Hitting the Nail on the Head
Staring at a title, tempted by two words, I clicked – it looked like a knife fight was coming. Between an atheist and an evangelical Christian.
Growing up in Kentucky, David French went to a small Christian college, went on to Harvard Law School, served in the army during the Iraq War, came home with a bronze star; time passed, leaving his law practice, he wrote articles for National Review, The Dispatch – an evangelical Christian he now works at the New York Times which sounds odd – but he’s a rare columnist.
Jonathan Rauch went to Yale, lives in Washington DC, works at the liberal Brookings Institution, writes books, calls himself “an unrepentantly atheistic Jewish homosexual.”
French put Rauch on the spot with his first question in their interview: You don’t believe in God but in your book you argue for American democracy to flourish we need Christianity.
Calm, voice polite, the unrepentant atheist said Americans need virtues like respect for truth and law for the Constitution to work but those virtues don’t come from the Constitution – the Founders told us they came from Christianity.
French bluntly asked if the decline in Christianity meant the decline of democracy?
Rauch touched an old chord.
Years ago, British theologian G.K. Chesterton said when men abandon God they don’t stop believing – instead they start looking for something new to believe in.
Today, with faith ebbing in America, men turn to creeds – like wokeness or MAGA. Or, believing in power, land in politics. But those siren songs all fail.
Rolling on Rauch and French talked about three tribes of Christians.
Many churches today, secularized, have become more like social clubs than churches – Rauch and French agreed they give us watery Thin Christians.
Christianity, once the dominant faith in America, is dominant no more. Staring at powerful, unexpected, enemies fear strikes other Christians. Fear leads to anger. And, when a politician promises, as Trump did, vote for me and I’ll give you power – Sharp Christians march behind him.
Thick Christians still have the old-fashioned faith to overcome fear and forgive sinners – but are a fading tribe.
French asked Rauch: Is healing was possible?
Rauch ruminated saying many people see the church as too far gone. As lost. Then holding out an olive branch the atheist told the evangelical he disagreed – that he saw Christianity as load-bearing wall beneath democracy.
David French’s column wasn’t the knife fight I expected. But he hit the nail on the head.
Order Carter Wrenn’s memoir – The Trail of the Serpent – telling stories about politics from Reagan to Trump on Amazon.
Hitting the Nail on the Head
Staring at a title, tempted by two words, I clicked – it looked like a knife fight was coming. Between an atheist and an evangelical Christian.
Growing up in Kentucky, David French went to a small Christian college, went on to Harvard Law School, served in the army during the Iraq War, came home with a bronze star; time passed, leaving his law practice, he wrote articles for National Review, The Dispatch – an evangelical Christian he now works at the New York Times which sounds odd – but he’s a rare columnist.
Jonathan Rauch went to Yale, lives in Washington DC, works at the liberal Brookings Institution, writes books, calls himself “an unrepentantly atheistic Jewish homosexual.”
French put Rauch on the spot with his first question in their interview: You don’t believe in God but in your book you argue for American democracy to flourish we need Christianity.
Calm, voice polite, the unrepentant atheist said Americans need virtues like respect for truth and law for the Constitution to work but those virtues don’t come from the Constitution – the Founders told us they came from Christianity.
French bluntly asked if the decline in Christianity meant the decline of democracy?
Rauch touched an old chord.
Years ago, British theologian G.K. Chesterton said when men abandon God they don’t stop believing – instead they start looking for something new to believe in.
Today, with faith ebbing in America, men turn to creeds – like wokeness or MAGA. Or, believing in power, land in politics. But those siren songs all fail.
Rolling on Rauch and French talked about three tribes of Christians.
Many churches today, secularized, have become more like social clubs than churches – Rauch and French agreed they give us watery Thin Christians.
Christianity, once the dominant faith in America, is dominant no more. Staring at powerful, unexpected, enemies fear strikes other Christians. Fear leads to anger. And, when a politician promises, as Trump did, vote for me and I’ll give you power – Sharp Christians march behind him.
Thick Christians still have the old-fashioned faith to overcome fear and forgive sinners – but are a fading tribe.
French asked Rauch: Is healing was possible?
Rauch ruminated saying many people see the church as too far gone. As lost. Then holding out an olive branch the atheist told the evangelical he disagreed – that he saw Christianity as load-bearing wall beneath democracy.
David French’s column wasn’t the knife fight I expected. But he hit the nail on the head.
Order Carter Wrenn’s memoir – The Trail of the Serpent – telling stories about politics from Reagan to Trump on Amazon.