New Claimants to Religious Tolerance and Protection

Abstract

IntroductionIn The Myth of the Judeo-Christian Tradition, Arthur A. Cohen questionsthe notion that a "Judeo-Christian" tradition even exists, and suggeststhat it is an invention of twentieth century American politics spawned byefforts to form a cultural consensus and, in the process, homogenize religiousidentification and promote interfaith harmony. The conception of such atradition is, in Cohen's words, " ... mythological or, rather, not preciselymythological but ideological and hence, as in all ideologies, shot throughwith falsification, distortion, and untruth."A political use of the term "Judeo-Christian" has gained particular currencyin the latter part of the twentieth century as reliance on certain religiousvalues, symbols and rhetoric in public discourse has both generated andreflected popular approval, the ideal of separation of church and state not withstanding.Common assumptions about the place of religion and moralityin public life are being reevaluated. In an era of greater conformity andconsensus-building, ushered in by a general swing toward conservatism inNorth American politics, an effort is being made to resurrect a shared setof traditional beliefs and values thought once to be the backbone of Americanand Canadian life. Instead of celebrating diversity and pluralism in NorthAmerica, the emphasis has been placed on the merits of unity and a sharedsense of ethics. Conservatives are engaged in an effort to redefine Americanvalues and beliefs and ameliorate what they see as deplorable conditionsprecipitated by the liberalism, secularity and moral relativism of the 1960s.This corrective impulse is proving to be an important factor in reshapingboth the religious and political scene.It is in this context that the meaning of difference has been obscured.A commitment to pluralism has been an important part of the heritage ofNorth American societies, especially Canada, since their inception and yetwhat is meant by reference to the "Judeo-Christian" tradition remains ambiguous.Rather than promoting interfaith harmony, the current use of theconcept functions to exclude those who are judged to deviate from the socialand cultural norm or to be nonbelievers, i.e., persons conceived to be a threatto the bedrock values of America. Observers of the North American religiousscene have noted that religion is used as a means of negotiating one's placein society and establishing identity. Public figures appeal to our sense ofnational identity and patriotism by talking about the United States as a 'judeoChristiannation," which, in effect, serves to exclude other religious groups(such as Muslims) and nonreligious groups from the mainstream of Americansociery.What is implied by reference to "Judeo-Christian" is even narrowerthosewho actually mean to promote an exclusively Christian America6 useit to signify the defense of purportedly Christian-cum-American values andlife-style from the inroads of secular humanism. President Reagan, in his1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando. Florida, ...