The View from the Back Pew

 

The View from the Back Pew

At first glance, it seems that “politics” for many laypeople is only a question of which party they prefer. In many ways, the idea of “religion” is similar - a preference for a denomination. If these are the limits on the view from the back pew (laypeople in general), then there is nothing to discuss. The blunt instruments of “separation of church and state” and the IRS rules in 501(c)3 tell us to change the subject.

 

As soon as we scratch a little below the surface of either politics or religion, looking for more meaning in either, things become more complex - more interesting.

 

In all of the Church parishes where I have been a member, and in all of the social gatherings I find myself in (work, family, or neighborhood), there seems to be a common question underneath any discussion: “What is the right thing for us to do?” When we whittle it down to the most basic level, both religion and politics are seeking the same answers. What is right? What is wrong? What will it cost to do the right thing? What will it cost to ignore the right thing?

 

In America, both religion and politics have extensive documents of principles for making those “right vs wrong” decisions. Those principles overlap a lot and rarely conflict. “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “All [people] are created equal” say basically the same thing. Both faith and patriotism wrap our freedoms in a protective layer of responsibility. Cooperation and compassion are central virtues of both Church and State, not the exclusive province of one or the other.

 

The institution of the Church and our partisan power of the government need to be kept at arms-length or further apart. The actions of citizens in a Republic, however, need to be guided by a strong sense of right and wrong, wherever that sense comes from.