage to many gods.” For instance, to commemorate the terrorist attacks of 9/11, an issue was made for interfaith involvement; Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Catholics and Protestants all having a place at the podium. Most legislatures still open with prayer; now often led by a Muslim Imam or Buddhist monk. Prison chaplains are represented by a number of faiths and cults (including Wicca), while schools attempt to, “celebrate all religions while restricting Christian faith principles and use of their facilities by believers.”

At first glance, the switching of our memorial, dedicatory and commemorative services from inter-denominational to interfaith participation may seem appropriate and an advance of civilized behavior. In reality it may be nothing more than a return to paganism. Mr. Veith reminds us that, “This was the approach of ancient Rome, which simply added the gods of the lands they conquered” (or were allied with) “to their Pantheon. Rome was religiously inclusive, working all the cultural religions into a single civil religion, and it was famously tolerant. It’s tolerance ended, though, when it came to Christianity, which condemned the other gods as idols and insisted that Christ was the only way to salvation.” As a result, many Christians paid for their supposed intolerance with their livelihoods and their lives.

This article ends provocatively by proposing that, “A naked public square, empty of all religious references and thus purely secular, may be better from a Christian perspective than the public square of Athens, cluttered as it was with idols, altars, and other monuments to human religiosity, with a single altar to an unknown God.”

What do you think? Could this be a strategic retreat to a more defensible position or a cop out of our call to stand firm and hold fast to our faith in Christ and the legacy of our founding fathers?


Was this article helpful?
Rate it:

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

Old School Fishing in a Modern Lake

Read Article »
Biography Information:

Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.

Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker.  He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today.  Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.  

Got Something to Share?
LiveAsIf.org is always looking for new writers. Whether it is a daily devotional or a weekly article, if you desire to encourage others to know Him better, then signup to become a contributor.