The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion

Stephen L. Carter's The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion (New York: Basic Books, c. 1993), is an astute assessment of a growing issue in this country. Carter is an African-American law professor at Yale University, a self-professed "liberal" Democrat who's grown restive at the sustained political pressure to drive religious belief from the public forum. In Carter's judgment, "the effort to banish religion for politics' sake has led us astray: In our sensible zeal to keep religion from dominating our politics, we have created a political and legal culture that presses the religiously faithful to be other than themselves, to act publicly, and sometimes privately as well, as though their faith does not matter to them" (p. 3). In short: public officials listen respectfully and act with consideration when dealing with every segment of the populace except the devoutly religious. For example, a Colorado public school teacher was ordered to remove his Bible from his desk at school, where students might perchance see it. "He was forbidden to read it silently when his students were involved in other activities. He was also told to take away books on Christianity he had added to the classroom library, although books on Native American religious traditions, as well as on the occult, were allowed to remain" (pp. 11-12). Despite the clear presence of millions of committed Christians in America (some polls indicate some 85% of this nation's residents identify themselves thusly), their influence has been systematically excluded from the political processes. Gay activists and minority leaders, feminists and environmental advocates all have access to the corridors of power and are treated with respect by journalists and jurists. Whereas leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. once easily blended faith and politics, today religious convictions are ruled irrelevant to all but one's personal beliefs. The thing that changed everything, Carter, argues, "can be captured in one word: abortion" (p. 57). The 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision changed all the rules. Suddenly those favoring "abortion rights" discovered that religious folks, in this case the "religious right," had anti-abortion convictions, and had no right to influence public policy. It was once in vogue to cite scrip¬ture's authority, declaring we are all created in the image of God and thus equal, when marching to protest segregation, but it is no longer permissible to cite it when marching to protest abortion. This situation prods Carter to re-examine the vaunted "separation of church and state" in America. First, we must understand what the First Amendment to the Constitution actually says. It did not seek to exclude religion from interfering with politics but to protect religion from political interference. Our Founding Fathers wanted to insure the freedom of religion, listing it before freedom of speech and

I found this to be an especially thought-provoking, at times unsettling book to read. Carter has obviously given a great deal of careful thought to the important issues he addresses. For example, he is deeply concerned about what he views as a deterioration of spirituality in American society. Ours is perhaps the most democratic of all capitalistic cultures, ensuring strict separation of church and state as well as the right to embrace any religion (or none). Carter fully supports that separation and indicates zero-tolerance of threats to that right. However, he repudiates efforts by those among the national media with a strong liberal bias who trivialize basic values which are, in fact, common to all of the world's major religions. He asserts that these values should guide and inform national policy (not the other way around), just as they once did when thirteen colonies declared war on the most powerful nation in the world and then reaffirmed the same values 12 years later in the new nation's Constitution and Bill of Rights. In Christianity on Trial, Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett provide both a broad overview and a close analysis of various accusations against the Christian church over the centuries. Many of these accusations were valid; others were not. However, undeniably, the Hellenic-Hebraic values of Christianity are inextricably bound up in the fabric of American legal as well as political and social history. It's hard for me to believe but it has been more 40 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his associates began their efforts to achieve full and unqualified human rights for all Americans. Carter is hardly alone when asking "What has been accomplished since then? What remains to be done?" Not all readers will agree with the answers he has formulated, at least thus far, but I think everyone who reads this book will be much better prepared to consider basic issues which transcend legality in pursuit of justice, which transcend consensus in pursuit of fundamental human decency.

I had to read this book in one of my political science classes in the summer of 1994. It is one of my two most favorite books I had to read in school (the other being "The Complete Yes Minister", about the British government). "The Culture of Disbelief" was a joy to read. The liberal professor picked out four books we had to read and discuss, and this was one of them. Some of us in the class decided he had no idea this book would be so pro-religion because he wouldn't even discuss the book at the end of the semester like he did the other books. Many of us were laughing up our sleeves. lol This book is excellent in discussing and exposing how religion has been shoved out of public life, and some of the absurdities that go on in our classrooms today. For example, refusing to allow the Bible to be in a grade school classroom bookshelf, but allowing books on the occult and ancient indian religions. I mentioned this to my professor and he said "Well, they would try to influence you (meaning the Bible and whoever put it there)." Excuse me?? Its ok for the occult to influence our children, but not the Bible? This book and that professor's remark shows the insanity of what liberals are trying to do to this country today. If you are interested in the culture war raging in the U.S., this book is for you.

Carter, through this beautifully written book exposes our contemporary culture that trivializes religion. In the approach of American politics as well as the leagal system towards religious faiths, there is an increasing attitude of disdain. Therefore the brave and bold voice of Carter is sure to raise some discussion, which in turn would bring about some change. Those advocates of our modern culture who repeatedly talk about the separation of state and religion must first read this book even before they open their mouth.

Excellent discussion of the paucity of true religious debat