Deal With Diversity

America's Religious Landscape is Changing

Sunday, June 27, 2010

By William E. Smith

Special to The Pilot

My cousin, who lives in Sun City, Ariz., is xenophobic. That is, she has an unreasonable fear and even hatred of foreigners. She floods my mailbox with hate literature — especially directed against Muslims, who she believes are out to take over the United States.

And President Obama is implicated. “I am one of them,” he is quoted as saying. You and I, according to this propaganda, are infidels, and Muslims intend to destroy all vestiges of Christianity in this country. That’s ultimately what the current conflict in the Middle East is all about: the Muslim world against the Jewish/ Christian West. The stakes are high, and we are inextricably involved.

A few months ago, there was a gathering of Muslims on the Capitol grounds to pray, presumably for our nation. My cousin called it a propaganda ploy to curry religious respect. Then she asked, somewhat wistfully, “What ever happened to Christian America?”

Pluralism vs. exclusionism. Acceptance vs. rejection. That’s the issue I would like to address in our time together.

This conflict is very much in the news. Consider Arizona’s new law — which, according to The New York Times, “turns all Latinos, even legal immigrants and citizens, into criminal suspects.” This is not just a local fight. There is talk in Texas of passing a version of the Arizona statute. It is a very serious dilemma, this influx of illegal aliens creating murder and mayhem and smuggling drugs across the border.

Closer to home, think of the fuss in Wake County over the school board’s decision to end the diversity-based assignment of pupils and return to neighborhood learning centers. A recent front-page article in The News & Observer of Raleigh showed protestors shouting, “Hey, ho, resegregation has to go,” and waving signs reading “Protect Diversity.”

Our Moore County schools are becoming increasingly diverse, with 120 Indian/Alaskan natives, 117 Asians (their numbers are increasing), 18 Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, 1,081 Hispanics and 444 students of mixed race. All these newcomers have parents. Are their families welcome? Do they feel at home among us or are they isolated and shunned?

There are some who adamantly reject that notion that there is truth outside their own faith. They steadfastly refuse any engagement with “foreign traditions.” Theirs is the one true faith delivered to the saints, and they need look no further.

They remind me of the old fellow who fancied himself an accomplished violinist, who roamed the house constantly playing the same note with great gusto, which drove his poor wife up the wall. Finally she said, “Dear, are you aware that there are other notes to be played on that instrument? Watch the violinists in a symphony orchestra, how their fingers move up and down the fingerboard while the bow crosses the strings. Why don’t you play like them?” He replied, “Old woman, you just don’t understand. They’re searching for the right note. I’ve found it!”

Avoidance is another way not to deal with diversity. The presence of non-Western religions raises fundamental questions about our historic identity as a Christian nation. They’re changing the religious landscape, and frankly we’re uncomfortable (threatened) by having too many of them around.

During the last third of the 20th century, about 22 million immigrants came from countries in which Christianity was the dominant religion, and they brought their faith with them. But Christians don’t always get along. That’s one reason why we have so many denominations.

In Salem, Mass., that historic bastion of Pilgrim Protestantism, I once served a downtown Congregational church while finishing my graduate work at Boston University. The immigrants worked in the textile mills but also clung to their ethnic identities. They lived in familiar enclaves and soon began to build their own churches in the center of their communities, so that eventually there were Irish, Italian, Spanish and French Catholic churches.

Not to be outdone, the Protestants represented five denominations with two churches each. They didn’t always get along with each other. But come Reformation Sunday, the Protestants gathered in a theater to celebrate Martin Luther’s triumph over an oppressive medieval church. A nationally known preacher was imported to give the Catholics hell, and we returned to our homes feeling very self-righteous.

Meanwhile the Catholic population outpaced the Protestants, and by the time we arrived in the early ’50s, immigrant descendents controlled the political life of the city. Salem — which in Hebrew is translated Shalom (peace) — was not very peaceful.

If Christians can’t tolerate each other, how can we expect them to welcome strangers?

Unprecedented Variety

Recent immigration has included millions of people from countries in which Christians are only a small minority. Thus, in little more than a generation, the U.S. has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the diversity of many religious traditions scattered throughout our population. More Americans belong to religions outside the Christian tradition now than ever before.

Nor do they live in isolation from other Americans. Many, especially from Europe and increasingly Asia, are middle-class, college educated professionals who live in the same neighborhoods as other Americans, work in the same companies, send their children to the same schools, vote in the same elections, shop at the same malls and watch the same programs on television. Especially in the metropolitan areas of our country, religious diversity is a fact of ordinary life.

The sheer numbers of these new neighbors are impressive. There are 1.3 million Hindus and 4 million American Buddhists. (These two represent the world’s oldest religions.) The Muslim population in America is between 6 and 7 million, representing a tenfold increase in three decades.

They, in turn, are part of a worldwide community of approximately one billion followers of Mohammed, whom they consider the final and ultimate prophet of God. Islam is reputed to be the fastest-growing religion in the world.

