Accidental Pluralists or: How Evangelicals Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Mitt Romney

by Ben Howard

"The enemy may come individually, or in strength. He may even appear in the form of our own troops. But however we must stop him. We must not allow him to gain entrance to this base. Now, I'm going to give you THREE SIMPLE rules: First, trust NO one, whatever his uniform or rank, unless he is known to you personally; Second, anyone or anything that approaches within 200 yards of the perimeter is to be FIRED UPON; Third, if in doubt, shoot first then ask questions later." - General Jack D. Ripper, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Let me start with the most confusing and controversial thing first and then we can move on from there. I don't know whether Mormons are Christians or not. I don't really have an opinion either way and I haven't studied Mormonism enough to give you a concise answer. If pressed, I would probably follow Doug Pagitt's lead and say that Christianity is a self-confessing group so if Mormons call themselves Christians then they can be Christians. There is no high court for nomenclature in this country and if there was they would probably rather spend their time deciphering between hip-hop, R&B and rap.

I'm far more interested in Mitt Romney's acceptance by the evangelical right. In case you didn't hear about it, Billy Graham's website recently removed mentions of the Mormon church as a cult after meeting with Mitt Romney at Graham's home. Now Billy Graham is not King of the Evangelicals, but this still seems like an interesting move from a part of the Republican party that has been adamant about the need for strong Christian faith in the White House.

This is the same wing of the Republican party that got George W. Bush elected twice as a "compassionate conservative." The same wing that has published numerous biographies of Ronald Reagan in which it tries to highlight his Christianity, which may or may not be an interesting piece of revisionist history. The same wing that once advocated a Pat Robertson candidacy for President. What happened to the Religious Right of my youth?

Politics happened. And hate.

Apparently blind, irrational hatred is the key to evangelical pluralism. Ironically, it's not just blind hatred, it's blind hatred of the only traditionally Protestant Christian on either of the two major party tickets, Barack Obama. Never has the phrase, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," seemed so appropriate.

Let me emphasize here that I don't think that the Mormon church is a cult. Also, I want to make it clear that I don't think people should vote for Barack Obama because he's Christian or for Joe Biden or Paul Ryan because they're Catholic. This election is not about voting for a monarch who will serve as the head of the church.

However, should it not be a warning to evangelical Republicans that they have given up theological ground in order to score political points? Even if that theological ground was dubious to begin with? My greatest fear is that Christians will become so encumbered and captured by politics that they no longer know what they actually believe.

I applaud the accidental pluralism of the evangelical right, but how did you get here? I agree with you that Mormonism is not a cult, but is that a believe born out of love or expediency and a thirst for power?

I'm afraid that the evangelical right, my brothers even though we disagree, trust no one and, if in doubt, will shoot first and ask questions later. In the movies, when they can't stop in time, it leads to our mutually assured destruction. Think about it.

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

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Song of the Week: "One Voice" by The Wailin' Jennys

by Ben Howard

Happy Saturday! I hope you've had a good week and I hope you're starting a good weekend.

I spent the first four days of this week going through all of the reasons you should or shouldn't vote and I hope that series has been useful and enlightening for you. I know I've learned a lot putting it together and it's really helped me gain perspective on the election.

Here are those pieces if you want to catch up:
Why You Should Vote for Mitt Romney
Why You Should Vote for Barack Obama
Why You Should Vote for a Third Party
Why You Shouldn't Vote

With all of these posts and discussions in mind, I wanted to find a Song of the Week that would remind us of the unity that defines us even in the face of our diversity.

With that in mind, this week's Song of the Week is "One Voice" by The Wailin' Jennys.

I hope you enjoy!

Peace,
Ben

We are always accepting submissions for On Pop Theology. Submissions should be 500 to 1000 words and we recommend that you write about any topic you actually enjoy. If you have any questions, you can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

The Election Chronicles: Why You Shouldn't Vote

by Ben Howard

This week in The Election Chronicles we've covered the reasons you should vote for Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and then yesterday, the reasons you should vote for a third party candidate. However, there is one last option that we have yet to cover.

Today I'm going to address the reasons, as a Christian, you shouldn't vote.

Before I start into these reasons I want to make two things very clear: First, none of these choices is morally superior to any of the others. There are legitimate reasons for choosing any of these options and I will defend your choice of any of them, even if I disagree with you. Second, I will not be voting so this is my personal, non-objective position on the subject. I understand if you disagree, there are plenty of reasons to do so, but please do so respectfully.

