How the Republicans Stole Christmas: Why the Religious Right is Wrong about Faith & Politics and What We Can Do to Make it Right

279 Pages·2005·3.62 MB·English

by  Bill Press

DOUBLEDAY
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HOW THE
REPUBLICANS
STOLE
CHRISTMAS
The Republican Party's
Declared Monopoly on Religion and
What Democrats Can Do to Take It Back
BILL PRESS
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PUBLISHED BY DOUBLEDAY
a division of Random House, Inc.
DOUBLEDAY and the portrayal of an anchor with a dolphin are
registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Book design by Gretchen Achilles
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Press, Bill, 1940-
How the Republicans stole Christmas : the Republican Party's declared mo
nopoly on religion and what Democrats can do to take it back / Bill Press.—
1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-385-51605-3 (alk. paper)
1. Evangelicalism—United States—History—20th century.
2. Religious right—History. 3. Christianity and politics—Protestant
churches—History—20th century. 4. Conservatism—Religious aspects—
Christianity—History—20th century. 5. Conservatism—United States—
History—20th century. 6. United States—Politics and government—20th
century. 7. Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ) 8. Democratic Party (U.S.)
9. United States—Church history—20th century. I. Title.
BR1642.U5P74 2005
322'.1'0973—dc22
2005045449
Copyright © 2005 by Bill Press
All Rights Reserved
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
November 2005
First Edition
1 3 5 79 10 8 6 42
FOR CAROL—
WHO MAKES IT ALL POSSIBLE
It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must
be read.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is
the Torah. All the rest is commentary.
RABBI HILLEL
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
CHAPTER 1. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE 35
CHAPTER 2. KILLING IN THE NAME OF JESUS 73
CHAPTER 3. THE DEATH PENALTY 95
CHAPTER 4. ABORTION AND STEM CELL RESEARCH 122
CHAPTER 5. GAYS AND LESBIANS ARE GOD'S CHILDREN, TOO 153
CHAPTER 6. GOD IN THE CLASSROOM 180
CHAPTER 7. CASHING IN ON GOD'S LOVE 205
CONCLUSION RECLAIMING THE MORAL HIGH GROUND 228
CODA FAITH COMES TO LIFE 264
Bibliography 271
Acknowledgments 275
INTRODUCTION
We have allowed the conservative religious right to take our Bible
hostage, and I think it's time we took it back.
BISHOP V. GENE ROBINSON
Anglican Diocese of New Hampshire
I'm mad as hell. I've been a Catholic all my life. I was an altar boy. I
went to Catholic high school. I spent ten years in the seminary, study
ing for the priesthood. I have a degree in sacred theology. Yet some
religious conservatives suggest that I can't even walk into church any
more—without first taking a loyalty oath to the Republican party.
In fact, according to Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput, I can't
even go to communion again until I confess my "grievous sin."
Because, you see, in November 2004, I knowingly and willingly com
mitted the "grievous sin" of voting for John Kerry. And, Lord help me,
I'd do it again tomorrow.
The election of 2004 made it official. With the help of religious
conservatives, Republicans have stolen religion. Of course, it's not just
liberal Catholics they stole it from. Liberals, moderates, and progres
sives of all faiths—Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and
Buddhists—are all suddenly out in the cold. Because conservative
Christians have taken over the Republican party and have declared a
monopoly on religion.
As spiritual leader, these uncharitable souls look to President
George W. Bush: a man, they believe, God Himself placed in the
White House. Displaying a total lack of Christian humility, Bush says
he shares their belief.
2 * BILL PRESS
Faith in God, which used to be the common thread uniting al
most all Americans, is now portrayed as the exclusive province of the
GOP. Ignoring the fact that Kerry won millions of votes in red states—
and Bush, in blue states—the media pundits would have us believe
that election 2004 proved that there are two kinds of Americans: red-
staters, who worship God, love America, and voted for President Bush;
and blue-staters, who worship the devil, hate America, and voted for
Senator Kerry. Red-state voters have values, blue-state voters have
none. Or, more precisely, those who live in red states thrive in the
godly, moral values of Jesus. Those who live in blue states wallow in
the filthy, permissive amorality of Hollywood.
Well, I don't buy any of it—and that's why I wrote this book. God
is not a Republican (or a Democrat, by the way). I don't believe
Republicans have any monopoly on moral values. As Senator Barack
Obama reminded the world in his keynote speech to the 2004
Democratic National Convention: "We worship an awesome God in
the blue states!"
I also don't believe what religious conservatives preach about the