There are thousands of mosques and Islamic centers scattered across the country. Tens of thousands of students from Muslim countries are enrolled in American universities. In Raleigh there is a mosque on the campus of Shaw University, a Baptist school, built with funds donated by the government of Saudi Arabia. At North Carolina State University, there is a red-brick, two-story building across the street from the soccer field where hundreds of Muslims gather for Friday noon prayers and weekly sermon.

Needed: Greater Respect

The question remains: How shall we, as a predominately Christian culture, deal with diversity? It needs to be said that American Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims are wary of furthering mutual understanding. What they do want is greater respect and understanding

How can we bring that about?

For one thing, we can face the fact that we are becoming a pluralistic nation. We cannot think of ourselves as exclusively Christian. In fact we never were, for American Jews have been an established minority since the founding of the Republic

Again, as Christians we need more than a superficial understanding of our own faith. The scandal of Christianity is that “in Jesus Christ God hit the streets.” Now that’s a radical notion. In the language of Paul, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” How can we hold to that pivotal conviction while respecting those who differ?

It is so easy to become casual Christians who are no match for fanatic believers in Jihad (Holy War). God protects us from that kind of fanaticism, but also helps us to understand that a follower of Jesus Christ has given his/her life to him, is steeped in the biblical message and seeks to be a learning, growing and increasingly compassionate disciple.

Unfortunately we have made discipleship seem easy, and more than 50 percent of our churches offer no opportunities to understand religions other than their own. Dr. Dean Eck, the comparative religion scholar who has spent many years studying world religions abroad and in the United States, has said that we face an unparalleled opportunity to build intentionally and actively a culture of pluralism among people of many cultures and faiths in America. But she warned that we may not succeed, but rather find ourselves fragmented and divided with “too much pluribus and not enough unum.”

A Sense of the Transcendent

Face Reality. Seek Under-standing. Again, personal interaction is essential. When a non-Christian family moves into your neighborhood, reach out to welcome them. Bake a cake, send flowers or vegetables from your garden, take them to a concert, invite them over for dinner.

Then, when you are comfortable with a growing sense of relationship, ask your guest, “Please tell me about your religion.” But you’d better be prepared to answer the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” Understanding the faith of others can be a means of deepening our own!

As a responsible citizen, exercise your political muscle. Urge — no, demand — that your senators and congresspersons get at the task of immigration reform so desperately needed. Then neither Arizona or Texas nor any other state will need to chart its own destiny. Immigration is foremost a national (and international) problem, and only Washington can provide the comprehensive policies needed for this pluralistic society.

Finally, we need a sense of the transcendent now more than ever. Despite all our technological achievements, our vaunted cultural advancement, we cannot resolve these problems by ourselves.

The challenge before us is very clear: Can we build a nation proud of its diversity, where God is at the center, living in harmony with our Maker and each other, striving for a more peaceful world? May God grant us wisdom and courage for the living of these days.

Dr. William E. Smith is a retired United Methodist minister who served churches in New England, Maryland and Ohio and also taught at several institutions, including the Divinity School at Duke University. He lives in Penick Village

More like this story

GoldenDreams 1 year, 11 months ago

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, "What does it mean to be a Christian?" My parents have passed on, but to them it meant going to church and being a good person. Generally, that was accepted 50 years ago. Now being a Christian means many different things to many different people. And if you're not comfortable with your Christianity, how you can you be comfortable with another religion or faith? That's what causing all the angst. I love this saying, "Be a walking Bible because that's the only Bible many people will read." Be real. Be genuine. And you will be able to accept others who are different and mean you no harm.

nothingspecial 1 year, 11 months ago

The thing that gets folks riled up is when they want to label people on one side or the other as complete idiots or as fanatical.

For instance, you're ignoring in your arguments the fact that many Americans have LEGITIMATE fears about our open borders and about muslims that are based on huge problems caused by each beginning with 9/11 and not just based on prejudice against a race or a faith or diversity or stupidity. There's too many folks cutting down and boycotting Arizonians who haven't walked a mile in their shoes and who haven't noticed that their new law only mirrors the Federal one.

Too much "diversity" in the wrong way will be the ruin of this country. We all need to be Americans and stand together for the things that make this country strong and for the things that threaten it, no matter our race, religion or etc.

Sally244 1 year, 11 months ago

Something I've noticed in my own 57 years of life is that rituals, and beliefs related to those rituals only work when everyone knows the rules. Having not participated in my own Episcopalian upbringing and am devoid of the smaller nuances and teachings of the new testament , I consider myself a member of the ever-growing secular community of "Common Sense". The only things that rang true to my inner child judge were the thoughtful weekly sermons like this one and the humanity of the stories in the old testament.

It's the little rules that divide us and cause all the trouble. The moment President Bush declared this war a "Crusade" was the moment this country split like a lightning bolt. It gave permission to all the radical religious fanatics to validate their prejudicial beliefs and to become judgmental and righteous. We created our own Taliban... at least in thought. What a horrible moment in our history when we could have become united under the pride of being an American first. As you point out America has always been a melting pot of culture and beliefs but for others to say we are better because we are a Christian country is ignorant and foolish.

