The storyline of the documentary “Of Cesar and God” covers the awakening of evangelical religion in politics in the 1960’s. Thru different venues such as the construction of religious groups that had a political agenda such as the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition. The documentary goes over the roots of the evangelical awakening in which it states, the evangelical Protestants believed in keeping to themselves and saw politics as something dirty and ungodly. Yet I found it interesting to learn how the church saw politics as a venue to share their religious views and beliefs. The nation’s events that transpired during the 1960’s in which the Vietnam War, the student rebellion of 1964-1968, and Hippies drove conservative evangelicals out of their shell and got more involved in politics. Who would have known that abortion would have united religion and politics? I found it very intriguing that a presidential nominee such as Ronald Reagan becoming involved with religion and how he saw that opportunity as a way to win the election, yet the evangelical saw it as a way to get their moral beliefs out their into society.
The religious/political group that called themselves the Moral Majority whom was co-founded by a funambulist preacher by the name of Jerry Falwell, was a group of conservative Christians. Before being convinced to join the Moral Morality movement, Falwell, had been a firm believer that religion did not mix with politics. However, was later convinced by an internationally known evangelical leader Francis Schaeffer and other conservative Republicans to join them in the political arena to defend the moral values of religion. Schaeffer was known to travel to school around the nation giving lectures of Christianity. Fal...
... middle of paper ...
...on, in whereas stated in the video was supposed to be a city on the hill in which Europe would see our country as the perfect nation and as the society that they would never be able to have or create. The intention of the original framers was to be different from Europe in where the United States would be a nation not based or set on a formal religion but a nation that allowed their people to choose freely what religion they would practice. However, after seeing this documentary, I felt that what happened during those years of religious and political involvement thru the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition groups was threatening the freedom of religion. The documentary states at one point that basically the nation was moving backwards, going back to how it was with the British colonies imposing their religious values, which went against the original purpose.
Cesar chavez (1927-1993) was a civil rights leader. He is most famous for creating the National Farm Workers Association. Chavez grew up in Arizona on his family’s farm. When the depression hit, Chavez was 11 years old, and his family lost their farm and were forced to become migrant workers. The working conditions on the farms Chavez and his family worked on were horrible. This later inspired him to make a union for farm workers, the National Farm Workers Association. He is known for being an activist of civil rights for Latinos, rights for farm workers, and also for animal rights.
With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American citizens just as it has with American students. While congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, the term “freedom of religion” presents itself to no longer be the definition of “free”, while also having its effects on debates today. According to Burt Rieff, in Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty, “Parents, school officials, politicians, and religious leaders entered the battle over defining the relationship between church and state, transforming constitutional issues into political, religious, and cultural debates” (Rieff). Throughout the 20th century, many have forgotten the meaning of religion and what its effects are on the people of today. With the nonconformist society in today’s culture, religion has placed itself in a category of insignificance. With the many controversies of the world, religion is at a stand still, and is proven to not be as important as it was in the past. Though the United States government is based on separation of church and state, the gover...
Towards the middle of the nineteenth century a “Catholic” candidate, Paul Blanshard, ran for presidency. Blanshard was a burden to the Republicans due to his religion. The view of Catholicism was an institutional and political problem. Even if the candidate was not Catholic, he was married by a Catholic priest and apparently that was a connected him to Catholic problems. A political problem because Catholicism was a world power that of Pr...
...ir political issues being supported or not. Non-evangelicals supported the moral cod of the evangelicals. When the evangelicals isolated themselves, they let the American culture to grew more secular. Evangelicals did not notice the change in American politics nor did they involve themselves in politics till their subculture was attacked. In academics, though they still did not care for it, they started to be more accepting of secular ideology. Though they are involved with the American culture and politics, evangelicals today are still partially isolated, like they still refrain from immoral music, television, and dancing. They are also involved with church activities. But the isolation of the ‘Christian Bubble’ does not do God’s will of showing God’s love to the world.
As many people already know, politicis and religion some times go hand in hand. Recently, president Obama delivered his Inauguration Speech to the world. There were several remarks mentioned that pertained to religion. Many of the remarks can easily tie in with the American culture core values, which include, Americans are among a chosen people, manifest destiny, morality yields prosperity, and the protestant ethic.
