My previous blog on Dominionists appears rather negative - as I think appropriate for the extreme Xtian right. Perhaps I should refer you to this piece by Albert J. Raboteau which presents a much more positive view of Christianity in America by an Christian Orthodox believer. Here is an excerpt I particularly liked:
"For Orthodox Christians, as for all people of faith, beliefs about the nature of the individual and society shape a political agenda; integrity requires that we argue not just with words, but with our lives as well. But those beliefs must make their case within the pluralistic agora of American society. The freedom of exercise clause of the First Amendment offers religion the freedom to live and express its values, and the non-establishment clause guarantees that each has to do so in the midst of supporting and conflicting claims.
"If American democracy offers religion an opportunity, American pluralism offers it a challenge. Pluralism challenges us to experience religion as more than a cultural identity. Pluralism means encountering the values and attitudes and beliefs of others with respect for those who hold them. Pluralism, when taken seriously as respect for difference, rejects relativism for avoiding the hard truth that we do indeed differ. It is the difficult road we walk to achieve a mature understanding of the truth and the opportunity to share that truth with others who are seeking it. It challenges us to appropriate, internalize, and live out the religious identity passed to us by family and society. It creates an opportunity to discuss and to argue for one’s own position."
This is a view of American religion that fits within American social, legal and religious traditions. Dominion Theology, on the other hand, is little more than a blueprint for a Xtian Theocracy that strongly resembles that of the fundamentalist Shii Mullahs in Iran. I don't think that Tom DeLay or John Cornyn really understand or appreciate the difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment