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Am I a Bigot?
I am struggling with a decision that I feel I must make to have peace of mind. And I’ve been contemplating it for weeks and find no matter what I decide, I believe I will lose. So I’m seeking out the advice of Ricochetees for your perspective to help me clarify the issue.
My question revolves around my volunteer work with Convention of States (https://conventionofstates.com/). Some of you already know that I was delighted to discover them, and even found I could play a role in writing for their blog. They are using Article V of the Constitution to respond to the abuses of the federal government and to return power to the people and the states. They have a Judeo-Christian focus. They are a principled organization, and the people with whom I’ve interacted have been friendly and helpful. No one has exerted pressure on me to take on more responsibility than I have. And the blog writing has given me the opportunity to work with other members, not only getting their help with the technical aspects, but their feedback on my writing.
Sounds great, doesn’t it?
The problem I identified showed up when I was asked if I wanted to sign up for their “Servant Leadership” class. It was scheduled to last nine weeks, included required reading, and we met on Zoom for each one-hour class. As I began to read the workbook, I discovered there were several quotations from the New Testament to support the course teachings. There were also a few quotations from the Old Testament, and Viktor Frankl was quoted twice; my “cynical self” wondered whether those were included to provide some kind of balance to the Christian overtones. We also begin every class with a prayer that is not specifically Christian, and I can’t decide whether that works for me or not.
We also use Slack, a messaging channel, and the people in my communications group don’t make Christian references at all; in fact, one woman is apparently Jewish but not observant. Others on our Slack Channel, however, often refer to God; I respect people who are religious but don’t necessarily want to be exposed to their religiosity.
The most recent comment shared was by the founder of the organization. He had mentioned in an earlier video as an aside that he was a convert to Christianity, which sounded fine, although the context was odd. The other day he mentioned in a recent video that he was a Jewish Christian; I don’t know why he thought it was important to state. Some of you may know that I’m uncomfortable with the idea of blending the two faiths, even though one of my favorite Ricochetees professes to be a Messianic Jew.
So what’s my beef?
Several events and situations could be contributing to my discomfort. I’ve never been particularly comfortable with blatantly Christian references. In the class I’m taking, other religious quotations could have been used, including the Buddha or Lao Tzu, but they weren’t. I would have preferred that quotations come from our esteemed Americans, particularly the Founders. Abraham Lincoln was quoted in one section (although I’m only halfway through the class).
There are also the events occurring in this country regarding anti-Semitism that are probably contributing to my sensitivity; absolutely no one in COS has said anything that could remotely be considered anti-Jew, but their frequent Christian references serve to remind me that I am an outsider. I’ve spent my whole life feeling like an outsider, to one degree or another, and am uneasy about the messages underneath the references. I wonder to what degree the organization’s calling itself “Judeo-Christian” calls for them to include religion in their publishing.
If I decide to leave the organization, I feel the need to give them some feedback. I don’t expect them to change anything; in some respects, I’m the one with the problem, not them. But I’m unclear on my own motivations: am I being unreasonable, expecting the organization to rely on non-religious sources? Should I just focus on my own contribution and my communications team and let the rest of it go?
Am I simply a bigot?
Published in Religion and Philosophy
We, as a nation, have a long history of prayer in government, and Jewish citizens from the beginning. As well as other religions, and agnostic and atheist people. A historical look at how this has been handled would be interesting.
Secondly, would a Convention of States actually do any good? What would it get us that we can’t do already but haven’t because we’re too lazy, weak, or disorganized? Could a Convention of States be redirected to do more harm than good?
I’ve covered these questions extensively in other posts, Don. They have many safeguards in place. The fact is that the legislators are too lazy, weak or disorganized. COS has a structured way to go through the process that would be very difficult to sabotage. I did my homework before I signed up.
@susanquinn – thank you for posting this; you present several distinct issues, all of which I think are worthy of thoughtful discussion. I hope this post makes it to the Main Feed.
