Related articles and links |  1 of 3

Christian reaction to President Bush's election victory has been mixed. While many believers are expressing joy and relief at the election's result, a vocal minority worries publicly that the 'values' discussion has been too narrowly constructed. In a nation where the separation of church and state has been so beneficial for the church, Christians are not sure how to take pundits' proclamations of a new era of political power for the faithful.

America's curious political alliances remain a gray area for Christians accustomed to the Bible's black-and-white certitude. Sitting at the top of each party, wealthy elites call the shots, representing business interests (predominantly Republican) and the entertainment and media industries (predominantly Democratic). But thanks to the democratic process, these elites compete for the votes of millions of ordinary Americans, dependent on them to enact their agenda.

Christians are caught in the middle, presently divided. According to recently released polling data, born-again whites supported President Bush by a 72-27 margin. The contrast was even more dramatic, but reversed, among born-again blacks, who supported Senator Kerry 85-15. Each constituency is vital to its political sponsor's survival. Born-again Hispanics, composing nearly 50 percent of voters in that emerging swing ethnic group, supported Bush 56-44. In general, Christians who vote Democrat tout the government's obligation to promote economic equality, but downplay the political leadership's impact on sexual norms and abortion. Conversely, Christians who vote Republican know well the government's cultural impact. But they frequently brush aside the structural impediments to economic fairness.

The faithful in America have not always tolerated this dichotomy. Grassroots Christian activism spurred the great reforms of the Progressive Era and civil rights movement, simultaneously combating economic injustice and moral relativism. Evidenced by 53 percent of the electorate claiming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the grassroots support is there. With history's help, Christian leaders can harness this tremendous influence and direct it for the holistic good of the church and all our neighbors.

In his disturbingly shrill analysis of Bush's victory, historian Garry Wills lamented "Bryan's revenge." He was speaking of William Jennings Bryan, the thrice-defeated presidential nominee, champion of populism, and fatal victor of the 1925 Scopes evolution trial. One can imagine the great orator responding to Wills, as he did to an opponent in his renowned 1896 "Cross of Gold" speech, "The great gentleman from Wisconsin [or in this case, Evanston] has said that he fears a Robespierre. My friends, in this land of the free you need not fear that a tyrant will spring up from among the people."

A devout evangelical and U.S. Congressman from Nebraska, Bryan fought the business interests of the Northeast, which he said unfairly manipulated the economic system at the expense of farmers and wage-earners. His powerful rhetoric inspired politically marginalized Americans. "The humblest citizen in all the land, when clad in the armor or a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error," he told the Democratic National Convention in 1896. He strongly opposed a move to the gold standard, which he argued would further solidify the moneyed elite's grip on the economy. "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold," Bryan declaimed.

next page... |  1 of 3

November (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48