Bible. Most of the time, in fact, I think they get the Bible ass-backward,
ignoring the most important teachings of Jesus, which place love and
compassion above greed and intolerance. And I know for sure it was
not God who put George W. Bush in the White House. It was five con
servative black robes on the Supreme Court.
I also don't believe this holier-than-thou nonsense about people
in red states. The truth, in fact, may be just the opposite. Looking at
what might normally be considered "moral issues," the January 2005
issue of The American Prospect reported some startling comparative sta
tistics on human behavior in red states and blue.
* In red states in 2001, there were 572,000 divorces; in blue
states, only 340,000.
• That same year, in the red states of Louisiana, Mississippi,
and New Mexico, 46.3 percent of all births were to unwed
mothers; in blue states, the average was 31.7 percent.
HOW TEE REPUBLICANS STOLE CHRISTMAS * 3
• The per capita rate of violent crime today in red states is
421 per 100,000; in blue states, it's 372 per 100,000.
• As of 2000, the five states with the highest rates of
alcohol abuse were red states. The five states with the
highest rates of alcohol abuse among twelve- to
seventeen-year-olds were also red states.
• In 2002, the per capita rate of gonorrhea in red states was
140 per 100,000; in blue states, it was 99 per 100,000.
Not only that, the salacious behavior of suburban women in ABC's
blockbuster hit Desperate Housewives attracted as many, if not more,
viewers in red states as in blue states. New York Times columnist Frank
Rich noted the irony surrounding television's most popular show: "It
is even a bigger hit in Oklahoma City than in Los Angeles; bigger in
Kansas City than it is in New York." Desperate Housewives ranked
fourth in the Salt Lake City market—serving the entire state of Utah
and parts of Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming—where President Bush won
72.6 percent of the popular vote. A delicious contradiction that The
Nation gleefully reported under the headline "Red Sluts, Blue Sluts."
Nevertheless, no sooner was President Bush reelected than red-
state evangelicals claimed credit for his victory and made it clear that
they expected more than mere God-talk from President Bush. They ex
pected God-policy and God-walk as well. On November 4, conserva
tive guru Richard Viguerie told The New York Times: "Now comes the
revolution." One day earlier, Bob Jones III, president of Bob Jones
University, had already sent Bush what sounded more like an ultima
tum than a congratulatory letter. In the spirit of pure Christian com
passion, Jones told Bush:
Don't equivocate. Put your agenda on the front burner and let
it boil. You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because
they despise your Christ. Honor the Lord, and He will honor
you. . ..
Undoubtedly, you will have opportunity to appoint many
4 * BILL PRESS
conservative judges and exercise forceful leadership with the
Congress in passing legislation that is defined by biblical norm
regarding the family, sexuality, sanctity of life, religious free
dom, freedom of speech, and limited government. You have
four years—a brief time only—to leave an imprint for righ
teousness upon this nation that brings with it the blessings of
Almighty God. . . .
If you have weaklings around you who do not share our bib
lical values, shed yourself of them. Conservative Americans
would love to see one president who doesn't care whether he
is liked, but cares infinitely that he does right.
I don't know about you, but that letter ticks me off. I'm a liberal.
I'm a Christian. I didn't vote for George W. Bush. How dare that small
time college president—who got his job only because he inherited it—
tell me I despise Jesus Christ? From what I read in his letter, he
wouldn't know Jesus Christ if he fell over Him.
Just to be sure Bush got the message, Jones also released his letter
to the press. It was a chilling warning shot across George W. Bush's
bow, launched by one of the nation's leading Christian conservatives:
"We'll be watching you. We got you reelected. You say you have a per
sonal relationship with Jesus, but now we want to see some real com
mitment."
A similar ultimatum was made by religious radio king Dr. James
Dobson, head of Focus on the Family. As reported by Slate magazine,
when a White House staffer called to thank him for his efforts on
behalf of the president, Dobson bluntly told the aide that Bush and
Republicans needed "to be more aggressive" about pressing the religious
right's pro-life, antigay agenda or "they'll pay a price in four years."
And it wasn't just religious leaders who were feeling their oats.
Here's just one of hundreds of similar e-mails I received from so-called
Christians after Bush's reelection: "Are you a Bible-believing Christian,
Bill? If this is the case, then you could not have voted for John Kerry.
The Bible is very clear on the killing of the unborn and the opposition
to men lying with men."