Religion is personal and private. We all seek something to comfort our soul and help us through bad times but to use it to judge others is just plain wrong. We need to judge people for their honesty and integrity wherever that may come from and not make a religious declaration an interview to join some private club. I think religion is too vulnerable to misinterpretation and misuse and needs to refrain from political involvment.

teufelhunden 1 year, 11 months ago

Well said nothingspecial...

irkim13 1 year, 10 months ago

We should not judge period leave that to our judges and God. Christians are called to point out sin and wrongdoing for the good of mankind. Christians understand they are not perfect and sin daily but are redemmed and try to live sinfree lives.

Maybe I misunderstand your point Sally244 but if religion is taken out of politics then who will run the country? People without moral convictions, without a sense of right and wrong and people who are not being held to a higher standard than themselves, to name just a few.

I don't want the Government telling me or anyone else what religious beliefs to have but the Constitution protects us from that.

Again the so-called Separation of church and state is NOT in the constitution. The Constitution protects freedom of religion and speech and others including protecting religion from the state not the other way around.

I want religion, Christianity especially, alive and well in politics as I want politicians personally held to a higher standard, with a moral compass and understand that there is right and wrong and good and bad.

Sally244 1 year, 10 months ago

irkim13, Are you saying that religion is the only foundation on which moral decisions can be made? There are many outstanding people in this world who don't practice any religion and somehow know the difference between right and wrong. I think it's inappropriate to automatically assume that a person who proclaims to be a Christian is trustworthy.

As I wrote before "I think religion is too vulnerable to misinterpretation and misuse and needs to refrain from political involvement." We see radical Muslims twisting their religion to validate their killing. We see radical Christians using the Bible to validate their personal agenda of hate and discrimination.

Take away religion and you take away the excuses. You don't have to belong to a religion to know it's wrong to kill and hate.

irkim13 1 year, 10 months ago

Where does that base knowlege of right and wrong come from? Of course not all Christians are trustworthy that is ridiculous to assume as Christians we know we are not perfect, but more trustworthy than someone that lives based on their feelings only and does what "is right for them".

Disagreeing with someone or their choices and voicing them does not constitute hatred or discrimination. If it did then everyone who blogs here would be guilty of the same.
Radical Muslims are not twisting their religion they are following it and it seems much more than just a religion.

Sally244 1 year, 10 months ago

Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church are great examples of Christians interpreting the Bible to fit their own agenda with hate and violence. They both feel they have the backing of the Bible to support their behaviors. If their sense of right and wrong came from their Christian background and teachings would they be considered good Christians with the ability to make good decisions for this country?

I would say no. Religion becomes the curtain to hide behind, to let them do what they want. Take away the religious "proof" of their convictions and they are left with the naked truth exposing their own prejudice and hate.

I don't believe in giving people excuses for their unethical behavior, "The Bible/Koran said I could do it" doesn't fly. Take away the shield of excuses and a man or woman can be judged by who they are and how they handle themselves in this world.

This isn't about "feelings", this is getting to know people by their actions, honesty and clarity of thought and reasoning. Again, my point is that religion has too many ways for a person to wiggle out of being a stand-up politician through the excuses personal interpretation allows and therefor has no place in our government.

coffecreme 1 year, 10 months ago

Sally I agree with you 100%. You dont have to have, be or practice religion to be a good person. Morals are not only taught through religion.

JER 1 year, 10 months ago

Sally244, I too agree with you. One only has to look at history to see that many, if not most, of the conflicts that have occurred throughout the world were the result of one religion attempting to impose its will on another. Our beliefs should be personal. Nobody should tell you what your personal religious beliefs should be and you should not be telling others what their personal religious beliefs should be. I'm willing to live my life without the constraints of a formal religion and others can believe whatever they choose. When the end comes, we can each see if we were right or wrong in what we believed. In my case, I will not have taken any ones life because of what I believed and that will be my reward.

nothingspecial 1 year, 10 months ago

I'm thinking about all the wars that have occurred, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, 1812, American Civil War, the earlier ones between the French and the Brits. I'm thinking the only ones I can remember that related to religion involved some in the middle ages, the crusades, and these latest since 9/11 that involved the Muslims. Don't be too liberal with that idea of violent religions, Christian bashing is way too fashionable these days.

Ross 1 year, 10 months ago

nothingspecial......as is christian "pumping"

greentara13 1 year, 10 months ago

Good morals and good ethics have been around since time began, and practiced by many different 'religions'. As well as practiced by 'non religious' people. Unfortunately, bad morals, bad choices and lack of ethics have been practiced by a whole lot of everything. I want my leaders to have common sense and critical thinking skills tempered with solid ethics. Their religious or lack of religious choice is none of my business, unless they choose to share that with me. It truly is something that should be in your heart and not on your sleeve.