Rodeo Season in America

Last updated on: August 23, 2015 at 3:06 pm by Robert Hunt

Rodeo Season in America 2015-08-23T15:06:57-06:00 Robert Hunt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Although I come from a long time West Texas family I confess that we were not of the horses and cattle sort of Texans. More doctors, educators, and journalists to be honest. But I still love my boots and watching a good rodeo – because the culture of cattle and horses belongs to the deepest essence of not merely Texas, but American civilization from Patagonia to Alberta.

And that means, among many other things, sorting out cattle. Cattle want to stay in herds and they strongly resist being torn away from their herd. But a skilled cowboy, or gaucho on a skilled horse can do it, peeling away one cow after another or simply dividing the herd in two..

Well it is rodeo season in American politics. As we get ready for another national election, politicians and their supporters are once again seeking out those wedges that can be used to split the electorate and hopefully drive some smaller or larger group into their camp, and ultimately into the voting booth.

Our Christian religious leaders appear to be every bit as anxious as the politicians to make these divisions happen, and are adding their own particular specialty, dividing good and evil. Nothing drives a political wedge more decisively than assuring one group that they are good and that their opponents are evil. And hammering that wedge in the with the specious use of Bible passages is a specialty of many American pastors. It has helped make us a nation that will soon have more denominations than Christians.

The problem is that dividing good from evil is ethically trivial. No culture in the world lacks this knowledge, and any kindergartner knows the basics. If that is all the ethics a pastor learned doing an MDiv she or he ought to ask for a refund from the seminary.

Anyway, driving a wedge between church members is hateful and driving a wedge between citizens is politically destructive. And that is wrong.

Every single wedge issue dividing America and our churches involves not a choice between good and evil, but between good and good. Whether it is abortion, gay marriage, immigration, negotiations with Iran, welfare, religious pluralism, war, or health care, the choices are not between good and evil. Our choices are are between conflicting goods. They are not between good people and evil people, they are between good people who prioritize their goods differently.

Choosing between two good is ethically challenging, but it is also spiritual rewarding. When we are conscious that we dealing with conflicting goods we can see the whole breadth of God’s providential goodness among humankind. We can see the manifold ways that God is drawing us toward God’s reign rather that just our own narrow paths. And most importantly, we can cultivate the positive virtue of Christian and national unity.

When we Christians actually become involved in, and foster, that positive conversation we might begin to be taken seriously not just by the wedge driving politicians seeking our help in gaining votes, but the growing group of Americans who justifiably find our our divisiveness, and the ugliness of the debates we carry on Christ’s name, repellant.

Christian Identity

Home Page

Previous Post

August 14, 2015

The Religion of Business

Next Post

September 2, 2015 Kim Davis and Religious Freedom: A Supernova of Religious Scruples

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Identity Christian Muslim Relations Home Page Inter-Religious Dialogue Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 May 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz