The modern Democratic Party traces its roots back to the
Washington administration-era machinations of Thomas Jefferson and
his protege James Madison. These two were almost unique among the
Founding Fathers in their hostility to the cozy relationship
religion and politics shared throughout America history beginning
in its early days as a British outpost. The Republican Party, on
the other hand, formed in part out of the revivalist spirit of the
Second Great Awakening.
America’s two dominant political parties have undoubtedly
morphed over the years, but Democrat and Republican dichotomous
attitudes of religion in public life have remained remarkably close
to those of their respective beginnings. Whereas 19th century
Republican evangelicals would often preach against the evils of
slavery, 21st century Republican evangelicals preach against the
evils of abortion. Only the names have changed (in this case,
literally: the Democratic Party of Jefferson’s age was known as the
Republican Party).
So when former U.S. Senator John Danforth claimed “that the Republican Party fairly recently has
been taken over by the Christian conservatives, by the Christian
right,” as he did on Wednesday during a speech before sixteen
students enrolled in the Bill Clinton School of Public Service, he
is demonstrably wrong. Christians have not “taken over” the
Republican Party and neither is there anything “recent” about it.
Christians were present at the founding.
“I think the question arises when a political party becomes
identified with one particular sectarian position and when
religious people believe that they have the one answer, that they
understand God’s truth and they embody it politically,” Danforth
continued, according to the Associated Press.
Strange words from an Episcopal priest (hold the jokes) who
benefited mightily from the political activism of Christian
conservatives when he was running for Senate, no?
Since there would be little point in professing a religion if
one didn’t believe it had the “one answer,” Danforth’s
all-religions-are-equal utopia is a bit far-fetched. And while
Danforth also encouraged religious liberals — or “moderates” as
the Associated Press calls them — to get involved in politics, the
fact is, they already are and they already vote Democrat. The
problem for these folks is that liberal religiosity is dying.
So-called moderate denominations are bleeding members.
Moreover, the Republican Party isn’t identified with
one particular sectarian position. It’s just that the Republican
Party is a conservative party and the conservative strains of most
Christian sects (which also happen to be the growing strains) have
abandoned minor sectarian differences and coalesced around shared
positions on key cultural issues. The GOP benefited from a majority
of Catholic and Protestant votes in 2004, for example.
Danforth believes its relationship with the Religious Right will
be bad for the Republican Party in the long run. It’s hard to
imagine how that can be. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a Republican
Party at all without the Religious Right.
Almost 28 million Evangelical Christians voted in 2004. These
folks split their votes in favor of President George W. Bush over
Sen. John Kerry by a margin of 78% to 22%. That amounts to over 21
million voters. Throw in 6.9 million observant Catholics and nearly
1 million conservative and orthodox Jews and we end up with over 29
million religiously motivated voters that support the Republican
Party.
Compare that number to MoveOn.org’s 2.5 million Democrats. Or
Big Labor’s 16.7 million. Or the 11.8 million blacks who routinely
vote straight Democrat.
Let’s look at it another way. If the United States had a
European-style parliamentary government, the Religious Right would
be the “natural party of government,” perennially winning a
plurality of seats and serving as a mainstay in successive
coalition governments. The Religious Right is the largest single
voting block in American politics and whether John Danforth likes
it or not, it is a predominantly Republican voting block. Consider:
Being born-again is a greater predictor of a Republican vote than
owning a gun, being white, being a man, or being a millionaire.
What self-respecting Religious Right-basher would finish off a
screed without comparing America’s conservative Christians to
radical Islamists? This rhetorical device has become a staple of
Christian baiters and Danforth is no exception. “Nothing is more
dangerous than religion in politics and government when it becomes
divisive,” he said. “I’ll give you examples: Iraq. Northern
Ireland. Palestine.”
Note to John Danforth: The Religious Right is here. It’s part of
who we Americans are. Get used to it.