As I see it, there are two arguments for why you shouldn't vote. First, you should not vote because voting for a candidate makes you culpable in all of their actions, including acts of violence. Essentially, if you vote for a presidential candidate and then that candidate takes us into a war, you also have blood on your hands. If that candidate oppresses the poor or the marginalized with their policies, your vote allowed him the power for that to happen.

Typically, this decision not to vote is one of protest against the power of empire. It argues that in a democratic system, such as ours, power is in the hands of the people, therefore to vote is to legitimize the power of the empire both for good and for bad. As a result, dissenting and not exercising this legitimizing authority undermines the power of the empire.

Honestly, I disagree with this reasoning. I don't think voting makes you responsible for the acts of the empire, I think being a citizen does. Everything the government does, both domestically and overseas is done in the name of all its citizens not just the ones who voted, or even the ones who voted the ruling party into power. A citizen of the United States is responsible for the acts of the nation, both good and bad.

Most of you are probably grimacing while you read that statement, but I would argue that it holds to Judeo-Christian understandings of corporate responsibility. The community is responsible for the decisions of its members and citizens are responsible for the actions of their nation. Remember, all of Israel went into exile, not just the kings and leaders.

So why don't I vote?

I do not vote because I do not consider myself a citizen of this nation and as such I do not believe I have the right to dictate the direction the nation takes. As a Christian, I consider myself a citizen of the Kingdom of God currently living in exile in a foreign land. 

As an exile, I hold to the ideas Jeremiah expresses in Jeremiah 29:7 when he says, "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." However, while I pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation, and continue to be very engaged in the dialogue and discussion concerning how this should come about, I do not believe I am in the position to decide that direction because it is ultimately not my country.

I know that this sounds idealistic, and some of you probably view it as arrogant as well, but I promise that is not what I intend. I'm hoping to convey this as an attitude of humility. I may rant and rave and write a week long series about politics to try and influence the conversation, but at the end of the day, it is not my choice, though I will live with whatever decision is made.

I'd love to hear your comments and I'm so glad that so many of you have read through these pieces. I hope they've been helpful for you because they've been enlightening for me.

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

Also, you can subscribe to On Pop Theology via RSS feed or email on the top right corner of the main page.

The Election Chronicles: Why You Should Vote for Barack Obama

by Ben Howard

Yesterday we took a look at why a thoughtful Christian could and should vote for Mitt Romney. If you missed it you can read it here. Today we'll take a look at why that same Christian could and should vote for Barack Obama.

I want to remind you that this entire series is predicated on having a more constructive conversation around politics based around what each party, and each voter, is for instead of what they are opposed to.

With all that said, why should you vote for Barack Obama?

First, you should vote for Barack Obama because he supports government assistance for the poor and those without a safety net. 

This position has expressed itself many times, predominantly in the expansion of the healthcare. An Obama administration has and will continue to keep an eye on how it can help the impoverished in our country and how they can help them break free from the cycle of poverty that grips so many.

That isn't to say that the Obama administration, or any administration for that matter, will be able to end poverty, but it is something that Barack Obama has been adamant about. The poor in this country have been underrepresented for too long, and I believe that Barack Obama will do what he can to support them and try to help them out of poverty.

Second, you should vote for Barack Obama because he supports gay marriage. Now, before you get your pitchforks out, let me explain why I say that.

The debate over gay marriage has always been a contentious one mainly because the two sides are not debating on the same grounds. Those in favor of gay marriage argue on the grounds of civil rights while those who oppose gay marriage argue from religious beliefs about sin and homosexuality. I think we can all understand that we aren't having the same conversation.

With that in mind, and remembering that I cringe every time I hear "rights" language invoked, I think we should grant gay and lesbian couples the legal rights contingent in marriage. However, the settlement of the civil rights side of this argument does not answer the religious aspect of the question.

I think that removing the civil rights argument by allowing the legal marriage of gay and lesbian couples, will allow churches to have an honest discussion about whether or not they will support and perform same-sex marriages. If a church supports them, then they will perform them, and if they don't, then they won't. Moreover, I think this could force churches to investigate what they mean by the term marriage in a religious context and how that differs from a legal contract between two consenting parties.

Finally, you should vote for Barack Obama because he supports the environment.

Whether or not you agree with the science that supports global warming, the world and everything in it is part of God's good creation. As a result, we should do our best to care for it and use its resources carefully, deliberately and responsibly. I don't think that using oil and gasoline is bad, but it is in the amounts that we use them. We are wasteful and rip-roaring drunk on fossil fuels. It would probably do us some good to reconsider the way we live our lives in relationship with the world that surrounds us.

