Born-Again Americans and That Old-Time (Civil) Religion

By Sara Robinson
March 26th, 2008 - 11:25pm ET

Can we progressives -- who won't be caught dead these days calling ourselves liberals -- can we stop serving as a punching bag for the right?

And speak with depth and conviction about the things that really matter to us? Once and for all, can we break through the false and humiliating charade that they and they alone are the arbiters of family values, morality, patriotism, the flag, the life of the spirit, God-talk? And that they alone have the credibility to speak to these subjects and concerns?

The search for meaning that defines us as humans is the greatest conversation going, and I want IN.

-- "Born-Again American" Norman Lear at the Take Back America conference last week

Ever since the overlong election season first kicked off last summer, I've been feeling deep gratitude for the happy fact that, for the first time since 1988, we're finally having a presidential election that does not involve re-fighting the Vietnam War. To everyone's profound relief, there's nary a draft dodger, National Guardsman, Bronze Star recipient, or Swiftboater in sight. Nobody's service records are under investigation. Not a single public conversation has devolved into an ugly he said/he said over who did what in some swamp somewhere in 1969. I think I speak for an entire grateful nation when I say: It's been nice.

I must confess, however, that I'm just about ready to take it all back. Because this time, instead of military exploits two-thirds of the country is too young to remember, this election is being fought over religion -- which is, apparently, the new battlefield on which candidates must try themselves and not be found wanting. Obama's pastor of 20 years is being trotted out to whip up white voters' latent terror of Angry Scary Black Men (and, as a twofer, also undercut the resonance of his strong moral voice). McCain is proudly advertising his bizarre affiliations with John Hagee, Richard Land, and Rod Parsley -- religious ideologues so extremist and creepy that most straight-thinking Evangelicals won't have anything to do with them. Jeff Sharlet has a new book coming out shortly that will detail Hillary's long association with a shadowy elitist global prayer group that puts her in spiritual cahoots with the worst kind of paleo-cons and dictators. And I'm watching this theological three-ring circus -- and actually find myself longing wistfully for the good old days when we were merely obsessed with re-hashing the details of a 40-year-old war.