CGC Journal - December 2024
We're Building a Co-learning Community of Empathetic Societal Change Agents
DECEMBER 2024 | ISSUE 17
Christianity’s Racial Politics: When is the Season for Truth-Telling in America?
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Current Events - Christianity’s Racial Politics: When is the Season for Truth-Telling?
Emily’s Corner - Discomfort is the pathway to change
Talking With Kids - What is Thanksgiving?
Barbara’s Perspective - Barbara’s holiday
African Insights - Nine tenets of ancient African optimal health
Recommended Resources - New resources recommended every month
THE 2025 CGC JOURNAL WILL BE REDESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE EMAILS.
THIS IS LAST FULL-LENGTH VERSION FOR 2024.
SEE BACK ISSUES TO ADD MORE LINKED RESOURCES TO YOUR LIBRARY.
Christianity’s Racial Politics: When is the Season for Truth-Telling in America?
During this holiday (holy day) season of Thanksgiving and Christmas gift-giving, I’m reminded of the underlying religious influence in our laws and our electoral process (which is bitterly divided). My own journey into understanding this current paradigm required a lens of historical context.
It was Presidential Inauguration Day in our nation’s capital. I was standing in the freezing cold and rain in along with 300,000 others to witness the incoming president, George W. Bush on January 20, 2001 take the oath of office. He was elected in the closest and most contentious presidential elections in American history. Just a couple months earlier, the Supreme Court had weighed in on the Florida controversy over a vote recount. The Court’s ruling handed the electoral college, and the presidency, to George W. Bush, whose father was a one-term president and two-term vice president under Ronald Reagan.
I stood on the wet muddy lawn in front of the reflecting pond on the day George W. Bush was first sworn into office. I witnessed the ceremonial transfer of power in person. Then a Republican member of Congress invited me to his office, introduced me to his family, and handed me two tickets to one of the inaugural balls later that evening; this one held at the Library of Congress.
I have many memories from that experience in our nation’s capital. But it was the pervasive religious symbolism that left an indelible mark in my memory and continues to underscore my awareness of the enormous Christian influence over our governmental institutions of power… and in every election of people to power. I’m not ascribing any good or bad labels to this point. The facts are what they are. Let’s first focus on acknowledging the facts before leaping into an analysis of the impact of such religious influence on American laws and political power.
EUROPEAN CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE
I noticed Bush place his hand on a bible, which is considered the sacred Word of God, as he swore an oath to a manmade constitution, which is also considered a sacred document. This practice of presidents swearing in on a bible dates back to the first presidential inauguration of George Washington. Symbolism.
I noticed the sculpted European face of the African-born Moses carved into the upper wall in the House of Representatives where it meets the bottom of the domed ceiling. Moses’ face is depicted full frontal alongside other famous lawgivers, whose faces are depicted as mere profiles, giving Moses deference. Symbolism.
The Supreme Court building also features a European depiction of the African-born Moses in a line of “great lawgivers in history.” Moses is holding the 10 Commandments, although only four of them can be seen on one tablet. The long beard of Moses obscures most of the Hebrew writing. So, the commandment that demands we do not steal instead reads, “steal.” It also commands to “kill” and “commit adultery.” Symbolism. (See the entire procession with names).
I find it interesting to note the fact that the executive branch has a symbolic ceremony wherein the incoming president swears on a bible. The lawmaking branch of government, which is Congress, pays homage to Moses, an African leader chosen by God (recognized by Judaism, Christianity and Islam) as a lawgiver. And the Supreme Court, which interprets the law as the highest Court in the land, also pay homage to Moses and the 10 Commandments as sacred law. The plain-sight evidence reveals Christian beliefs within the core construct of all three branches of the U.S. government…from its inception.
The symbolism of intertwining Christianity with the secular creation of this nation extends to the first constitution established on this continent by Europeans: the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution written by John Adams, who would become the first Vice President of the United States under Washington.
The state of Massachusetts Constitution would later serve as the model template for the U.S. Constitution. Unlike the U.S. Constitution, Adams’ original Massachusetts state constitution includes the explicit term, “Christian.” Although the Christian religion is implied throughout, this term appears explicitly four times in the document to remove all doubt.
“Part I: Art III: And every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination of any sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law.
“Chapter II: Art. II: The governor shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to this office, unless, at the time of his election, he shall have been an inhabitant of this commonwealth for seven years next preceding; and unless he shall, at the same time, be seized, in his own right, of a freehold, within the commonwealth, of the value of one thousand pounds; and unless he shall declare himself to be of the Christian religion.
“Chapter V: Article I: Whereas our wise and pious ancestors, so early as the year [1636], laid the foundation of Harvard College, in which university many persons of great prominence have, by the blessing of God, been initiated in those arts and sciences which qualified them for the public employments, both in church and State; and whereas the encouragement of arts and sciences, and all good literature, tends to the honor of God, the advantage of the Christian religion, and the great benefit of this and the other United States of America, it is declared, that the president and fellows of Harvard College, in their corporate capacity, and their successors in that capacity, their officers and servants, shall…
“Article I. Any person chosen governor, lieutenant-governor, councillor, senator, or representative, and accepting the trust, shall, before he proceed to execute the duties of his place or office, make and subscribe the following declaration:
“’I, A.B., do declare that I believe the Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth; and that I am seized and possessed, in my own right, of the property required by the constitution, as one qualification for the office or place to which I am elected.’”
POLITICS OF RACE ROOTED IN CHRISTIANITY
It is important to recognize the facts in the American system of electoral governance. Too often we get caught in the emotions of political messaging and the game of telephone that empowers political enemies to wield the weapon of disingenuous demonization of the opposing side. This hammering by both sides over the heads of the other tends to further cement each side in their resolve to demonize the other and disregard facts. The truth becomes a casualty of such vitriol and willful ignorance.
What would happen if we explored the truth and remained open to learning what it can teach us?
The U.S. constitution governs the process of how this country elects its leaders, a process that is relegated to the states and local county governments. Collecting objective voting data reveals how the American electorate responds to the political parties and candidate choices provided in any given election.
Voting data, disaggregated by demographic groups, offers insightful knowledge and helps us gain a better understanding of the political dynamics that emerge from prevailing attitudes and aspirations of the American electorate. The largest voting demographic, by far, are White voters. They represent 71% of the total population of 150 million voters who participated in the 2024 election. That’s 106.5 million White voters. And a majority of those supported Trump in this election, as a majority of White voters did in the last two previous elections.
In the 2024 election the voting data clearly revealed two consistent trends that are rooted in history: