Between Faith and Civics: Who Wins?
A popular belief in today’s climate argues that the public cannot have morally apt political participation and concurrently align themselves with a single faith or religion. However, societal expectations, morals, and lives have historically been etched out by religious thought. Although it sometimes veers towards the unhealthy when it becomes over-exclusionary, it also veers towards dignity and individuality. Rather than tussle over the belonging of faith in civic life, we must focus on how we allow it to show up, hoarding power and privilege, or expanding the doors to empathy and justice. Understanding the intertwining of faith and American civics is a concrete starting point.
To reflect tangible civic trends, the religious demographics of the United States aid in navigating such line-crossing. A majority of the United States is Christian, while agnostics hold around 29% of the poll. Christianity has leveled off in recent years, which is demonstrated in the growing proportion of religiously unaffiliated Americans reporting their status in surveys like the Pew Research Center’s. With this, the idea of homogeneity is blurred, and the immense value of pluralism arises, thus creating challenges and opportunities for pluralist societies.
Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity
Pluralism is the act and theory that if multiple beliefs, cultures, and traditions share power in a society, it forms the most successful outcome. Nevertheless, it creates a complicated barrier between the religiously engaged and their influence over general politics, because the overlap of personal judgment and civic duty can create conflicts of interest and public distrust. In the 2023 PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) Census of American Religion, the growth of religious and political coalitions is highlighted. In counties with diverse religious makeups–including, but not limited to, Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and Buddhists–new political ecosystems map themselves as faith-based intersects with local organizing and civic engagement.
Central Synagogue, Lexington, NYC
Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite the abundant evidence of both communities and individuals being fully capable of navigating religious differences and political beliefs free from each other, there are still publicly feared risks. Some believe that religiously-affiliated politicians will diminish the voices of citizens, and some believe that being religious will lead to their marginalization. This is especially seen through fear of indoctrination of pluralist societies. This is battled through debates on reproductive rights or sexual-identification along with public education and translation into curricula. Moreover, the Pew Research Center reports that many religious sectors in the United States face discrimination today. But, many of those within the majority oppose attending or being associated with places of worship that endorse political candidates. This increasing opposition reflects a shift in autonomy and rising support for healthier civic behaviors that uphold individuality.
How Do Individuals Practice Engagement With Beliefs?
Political socialization is the means by which we get our information and beliefs molded by our immediate family and other individuals who are close to us. The simple act of attending a local meeting can get the ball rolling for civic habits. What holds back many citizens from achieving this moment is the lack of a “why”, which is where belief and religion come to play. Various religions hold the morals of honesty, common good, and generosity to a high standard. Although every philosophy, religion, and belief will have varied scriptures, writings, and rules that guide individual actions, it still animates political participation. Religion and faith can act as an ethical vocabulary to create global atmospheres of respect and empathy. In this way, faith becomes not only a private moral compass but also a public motivation that shapes how people can connect their values to civic action.
Moreover, faith communities serve as more than places of worship. Congregations often support and even endorse the acts of giving, whether it be through donations of food, money, clothes, or toys. Some congregations even go as far as supplying shelter and childcare for those in need(although these are often in partnership with other agencies).
The act of giving on its own is not a direct pathway to political aptitude, but it allows for individuals to situate themselves in neighborhoods and communities that construct the narratives of social duty and hope, which, ironically, are what many political systems were founded on. For individuals, this means gaining a larger sense of civic responsibility and seeing themselves as active participants. Congregations are essentially civic infrastructure.
Church volunteers helping families pick out groceries during a food pantry event
Faith-Based Stigma and How to Navigate It
Recent enhancements in political polarization have done more than pit our main parties against each other; it’s warped public perception of communities and identities, including faith groups. As previously mentioned, discrimination against religious groups is a widely known sentiment that Americans share. Of course, political alignment may warp perceived discrimination, but it does not take away the issue at hand: communities receiving social punishment for voicing their faith-based views. For individuals, this can lead to self-censorship and a reluctance to join civic debates or conversations, culminating in isolation from broader political dialogue.
At the same time, the United States does not recognize itself as a theocracy or endorse any specific religion, despite our federal documents riddled with faith-based values. The United States has established precedents that both protect individuals from having faith enforced on them or faith forcibly removed from them. Most Americans stray away from the entanglement of worship and endorsement scenarios since they are often corrosive to pluralism, creating division and mistrust.
These varied perspectives offer a ground for discussion or civil debate, but instead, they teeter into tension and the creation of stigmas. An ill-fated question many people ask is whether or not they would be viewed as intolerant or partisan-like for expressing their faith-based views. This fear leads to silenced discussions and narratives. Rather than create stereotypes and harmful narratives behind closed doors, arguments should be written, respectfully, of course, to protect others’ religious and political freedoms as well as your own.
Engaging With Belief: Empowerment vs. Constraint
Good acts should not be abused to be morally superior. Rather than doing good tasks just to garner support, do tasks that are already appreciated and acknowledged by the people around you. Then, deepen the reasoning behind your good. Sharing and translating your actions is not the equivalent of dominating and holding power. The trade-off of ideas, beliefs, and morals should not feel like a trap for either party. Sequentially, stray away from the “My congregation supports X, so I support X and you should too”. Sharing and translation, as previously mentioned, allow for civil conversation and debate on policy issues impacting the world, while the latter shuts down any ability to form new ideas. Connecting back to previous points, the healthiest civic spaces are those that invite conversation rather than suppress or dictate it.
Finally, congregations exist for all issues. Faith-based political views don’t always push for the “righteousness” narrative. Many congregations exist that lobby for environmental activism and immigrant justice. These are just as morally apt as any other congregation. Alongside that, do not be afraid to open your mind up to others’ beliefs. Express what you don’t know and respect dissent. Faith should push towards solidarity rather than supremacy, with effects such as stronger communities, reduced polarization, and greater trust.
So, Who Wins?
Ultimately, democracy wins. Faith often houses our thoughts, feelings, actions, and values. Like a house, there are many rooms, and surely there are enough to accommodate political views as well. Closed doors signal the rise of political polarization, but faith and politics are not a one-ended trade-off. In the spirit of E pluribus unum (out of many one), faith and politics are not enemies; if and when they are practiced with humility, they build the foundation for the pluralist democracy the United States aspires to be.