I've written before on what it's like be conservative Republican in the halls of state government. Let's just say that part of the reason it surprises people that I work for the state is that there is a stereotype about conservatives--not to mention state employees. I'm not fond of those stereotypes, and I take them on whenever possible. Recently, for example, I tried to engage a young relative on a friendly debate on the topic of abortion, but I was astonished at her lack of even a hint of an open mind on the issue. There was no interest in understanding the other side.
She derisively mocked the pro-life position as just my politics, adding that I could not "convert" her; she couldn't be more wrong on my motivation. My Pro-Life position may be best embraced by the Republican Party (the same party that brought the end of slavery if you might recall), but I would consider myself a Catholic first and a Republican second. Accepting abortion as a tremendous evil and honoring the sanctity of all human life are positions at the heart of a life lived in faith, a life endeavoring to see beyond oneself and to others.
For some reason, our exchange got me thinking about stereotypes and their influence upon our thinking on political issues. While a lot could certainly be written on this, I'd like to focus today on the Republican Party and changing US demographics. As you'll see from the most recent Census reports, our Hispanic population is growing much more quickly than other demographic groups: Caucasian, for example. The face of the United States is changing, and it's time that we recognize and embrace what that change means and what it entails. When it comes to the Republican Party, why is it that our party seems to communicate so poorly with the Hispanic population? After all, speaking broadly in terms of faith and culture, we share many of the same values. We value hard work, the importance of family, as well as agree upon the cherished importance of faith in our lives.
Yet, it seems that these shared values aren't enough to bridge the gap. In speaking recently to a Latina on this topic, we agreed that the reason most Hispanics by far decide to vote for the Democratic ticket is because they are scared away by the incendiary rhetoric on the issue of immigration which sometimes is associated with our party. I oppose illegal immigration as much as anyone, but we need to be more careful in our broad assertions, our generalizations, and our stereotypes. We're alienating more than the illegal alien; we're alienating the legal citizens of Hispanic heritage and culture as well. It's time we show them who we really are and destroy the negative stereotypes. Let's endeavor to bridge the divide between us, because I think we will all find that we have much more in common than we realize.
*For more on this general topic, please also see "Lost in Translation."
I had an interesting experience recently to attend a diversity conference in Salem. While diversity is not a term with which I am always at ease--primarily on account of its most vociferous supporters' proclivity for using it as a weapon with which to pound conservatives--my feelings on the topic have somewhat softened of late. Someday I'll tell the whole account, but suffice to say that I have had a realization that sometimes it's important to lend support to a movement when it helps brings about the greater good. While there may be elements of the diversity movement which strike me as unhealthy and cliche-ridden, the bottom line is that it draws attention to what many of us Christians either are doing already or should have been be doing all along: engaging our fellow man with respect and courtesy. (The fact that many of its supporters exclude conservatives from all the other differences they are quick to praise is unfortunate.)
As I commented in another blog post recently concerning "Lost in Translation," I think I recognize now more than in the past that racism sometimes takes a more subtle and insidious grasp than we may realize. So, even if some dimensions of the movement are troubling, I support it insofar as it helps bring respect and courtesy to communications with those of different ethnic or social backgrounds. That's the Christian thing to do, after all.
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| Dr. Delman Coates |
Returning to the previously mentioned conference, I was excited to have the opportunity to attend a lecture given by Dr. Delmar Coates, pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Maryland. This is described as a "mega Church" with thousands of members. I quickly realized in the session Dr. Coates was giving that he seemed more comfortable with the world than the relatively conservative positions with which the Baptist denomination is usually associated. He began, for instance, in suggesting that the Golden Rule needed to be updated to the Platinum Rule where we do unto others as they want to be treated. While this kind of thing wouldn't bother me so much from a "regular Joe," I find it troubling when a pastor explains in a secular setting how a section of Gospel could be updated. Teachers, after all, are held to a higher standard. When the good pastor began to praise the benefits of gay marriage, I lost hope in him entirely. If a Christian minister can turn a blind eye to the sanctity of marriage, what will come next?
It raises the larger question, though, of why so many Christian denominations seem to be losing their way and surrendering to the siren call of moral relativism and confirming the spiritual law--if you will--of moral entropy. We're used to hearing the old materialistic arguments from the secular world, but now pastors are rallying against important teachings of the Bible, seeking to undermine the very nature and meaning of marriage itself. Having been baptized in the Baptist Church as a child, I am keenly aware of how far some of its churches are now drifting away from the straight and narrow way of Christ--from Pastor Coates to Pastor Terry Jones. While it's no secret that we have since made the journey home to the Catholic Church, the states of the Baptist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian denominations at present seem particularly saddening--especially when we recall Christ's call for unity. Pastor Coates would apparently dismiss a good deal of the New Testament--especially perhaps the stern warnings of Saint Paul-- in his quest for peace with the world. They would exchange it all for a peace with a passing age instead of embracing the timeless message of the Gospel.