Regarding the leading question, “Am I (Susan Quinn) a bigot?” Here’s my two-cents worth: if you are asking the question with a sincere and thoughtful heart, the answer is “no.” Bigotry is by its nature both unthinking and unaware. No one makes a bigoted statement, or holds bigoted views, having likewise thought carefully about it.
As far as the other topics, I’m curious to see what other threads might develop from the OP.
Thanks, PH. The other thing I worry about is that I sometimes overcomplicate issues. But my faith seems to be high on society’s radar right now, so I decided it was worth exploring.
Does a fish know water? Does a bird see the air? Do they know how blatant it seems to others? From the perspective that you are the one who sees this situation as problematic, you have choices they do not.
It is like having a friend who makes a particular grammatical error often. Will you point it out every time she makes the error? Will you get upset at her ignorance? Will you get stressed out with your shoulders up around your ears because she might do that again today? She’s eighty-two years old and never learned that nuance of grammar. Are you going to beat her over the head about it and maybe damage the friendship? Or are you going to ignore it and let it go? Or will you maybe mention it once very gently, and then ignore it and let it go afterwards if she does not remember? You have all the choices here.
One large choice is whether to make small things spoil relationships. And, yes, I acknowledge that you may see this as a large thing. They keep waving this Christianity stuff in your face, after all. But, it’s who they are. It is the focus of their lives. They can’t help talking about it anymore than that eighty-two-year-old woman can help talking about her grandkids. They do not mean to offend, but it is all that they can see. It is all they know. They are trying to do something large in life, but their journey has to start where they are. They may change themselves over time, but they are who they are right now. They do not know they are doing anything that offends, and they cannot move out of who they are without knowing they should.
Thus, we again come to your choices. Perhaps suggesting other references and perspectives might be helpful. You think that a reference to a Buddhist or Taoist saying will help improve the materials? Could you suggest it? More quotations of Americans could help? Could you suggest it? Rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater, perhaps keep in mind the aim is a clean baby and suggest cleaner bathwater?
Whatever you do, you have the power in this situation. Use your power well.
I agree with @postmodernhoplite that you, @susanquinn, are not a bigot. You have been made uncomfortable by an overtly Christian orientation of the people that apparently are leading the COS movement. I think it is important to examine why it is making you uncomfortable? Is it because what they are doing is at odds with your objectives? Is it because why they are doing it is different with why you are doing it? And if it is why, does the why determine a different end point for what you want? This is similar to the question of is it important that people not only do the right thing but also do it for the right reason? My own guess is that if you talk to the person behind the materials that are giving you pause you will quickly find out the answer as to whether your ends and theirs align.
Thanks so much, Arahant! What wisdom and caring! Yes, I do know I have the power, and I will mull this situation over even more. I think about whether simply suggesting they using other quotations might appeal to more people (at least to me). I don’t expect them to read my mind, either, so I will have to speak.
Another excellent suggestion. I would like to have a sincere discussion with the person who wrote the materials and get his perspective. In fact, it’s clear I probably need more information than I originally thought. Thanks, Rodin.
Susan,
I’m agnostic, about as lacking in religious faith as a functioning human can be. I was raised Catholic in a nation (America) deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian principles, and so, like most Americans of my age, I’ve been raised as a Christian in a great many important respects. I suspect that’s true of most of us here, including our Jewish friends.
I value secular government, and I have no desire to live under any kind of theocracy. At the same time, I believe that our government was created by people who were deeply informed by the Judeo-Christian tradition, and that, most likely, only that tradition could have produced the government we were gifted.
I’m generally skeptical of Article 5 movements, but you’ve made it clear that you don’t share that skepticism — at least not in this instance — and so let’s stipulate, for the sake of discussion, that the fundamental political wisdom of being involved in such a movement is not in question here. Having said that…
I would be uncomfortable with any such movement that was led by people who were not respectful of and enthusiastic about the Judeo-Christian tradition. I do not think I would want to live under the kind of government such people would be inclined to create.