...e underestimate the influence religion has on American politics. According to public opinion polls, at least 40% of voters subscribe to a literal interpretation of the Bible and thus, 40% of voters are conservative Christians. Wald and Calhoun-Brown reveal the Christian Right is "closely allied with the Republican Party" (206). “Stealth campaigns” (219), led by committees who hide behind soft names like “Focus on the Family”, ultimately seek to eliminate same-sex marriage, women’s rights, and more. For example, while Concerned Women for America sounds like a women's right's organization, the 500,000-member committee focuses primarily on lobbying antigay and prolife legislation. Along the same lines Focus on the Family (founded 1981 by James Dobson) and the Traditional Values Coalition (formed in 1989 by Pat Robertson) are also advocates of the anti-gay movement.
This is no ordinary coalition. It included the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Association of Evangelicals; People for the American Way, and Concerned Women for America; the American Muslim Council, and the American Jewish Congress; the Traditional Values Coalition, and B'nai Brith of the Anti-Defamation League. In the opinion of the Reverend Oliver Thomas, Chairman of Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion, and former General Counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee, this was the most diverse coalition of religious and civil liberties. All of these organizations have been willing to lay aside their deep ideological differences in order to unite behind a principle -- religious liberty for all Americans. (Questions and Answers, Map of the RFRA)
Hicks Laurel, Thompson George T., Lowman Michael R., Cochran George C.. American Government and Politics in the Christian Perspective. Florida: Beka Book Publications, 1984.
Introduction: Neither the resolve of patriots nor the labor of men freed Americans from the hands of tyranny. The fathers of this nation, as well as those who fought for her ability to prosper were united by their unwavering faith and trust in God. The future of this world lay heavily upon their shoulders, yet they carried the burden willingly for the duration of their lives and passed it down from generation to generation. As a result, a new nation was born and grew into one of the most powerful countries of the world. Although America began as a Christian nation, it has pulled away from the fundamental beliefs that held this nation together. Despite their ancient predecessor’s emphasis on faith and Christianity, the current government has taken a more secular path. The legality of abortion and the exclusion of religious references in public institutions are a couple of examples how morality has been corrupted within the government. Society itself also forsakes the religious path, twisting the concept of morality to fit the lifestyles they wish to lead. David Barton uses line graphs to demonstrate the decrease of morality since 1950. Violent behavior, the circulation of sexually transmitted diseases, and the birth rate for unwed girls, has drastically inclined while educational achievement and family stability have dropped at an accelerated rate (242). It is apparent through the government’s choices, the media, and the attitudes present in average society that Americans have drifted far away from the principles on which this country was founded. Without a genuine faith and trust in God, American society will continue to deteriorate until memories of a once great nation are all that remains.
Wells, Ronald. “The Wars of America Christian Views”. Grand Rapids: Willimas B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1981. Print
In the past few years, America has been becoming more and more liberal with its stance on various issues. We are changing laws and practices that have long been in place, and while some view it as progressive, others view it as morally wrong. By encouraging changes in practices that were established with a Biblical mindset, America has begun to subtly alienate the Christian. Although America is still a land where individuals are free to practice their faith freely, it is becoming harder to display...
Moving to the post World War II era, the evangelical coalition began to appeal to the older generations, to the Hollywood population, and to leaders in Washington D.C. Soon after the war, the religious conflicts that infected fundamentalism in the 1920’s were no longer relevant. Protestantism, in its mainline form, had become much more evangelical in its’ nature and its’ sects became much more interested in becoming recognized publicly. Many historians agree that, “what has not often been recognized, however, is that one of the most important driving forces behind the postwar resurgence of religion was a cadre o...
...in the concept of “separation of church and state”, the actions of the government throughout history proves otherwise. The use of chaplains in the military illustrates how the government played a part in monitoring and maintaining religion in the army. The four chaplain’s story exemplifies how the government used religion to unite different religious beliefs. In addition, in an effort to combat Nazi and communist ideals, the government encouraged a focus on religion and the morals that come with it. The government also found it advantageous to use religion to create nationalism and pride in America. The government united the country with religion, using the “Judeo-Christian” beliefs as the basis for the country. Despite the idea of “separation of church and state”, according to, history it appears that the church and state will always be intertwined at some level.
Martin Marty, with Jonathan Moore, Politics, Religion, and the Common Good: Advancing a Distinctly American Conversation About Religion's Role in Our Shared Life (Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000), 25-26, 10-14, 24.
While it was written in 1987, the story is still relevant some twenty years later. The conflict of abortion has always been prevalent in politics and religion, but it has caught the spotlight in recent years due to several states wanting to ban or put heavy restrictions on what stage of pregnancy a fetus can be aborted at. And it seems that in today’s society, you have to be on one side of the debate or the other.