Politics in 2016 is an especially nasty business. Politicians are eager to try anything to gain support and advance their candidacy –– ethics and decency be d****d. While this is nothing new, this election cycle seems to stand apart in its divisiveness. The political establishments in both parties are working overtime to divide us among racial, socioeconomic, and even religious lines in order to segment the population in a way that pushes us into voting one way or the other.
The effects of this political reality can be seen everywhere, as our country becomes more and more polarized. While this may seem like only a temporary issue that will dissipate following the election, much of the harm caused today can not simply be undone. Politics is creeping its way into almost every facet of our lives, and the division caused by this election will continue to affect us long after November. In an election year chock full of slurs and identity politics, it is more important than ever that we hang on to our shared American values.
Among these shared values is a commitment to the free exercise of religion. Freedom of religion is a principle enshrined in our Constitution’s very first amendment. It is a principle that brings people of all faith together, and most importantly it is a principle that could be in danger of losing.
Recently we have seen a few French cities place a ban on the “burkini,” a type of modest swimwear used by Muslim women in accordance with their religion. Although this situation is taking place in a foreign country, it won’t take long for these fear-inspired laws to make their way across the Atlantic to the land of the free. In fact, state action targeting Muslims has already been proposed and in some cases enacted here in the United States. Such efforts have manifested themselves in the case of the Muslim police officer in New York who has been forced to choose between keeping his beard in accordance with his faith and continuing to serve in the NYPD. They are heard in the words of Donald Trump and his proposals to ban Muslim immigration. They are even seen in efforts to strip citizens of their constitutional rights using the discriminatory and arbitrary No-Fly and Terrorist Watch Lists.
I understand that the American people fear becoming the victims of ISIS inspired terrorism, and many are angry at the atrocities happening in the middle east by barbarians who claim to represent the Islamic faith. However, I also understand that if America is to remain the beacon of freedom and liberty that we so proudly proclaim to be, we must protect the rights of all Americans regardless of our fears or anger.
Christians must lead the way in support of the rights of minority religious communities. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is also the self-interested thing to do. While the Christian population in America is certainly still the largest religious group, a 2015 Pew Research study found that millennials are almost equally as likely to identify as “unaffiliated” (atheist, agnostic, etc.) as they are to identify with all protestant denominations combined. Younger millennials were even more likely to be unaffiliated than older millennials. The results are consistent with a several decade long trend in America in which each new generation identifies as more secular than previous generation. If this trend continues –– which it almost certainly will –– one can only assume that we are merely a few generations away from seeing an America that is no longer predominantly Christian. Support for minority religious rights today can only help secure the religious freedom of Christians generations from now.
Christians should take advice from the late Martin Niemöller, a Lutheran pastor who survived the Holocaust. In a famous poem titled “First they came …”, Niemöller explained how the Nazis first came for minority groups like socialists and Jews, and he did not speak up because he was not a part of those groups. However, eventually Niemöller realized his mistake and said that “then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.” If Christians don’t help to protect the freedom of religion of minority religious groups today, we might find that no one will be willing to speak up for us tomorrow.
Christians should keep spreading the gospel unapologetically, that is what freedom of religion is all about. However, Christians must stand on the frontlines to fight against all attempts to thwart the free exercise of religion –– especially when those who are perceived to be the most at odds with Christianity are the targets. In an election cycle fueled by polarization and fear, Christians need to lead the way and help protect our most sacred shared values.
Josh Shumate is a graduate student studying public administration. His column runs biweekly.
