Although there are many Christians who oppose Bush and have fought for peace during this administration, they get little media attention. Instead, Christianity is represented by neo-conservatives whose main goal seems to be to “kick Muslim butt”. Today the public face of Christianity consists of ministers like Rev. Charles Stanley of Atlanta’s First Baptist Church, who preaches in church that God loves war. (I think it goes without saying that Jesus would be appalled.)

If the middle east blows up into a religious war between Judeo-Christianity and Islam, as seems more and more likely, the resulting damage to the U. S. will be blamed not just on Bush but on Christianity — “Christinsanity” you might call it. One of the consequences is that American society will become far more disdainful of religion, and far more secular.

It is unfortunate, because religion is capable of being a strong, positive moral force within society. During the Vietnamese war, Christians and “Jesus freaks” led the anti-war movement. Today, most of the peace movement’s leaders seem to be secular. Somewhere or other Christiantiy in America has lost its moral compass. It’s become focused on personal salvation rather than on peace, justice, or fairness. (Over that same period liberal denominations have shriveled up and conservative ones have quadrupled in membership.)

A good example of religion losing out as a consequence of warfare can be found in the American Revolution. Before it began, Puritanism and the Church of England dominated the American religious landscape. But they supported England and the Tories. After the war, church membership dwindled to less than 20% of the American population, and the churches that did survive, like the Baptists and Unitarians, were those that had supported the Revolutionaries. Christianity recovered eventually, but it was the liberal Christianity of the Baptists. The Revolutionary war killed off Puritanism.

Although it may seem paradoxical, since I’m an atheist, I want Christianity to become a positive moral force again. This is because I don’t have a lot of confidence in the moral compass of people who become atheists out of reaction or for the wrong reasons. I wish Christians would rise up in opposition to Bush’s mid-east policies, but unfortunately I don’t see it happening. The moral compass just isn’t there anymore.