What we need is a social vision which sees how human individuals depend, even for their freedoms, on a healthy society and how a healthy society requires the initiative and creativity of fully energized individuals. Irving Friedman comes close: “…man participates in the destiny of the world as a whole, with which his fate is interwoven. Not only can his repentance effect his own inner and outer future, but it can help to repair the universe as well.”

I have been reading—in this election year—the great 16th–18th century Enlightenment thinkers whose social vision stands beneath the American democratic experiment—people like Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, all the way to J.S. Mill in the 19th century—and it is fun to see them struggling with these issues and coming out all over the place. If we don’t learn from them answers for today, we do learn how complex the issues really are.

This is what I keep hoping, fruitlessly so far, that elections would be about. What we get is some weird cross between a beauty contest and barroom brawl, when I’m hoping for a reasoned discussion of the commonweal, understanding that what’s good for us as a community will also be good for the individuals who comprise the community; but also that my repentance—my struggling for a good life, a whole life, is basic to repairing the universe. The universe is the sum of its parts.

What does this have to do with the Church, or with religion? That is an extremely complicated question. I believe strongly in the separation of Church and State. I believe even in the famous Jeffersonian “Wall of Separation” that is so very controversial. But on the other hand, I must confess that there is no way in practice that I can segregate my faith off from my life in society. All the things I believe—not just about God and salvation, but also about social ethics—are based in my faith. Compartments are artificial things. Life is organic and all its parts are connected.

For me, at least this is my dream, the Church should be a community of moral seriousness, but also charity, where the big questions can be discussed without the rancor and ill-will that seem to besmirch our Party politics. Current discussions over homosexuality or abortion or war and peace issues in our churches show how far we are from the fulfillment of the dream. We are as angry and divided as Republicans and Democrats. In some frightening ways, our churches even seem to be dividing along party lines—Republicans choosing Fundamentalism while Democrats opt for the old Mainline. Roman Catholic bishops excommunicate liberal politicians. This is a disaster for the Church and will disable us as a place where it is safe to disagree and argue because we are, despite differences, brothers and sisters in God’s grace. The Church must not become a Party.

But neither should we allow the Church to become safe by making it innocuous and bland. The issues are big and very serious and need serious and profound discussion. So we must be willing to talk freely and to resist the temptation to demonize those who disagree with us. We all, me too, have a tendency to do this. It must be enough for me to think you are wrong or misguided, I must not go further and decide you must be evil or malign. “Evil” or “malign” stops conversation in its tracks.

Being Christian and American make both different. Our Christianity is different because of our American experience and our Americanism is different because of our Christian faith. They can be a gift to each other. Perhaps—if we get to open conversation—our Christianity can help American individualism to remember the importance of communal life, while American political culture can teach our religion to be less afraid of individual freedom. Contrary to the many doomsayers, I believe religion is alive and well in America. The Church has benefited more than the State has from the Wall of Separation. It is the source of our vitality and creativity.

So be sure to vote this month—it is your duty as a Christian to participate in the life of your community. Together all of us—Republican, Democrat, Independent—and all of us—Christian, Jew, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Agnostic—can achieve great things, including fusing this great place of individual freedom into a genuine community of justice for all.

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