Religious right leaders divided about Tea Party
The possibility of the Tea Party movement and the religious right joining forces has been an object of considerable speculation of late. Two recent articles by major religious right figures add some new wrinkles to the conversation. Writing in Christianity Today yesterday, Chuck Colson – a driving force behind the Manhattan Declaration – firmly rebuked the Tea Partiers’ political philosophy (or lack thereof) as inconsistent with Christian political engagement:
Populist movements in the U.S. can be healthy, as when Andrew Jackson broke the grip of the eastern elite on the presidency, or when William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic candidate for President, led a movement to give greater voice to the disillusioned masses. But this time, a massive wave of anti-government sentiment could shatter the political consensus, which may well leave the country virtually unmanageable.
The inevitable consequence of all of this should deeply trouble Christians, who, of any segment of our society, understand the necessity of a strong government…
…The tea party movement may have a lot of traction in America today, but it makes no attempt to present a governing philosophy. It simply seeks an outlet–an understandable one–for the brooding frustrations of many Americans. But anti-government attitudes are not the substitute for good government.We should be instructing people enraged at the excesses of Washington and the growing ethical malaise in the Capitol to focus their rage at fixing government, not throwing the baby out with the bath water.
We Christians are to be the best citizens, praying for our leaders and holding them in high regard, even as we push for the reforms desperately needed to keep representative government flourishing. Only when we funnel frustrations into constructive reformation can we expect a government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.
On the other hand, Harry Jackson – a Manhattan Declaration signer and a mainstay in politically engaged conservative Christian circles –praised the Tea Party’s philosophy in the Christian Post, while providing mild criticism of its excesses:
In response to Tea Party critics, conservative media pundits have spent countless hours defending the movement and its motives. I believe that the Tea Party deserves the benefit of the doubt. Nonetheless, it must dispel the idea that it’s a new manifestation of older racist movements.
Ironically, the Tea Party movement has become a victim of its own success. Its popularity represents a threat to “business as usual” inside the Beltway. It is time for real, collaborative leadership to emerge and give direction to the Tea Party. As someone who believes that the Tea Party movement is a return to foundational American values, I suggest a PR makeover. The worst thing that could happen to this movement is that its important message gets marginalized because of poor messaging and management.
After the ugliness and hate the Tea Partiers displayed around the healthcare vote, these leaders of the religious right agree that the movement presents a problem, but don’t see eye to eye about whether it’s a matter of style or a matter of substance. It’ll be interesting to see who sides with Colson and who sides with Jackson in this evolving discussion.
UPDATE: Adding yet another viewpoint, in an interview with ABC’s Topline yesterday, Tony Perkins not only warned that the Republican party faces competition from the Tea Party movement for social conservative voters, but also said “…our constituents across the country — who by the way are very engaged right now — they’re a part of the Tea Party movements, they want to effect change [emphasis added].”