With all of this said, I want to leave you with the same reality check that I left yesterday for supporters of Mitt Romney. Even though the government is supporting and aiding the poor financially, they still need you, and they still need me. A check is not the only thing people need to escape the grasp of poverty and the church needs to be deeply, deeply involved in trying to alleviate these ills (as many of them already are). 

Also, and I say this with all due respect, just because you support the poor, and gay rights, and the environment, it does not make you morally superior over those who vote differently or over those who hold different priorities. The arrogance of one party fuels the hatred of the other in a never-ending spiral of loathing and frustration. It divides us and forces us to view each other as caricatures and issue arguments. Remember, the other side is made up of people just like you and there may just be something to what they are saying.

I look forward to hearing your comments and tomorrow we'll address why you should vote for a third party candidate.

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

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The Election Chronicles: Why You Should Vote for Mitt Romney

by Ben Howard

Last week I began a series called The Election Chronicles. The main goal of the series is to try and bring about a healthier, positive tone to the conversation about this Fall's presidential election. I'm sure this is an idea that's been tried by many; some I'm sure succeeded, others most likely failed, but either way I hope it's a useful endeavor for us.

You can check out last week's articles here:
An Introduction
Love Drives Out Fear
Top 5 Presidents That Look Like Jesus
Song of the Week: A Savior on Capitol Hill by Derek Webb

This week, I'm going to explore the reasons why a thoughtful Christian person should/would vote for Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, a third party candidate, and finally, why they shouldn't vote at all.

So, why should you vote for Mitt Romney?

First and foremost, voting for Mitt Romney promotes fiscal responsibility. If you've been in church long enough you've heard the phrase "good stewardship" tossed around rather loosely. Typically, in a church setting it's simply a euphemism that means, "Give more," but there is a solid argument that the proper and responsible allocation of one's resources is a virtue. In fact, Dave Ramsey and others have made a cottage industry out of the "Christian virtue" of fiscal responsibility and living without debt.

This may not be the sexiest reason to vote for a candidate, but it is a prudent and pragmatic one. Overwhelming debt and financial constraints can also promote political instability which often comes along with dramatic social upheaval. Voting for a candidate who promotes fiscal responsibility lessens this unlikely, but possible outcome.

Second, I would argue that a Christian should agree with Mitt Romney's position on limiting abortion. Please notice that I did not, and will not, use the phrases pro-life or pro-choice. I think both phrases ring hollow in a Christian context. For instance, the argument that being pro-life applies to the beginning of a life, but not to the rest of it (war, healthcare, social support, death penalty) is simply misleading and untrue. A Christian supports life to it's fullest, and while that includes dissuading the use of abortion, it includes many other things as well.


Also, I would argue that a "right to choose" is a misnomer as well. In fact, all rights language makes me highly uncomfortable. As a Christian, everything we receive whether it be food, shelter, or even our very bodies, is given to us a gracious gift from God. As a result, what is given is not ours and to assert that we have control or dominion over our it, "a right" to it, is to neglect the gift that has been given to us.

I think a Christian can vote for Mitt Romney because he is in favor of limiting abortions, which I think we can all agree is a good thing, but not because he is pro-life.

Finally, I believe that a vote in favor of Mitt Romney is a vote in favor of local authority over national authority. I'm not convinced that this is a global Christian value, in fact, it isn't. There is nothing in the Bible that says local is better than national. However, local is more responsive than national and the church does its best work in its immediate community, the community that it knows.

I think a vote for local authority allows churches to work alongside projects of government aid and to provide the best opportunity for helping people not fall through the cracks. I don't think it's perfect, but a locally oriented plan run by the community is something that the church can support and even partner with in pursuit of a better world.

Let me add a word of caution to all of those who agree with what I've said and will vote this way in November. If you want to limit government spending, then you and your community must be ready to support those in need, for they will still need support. If you want to limit abortions, then you will need to be there in support of the mothers and children and when necessary you will need to adopt and care for these children as your own. If you vote for local authority over national authority, then you must work with these people to help the poor and the marginalized, the sick, the hungry, and the orphaned. 

You are still called to do these things as a child of God, even if you think the government should not pay for them. You should vote the way you think is right, but do not forget who you are when you're done.

I look forward to your comments.

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

Also, you can subscribe to On Pop Theology via RSS feed or email on the top right corner of the main page.

Song of the Week: "A Savior On Capitol Hill" by Derek Webb

Happy weekend everybody! I hope you've all had a wonderful week doing whatever it is you do and I hope you've enjoyed reading us here too. Putting together this blog is one of my favorite things to do everyday and I appreciate each one of you so much.

In honor of our ongoing series "The Election Chronicles" this week's Song of the Week is "A Savior On Capitol Hill" by Derek Webb.

