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The
early morning sun shone on the Oakland Youth Chorus last Friday
as it sang "When the Saints Come Marching In."
Behind the choir, a huge banner of the U.S. flag whipped in the
wind. A local Baptist preacher began to pray, "This country
was founded on religious freedom…"
This was not a church service, but a Democratic political rally
led by President Bill Clinton. Democrats have long used African-American
choirs at their rallies. But this year more than ever, Democrats
are invoking God and faith.
In choosing Sen. Joe Lieberman as his running mate, Vice President
Al Gore not only made history by putting the first Jew on a major
party presidential ticket, he served notice to Republicans that
he was ready to take God back.
"Religion is becoming more and more of a public issue,"
said James Donahue, president and professor of ethics at the Graduate
Theological Union in Berkeley.
Lieberman has spoken openly about his faith and how it influences
his politics. He has said that belief in God is what makes him an
environmentalist, protecting God's creation.
On the campaign trail he visited churches, talking about renewing
"the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God's
purposes."
Religion, Donahue said, is instrumental to how people make decisions
in all areas of their lives, including politics.
"Some want to attack very closely the direct correlation between
religious belief and policy choice," he said. "You can't
understand politics globally without understanding the role religion
plays in economics, politics and society."
Donahue points out that Lieberman "has advanced the role of
religion in public and political discourse."
Peter Sperlich, political science professor at the University of
California, Berkeley who teaches religion and politics, worries
about this trend.
"Religion has no business in politics," he said. "Unfortunately,
that's how this country has been functioning for the last few decades
since Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Carter."
Nevertheless, religion has played a bigger role for the Democrats
in this presidential election than in any election since Carter’s
1976 win.
"Carter introduced this nonsense into politics again,"
said Sperlich. "It worked because America is an incredibly
religious country."
Carter, a self-proclaimed born-again Christian, won votes by appealing
to those who traditionally voted Republican, mainly rightwing Christians.
Ronald Reagan, a Republican favorite, used a similar strategy in
the 1980s.
Since then, religion has been a blip on the election radar screen.
That changed when Gore chose Lieberman, a move some pundits say
attempted to wash away the stains of the Lewinsky scandal that marred
the Democratic ticket.
"Clinton comes out of the South and speaks the religious language,
making us believe he feels more comfortable in a Baptist church,"
Sperlich said. "But we know about his morality."
Sperlich adds that any move to incorporate religion in politics
is hazardous.
"We don't need religion in politics, it's too dangerous,"
he said. "Look at Iran, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Sudan and
religious wars in Europe. There are plenty of examples of what happens
when religion mixes with politics."
But Donahue welcomes the integration of religion into politics.
"What is encouraging about this discussion is that we're seeing
a lot more nuances and differentiations from people of all religious
persuasions and religious outlooks, not just the Christian right,"
he said.
To Sperlich, the issue is not the variety of faiths involved in
politics, but that religion in politics is unconstitutional.
"Lieberman's idea to bring more religion into politics goes
against the separation of church and state," he said.
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