美國人看美國 （三）： 宗教和政治在美國

美國人看美國（三）： 宗教和政治在美國

文/羅傑   翻譯/ 丹奇

(2011年10月15日)

我生長在一個父母都是經常去教會的家庭。我自己從孩童到少年時代也是經常去教會。我的成長過程中，一直相信上帝和聖經的信息—我現在仍然相信。然後，在我的成長過程中，我記得我們的父母親從來沒有把政治和宗教混為一談，或投票的時候以候選人去哪個教會或去不去教會而判斷是否選他。事實上，那時的媒體幾乎從來沒有把宗教納入政治辯論里。

自從1980年總統大選時共和黨採取策略試圖保住南部成為共和黨陣營，改變幾十年一直由民主黨把持局面開始，這一切都變了。共和黨達到目的的手段是與由拉爾夫雷德領頭的基督教徒聯合會結成聯盟。共和黨充分利用了這些聖經地帶者希望和恐懼的心理。有效地妖魔化了」無神論「的民主黨。因為他們支持婦女的選擇權，非裔美國人的公民權或者我們這個國家有需要的人應該獲得的制度。

自從那時起，宗教，尤其是對共和黨來說，已經變成了共和黨的一個組成部分。

但是，我現在相信宗教已經以具有破壞性和分裂的方式取代了共和黨的政治進程。成為基督徒還不夠好。你必須是某種基督徒，一個福音派的獲得重生的基督徒。不能是天主教徒，不能是摩門教徒，不能是猶太教徒。不行！你必須是美國福音運動在地獄中經歷火把燃燒的一部分。

米特羅姆尼，前麻州州長，就被指責為屬於邪教，一個令人想起來就很邪惡的辭彙。羅姆尼先生是摩門教徒。他所屬教會叫做耶穌基督末日聖徒教會。縱觀他的所有歷史，是一個好人，一個有道德修養，人品高貴的人，高度符合總統辦公室的資格。但是，他被80%的福音派牧師取消資格和被妖魔化，認為他的宗教是邪教。

我相信這些看不起羅姆尼先生的福音派牧師們很顯然情願美國選一個 差一點的總統，只要他或者她去對了教會就行。

我發現這是我們國家和政治上一個令人擔憂的趨勢。這個國家是由那些遭受宗教信仰迫害的人建立的。但是，現在，我們繞了一大圈回來迫害並且妖魔化那些與我們信仰不一樣的人。這些人完全徹底地丟棄了政教分家的憲法，相反，他們植入了自己的信仰並試圖強迫國內其他人，信眾或者非信眾，信他們所信，並接受他們認為「更好的價值」。

我現在相信有組織的宗教已經開始變成我們政治話語中的邪魔。不是因為宗教是邪魔或壞事。而是因為那些組織者已經玷污了並且毀掉了他們宗教中的實則精神和善意來滿足他們自己的不容忍和對政治權利的貪婪。

如果我們的國家變成一個我們的領導人必須「宗教合格」的國家，那麼離通過教育背景，皮膚的顏色，眼睛的形狀，和居住的社區鄰居來論斷人們的價值就不遠了。如果發生這一切，我們就又是繞了一大圈把我們過去50年奮鬥所獲得的進步徹底摧毀了。

RELIGION AND POLITICS

IN THE USA

By Tadie (10/15/2011)

I grew up in a  home where my parents were regular church attendee』s and I was one also as a child and teenager. I grew up believing in God and message of the bible – and I still do. However, while growing up I never recall my parents mixing their religion with politics or judging who they would vote for based on that persons 「church going」 or whether they went to church at all. In fact, religion barely registered at all in political debate in the media back then.

That all changed with the Presidential Election in 1980 and Republican』s strategies to try to secure the Southern part of the USA as Republican rather than being dominated by the Democrats as it had been for decades. The way the Republicans achieved this was with an alliance through the CHRISTIAN COALITION headed by Ralph Reed. The GOP played to these bible belters hopes and fears and effectively demonized the 「godless」 Democrats who had supported a woman』s right to choose, or civil rights for black Americans, or entitlement programs for the needy in our country.

Since that time religion, particularly for the Republican party, has become an integral part of being a Republican.

But, I now believe that religion has taken over the political process for the GOP, and in a destructive and divisive manner. It』s not just good enough to be a 「Christian」 now – you have to be a certain type of Christian, an Evangelical Born Again Christian. Can』t be Catholic, can』t be Mormon, can』t be Jewish. No. You have to be part of the firebrand burn in hell evangelical movement in America.

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachussett, has been accused of belonging to a 「cult」, a word that makes one think of something evil. Mr. Romney is a Mormom. The name of the church he belongs to is the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST LATTER DAY SAINTS. By all accounts and his history he is good man, a moral man, an ethical man who  is highly qualified for the office of the President. But, he is disqualified and demonized by 80% of evangelical ministers who believe his religion is a cult !

These evangelical ministers who despise Mr. Romney』s religion apparently believe it is better for America to have a  less qualified President – as long as he or she attends the right church.

I find this to be a very disturbing trend in our country and its politics. This country was founded by those who had been persecuted for their religious beliefs. But, now, we have come full circle to persecute and demonize those who don』t believe like we do. Those who believe that way have totally and absolutely disregarded the Constitutional separation of Church and State and instead inserted their own beliefs in an attempt to force the rest of the country, believers or not, to their way  thinking and what they think are 「better values」.

I now believe that organized religion has become an evil in our political discourse. Not because religion is evil or bad – but because those who have organized it have tainted it and destroyed the actual essence and goodness of their religion to fit their own intolerant beliefs and political power grab.

If we become a country where our leaders have to be 「reliously qualified」 it』s not far behind to start determining peoples value by their education, the color of their skin, the shape of their eyes and the neighborhood they live in. And when that happens, we will have come full circle and defeated all the progress we have gained in the past 50 years.