Here are the links to the series so far:
An Introduction
Love Drives Out Fear
Top Five Presidents Who Look Like Jesus

Next week we'll be looking at the reasons you should vote for Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, or a third party candidate, and finally, an argument for why you shouldn't vote at all. I'd love to hear any feedback you might have.

As for the song, I think the title makes the content pretty self-explanatory. I hope you enjoy and you can check out Derek's website here. This particular song is from The Ringing Bell album (the sound is based a lot on The Beatles' Revolver record).

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard [at] gmail.com.

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The Election Chronicles: Love Drives Out Fear

by Ben Howard

One of my tasks at work includes responding to emails that come in to our general inbox. I've only been in this particular job for about two months, so I only began responding to these emails about a month ago. This inbox has become one of the highlights of my day and it's not because of the conversations with customers.

Apparently, someone, once upon a time, signed our general work email account up for Tea Party email blasts and they are AMAZING!

Not only have they taught me about Barack Obama's numerous secret identities (did you know he was born in Kenya?!?), I also learned that he's a card carrying member of the Communist party!!! I didn't even know they made cards for that anymore!

But let me save the best for last, apparently, if Barack HUSSEIN Obama doesn't win this election, he's planning a military coup to overthrow the government!!! Granted, if you have the ability to mount a military coup then I'm not sure why you'd go through the grueling process of a campaign, but....exclamation points!!!

Clearly, I'm being entirely facetious. At least I hope it was clear because most of that was taken verbatim from the emails I'm referencing.

I've never been a fan of conspiracy theories. I think we landed on the moon. I think the JFK assassination was weird, but there was only one gunman. I'm confident 9/11 was not an inside job. I would say that banks did not commit fraud during the financial collapse of 2008, but they certainly committed stupidity. And yes, I'm convinced that Barack Obama was born in the United States, assuming convinced is the correct word for something I never questioned for a moment.


It's really hard to lie that big without people finding out. Ask Richard Nixon.

So why do these stories persist? Easy. We don't trust each other. At all. In fact, you can probably say that we're terrified of each other.


A couple weeks ago Peter Enns wrote a great article entitled "Dear Christian: If the Thought of Either Romney or Obama Getting Elected Make You Fearful, Angry, or Depressed, You Have What We Call a Theological Problem."

He goes on to talk about how politics have become a rival eschatology to Christianity and how hope in politics has replaced hope in an authentic salvation that politicians and governments can never fully supply.

I think he's right, but I also think we need to remember the call to love our neighbor and remember that "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."

This is what I was getting at yesterday when I said that I want to know what you're for, and not what you're against. I want to know what you love, and I want that love, that hope, that anticipation for something better to drive out the fear that infects us all so deeply.

Will a person be able to provide this? No. Will an election take us closer to the world as it was intended to be? I can't say that it's likely. But we can still hope. We can still try.

We are not called by God to recreate and redeem his world on our own, we are called to work alongside him as he reclaims and redeems his creation.

Maybe politics can help in this redemption, and maybe it can't, but either way let us remember that the person on the other side of the aisle is just as much God's creation as we are. They are our neighbors. 

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are our neighbors. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are our neighbors. The members of the Tea Party are our neighbors. The Occupy Movement are our neighbors. So are the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Iraqis, the Iranians, the Muslim Brotherhood, the English, the French, the Germans and anybody and everybody else across this planet. They are all God's creation and let us remember that we love them, no matter what.

Peace,
Ben

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

Also, you can subscribe to On Pop Theology via RSS feed or email on the top right corner of the main page.

The Election Chronicles: An Introduction

by Ben Howard

I've addressed politics here a few times, usually out of frustration. I've talked about Chick-Fil-A and fear, and I've also talked about the way hatred infiltrates us to the point where we become the very problem we seek to eliminate.

I know I often come across snarky and dismissive about politics. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I place little if any trust in politicians to do the right thing, and that I'm deeply ambivalent about democracy in general as a functional form of government from a Christian perspective. If you want reasons for that, you can ask me in private, because that's not the reason for this post because today I'm putting on my optimism hat.

In an atmosphere that can only be described as suffocatingly divisive, I want to see if we can have a discussion with some degree of clarity. Today, I'm beginning a series entitled "The Election Chronicles." Starting on Monday, I'll be breaking down the reasons why you should vote for Mitt Romney, Barack Obama (Tuesday), a third party candidate (Wednesday), and finally, why you shouldn't vote at all (Thursday).

However, before I start writing these pieces I want to include you in my thought process. I want to know why you think I, or anyone, should choose one of those four options. 

