February 26, 2006
The Limits of Activist Christianity
This article in Ha'aretz seems to claim that a highly mobilized minority wants to make Christianity the "preferred religion" in America. To me that suggests "established religion". But not much proof is offered.
Rudin explains that the Christian campaign is carried out mostly on the local level and in the municipal arena and therefore does not reach the center of the public discourse.
He notes, for example, that evangelicals have been taking control of public funds - federal or state - in the communities where they are active. The monies are directed to funding Christian schools or church charitable institutions.
In the United States there is a phenomenon of the establishment of Bible classes at workplaces, in which prayer services are held. Participation is not compulsory, but employees are told that their participation is desirable and valued....
"The churches, which are recognized as tax-exempt institutions, are prohibited from having any involvement in election campaigns," explains Goldberg, "but the evangelical churches have discovered a sophisticated way to circumvent the prohibition.
They hitch a ride on an issue like single-sex marriage, and in the case of a fight for principle they initiate political operations for the benefit of candidates."
Employer-sponsored prayers, the endorsement of candidates by tax-exempt churches and the funnelling of public funds to sectarian institutions all warrant investigation but isn't this a far-cry from making Christianity the country's official religion?