Socio-politico or Religio-politico?

Socio-politico or religio-politico
P. Schultz
February 25, 2015


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/opinion/frank-bruni-republicans-evangelicals-gays-and-abortion.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region&region=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0


Just a couple of observations:

(1) Bruni’s approach here implies that religion is not a factor, except in terms of “reaction,” in our politicians, which in turn implies that our officials/politicians do not make decisions or advocate policies for religious reasons. For example, for purposes of politics, George Bush II was a “realist,” not a “born again Christian” and his “born-again-ness” had nothing to do with his making war in Iraq. It is as if the separation of church and state, or of politics and religion works at the governmental level but not at the popular level. Is this persuasive? Is it even plausible, given the immense power of religion both in the US and globally? And if Bruni’s approach is wrong, if religion does play and is playing a role in our imperialistic and militaristic nation, then “the war on terror” has religious roots. It is, at least in part, a “holy war.” [Of course, it wouldn’t be the first one fought by “modern nations” either. Think of the bombing, e.g., of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as acts of retribution, as human sacrifices in response to that “day of infamy.” And now “ground zero” has shifted to NYC and Dec. 7th has been replaced by 9/11. And the “cleansing,” the “crusade” goes on.]

(2) NB and especially in light of the above that there is one religious group whose opinions are not considered by Bruni, viz., the Muslims. Apparently, for Bruni, they are not part of our socio-political order. And this might seem to confirm that, reflecting what Bruni does here, perhaps unconsciously, but certainly in line with “conventional wisdom,” ours is as much a religio-political order as it is a “socio-political order.” If this is so, or to the extent it is so, Muslims might expect to never be accepted as “Americans,” at least not as legitimate Americans. Just think, “Malcolm X,” who was much more dangerous as a Muslim, both “black” and otherwise, than he was as a pimp, robber, and drug dealer.