One rule though: they have to be positive reasons why I should support a candidate/position. Just so you know, a positive answer does not contain the word oppose. I want to know what you are for, not what you are against.

Also, keep in mind that I want this discussion to be from a distinctly Christian perspective. If your reason for voting helps America, but hurts everyone else, that's not a good reason in this conversation. I want to know why supporting this candidate would make humanity better. How would supporting this candidate support the emergence of the kingdom of God?

I know there isn't a perfect answer. That's okay. We'll probably disagree. That's okay too. I promise I'll still love you.

Leave your thoughts in the comments, or you can contact me via Facebook, on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email me at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say and having this discussion with you.

Peace,
Ben

Also, you can subscribe to On Pop Theology via RSS feed or email on the top right corner of the main page.

The Story of When I Hugged Chipper Jones

by Ben Howard

When I turned 18 years old my dad took me on a birthday trip to Pittsburgh to watch the Atlanta Braves play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Though it sounds weird for a kid who spent his entire childhood in central Ohio, I’ve always been a massive Braves fan and this weekend of baseball was the perfect present.

The Saturday morning after the first game my dad and I went down to the restaurant in the hotel to check out the breakfast options. While I was waiting, looking around the restaurant, I spotted the grizzled, but unmistakable face of the Braves first basemen Julio Franco. Then I looked to the stairs in time to see equally grizzled Braves manager Bobby Cox walking down to the lobby.

It quickly dawned on me that we were staying in the same hotel as the Braves. I was giddy, but I was also nervous.

My dad, who is much more outgoing than I, kept trying to get me to go up the players, to ask for an autograph, maybe even a picture. But as much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t. These people were famous! They played baseball! I can’t treat them like mere mortals, can I?

Eventually, my dad took charge when Chipper Jones entered the lobby. He went up to the future Hall of Famer and politely asked if his son, me, could take a picture with him. Sure, no problem.

In this moment, I was so nervous, so giddy, so overwhelmed with childhood memories and emotions, that I’m pretty sure I gave Chipper Jones a bear hug. It might have been a little uncomfortable for him. My bad Chipper.

I’m always awkward in the face of celebrity. It’s like I’m not convinced that these people are actually real. When I met Chipper Jones, it almost felt like I was meeting Mickey Mouse at Disney World, but I know that it’s not. I know Mickey is a character and that Chipper is a person. I know there is a person inside the Mickey costume playing a role that doesn’t exist in reality.

I think this is the price we pay for the one-sided contact of mass media. I know you, but you don’t know me. I’m meeting the celebrity version of you, which is a character that I’ve built in my head, and you’re meeting a stranger.

Now, contrast that with the story of when I met Nicole Kidman. I was getting coffee in Nashville, sitting with a  friend of mine, when I saw a tall blonde woman come over looking for a seat.

I looked up, made eye contact, smiled and possibly (involuntarily) winked at her. She made eye contact, smiled and waved. I didn’t realize until after this interaction that the person I just (involuntarily) winked at was Nicole Kidman.

But this was normal. We were both strangers, in a public place, acting like normal friendly people.

I’m not sure I would have done the same thing if I recognized her first. In fact, I’m almost sure that I wouldn’t have and that’s a little disappointing.

This is the danger of viewing real people as characters. It’s the deep and often unspoken problem of mass media and popular culture. People begin to symbolize something instead of being able to be human.

In a recent interview with author Michael Lewis, President Obama told Lewis that one of the things he’s had to learn as President is that there is this guy out there with the same name as you, who has done the same things as you, and he is on the news every day and that no matter how close the resemblance is, that guy on the news isn’t you. That’s the character, the role of Barack Obama, not the actual person.

I don’t know how to overcome this problem in culture, and as we’ve seen in the above stories, I’m pretty bad at it. But I think it’s important to remember that the people we are so quick to criticize from a distance are actual human beings with actual lives and emotions. Not everyone is synonymous with the caricature of them that we’ve built, in fact I think it’s safe to say that none of them are.

I’ve attempted to not get too political here, and maybe I’ll keep that going and maybe I won’t, but either way, take this message to heart, especially over the next 6 weeks or so. Barack Obama is not a symbol, he is a man. Mitt Romney is not a character, he is a person.

It’s just so much harder to hate and demonize something that’s real and not imaginary.

Peace,

Ben

When he isn’t awkwardly hugging professional athletes, Ben spends his time watching them through a magic box in his living room. Yeah, TV sounds uber-creepy when you describe it that way. You can follow him on Twitter @BenHoward87 or email him at benjamin.howard87 [at] gmail.com.

Also, you can subscribe to On Pop Theology via RSS feed or email on the top right corner of the main page.