Given that, I don’t think I’d find references to God off-putting in and of themselves. If the Bible is being invoked to defend specific policy proposals, I would want to push back against that. If religious references were distractingly disproportionate in their frequency compared to other topics discussed, that would concern me. You haven’t said that either is the case.
The absence of eastern religious or philosophical references bothers me not at all. I don’t want a great deal of diversity in my founding philosophy, and prefer the western canon. Maybe that’s bigotry on my part, this opinion that eastern traditions are inferior to our own. I’m okay with that.
In summary:
Is your discomfort with overt Christian references a kind of bigotry, akin to my disinterest in eastern philosophy? If that discomfort stems from a concern that Biblical arguments will too strongly shape political efforts, I’d say no, it probably isn’t bigotry. If your discomfort stems from something you can’t easily articulate, then maybe it is bigotry.
Either way, nothing you’ve said makes me think you should abandon this particular organization.
I don’t think you are a bigot.
I do wonder why others talking about their faith bothers you, though. Is it the being made to feel like an outisder?
Since I already know a lot about your thinking, I won’t address those specific comments. You are in a kind of neutral position on these questions, aren’t you? The following statement was made regarding the fact that good communication takes a lot of effort (which we all know):
So there is no policy recommendation from this quote, and it is meant to clarify the effort that good communication requires. Yet I’m not comfortable with the reference to Jesus and Matthew.
You asked me:
I’m not sure what you mean by the bolded sentence. For example, one person on Slack was sharing her delight that they might get religious teaching in a public school. It wasn’t policy, but it didn’t make me happy. But your question helps me realize that at some level I’m concerned about policies being developed that are religious–any religion. I’ll have to think that one over; that may be the source of some of my angst. Thanks, Hank.
I think the comment about fish/water will apply here. I grew up Christian and American, so unless quoting the Old Testament gets points for being Jewish, I fall into the fish category. Most of my historical quotes would be from the american revolution, so I would probably offend the British.
As an Engineer, I have very little knowledge of Buddha or Lao Tzu , but would be very interested in how their thoughts apply. It seems that there are many ways to work your way through life and they all teach us something. At the risk of stretching the analogy to the breaking point, it seems the water may be less significant than how the fish makes its way through it.
As far as the OP, I agree with @postmodernhoplite that you are too thoughtful to be a bigot.
I think that’s part of it, Bryan. I also think some Christians would love for me to become Christian, or accept Jesus, and at some level think less of me because I’m not interested. Yes, I’ve discussed that issue, and I don’t worry about people I know well (like I know you pretty well). At the same time, I have to remind myself that on the whole, I don’t care what people think of me; if they think less of me because I’m a Jew, it’s their problem.
Maybe it’s helpful to look at the bigger picture. Is the religiosity creating disagreement on the organization’s goals? However subtle, is it altering policies brought forth from the larger ideas? If the answer is ‘no,’ then perhaps there is an opportunity to offer supporting thoughts and quotes from additional sources.
Good questions, Chris. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I’m not in leadership, so I don’t know what discussions are being held. That kind of disagreement is not apparent.
Hi Susan, keeping it simple.
You don’t qualify for entry to Bigotry U and if you were admitted by mistake you would drop out in the first semester.
That’s a cute way to say it! Thanks, Mike.
No, of course you are not a bigot, Susan. I can appreciate your feelings. I am not religious and when I have gone to a Republican meeting or convention and they open it with a short prayer, I do not mind. The majority of my fellow Republicans are Christians and I don’t have a problem with that. When they give the lectern to a minister who makes a lengthy speech about how a particular candidate was chosen by God, it certainly makes me roll my eyes.
I don’t think there would be harm in pointing out that there are plenty of patriotic conservatives who are not Christians. They can do as they choose, but they should know that they may be pushing away people who want to help if the organizers give the impression that this is an explicitly religious organization.
Thanks, Randy. I like your attitude and suggestions.
Bingo.
You’re going to make the suggestions calmly and rationally (because that is who you are) and they’ll see that the reason for the suggestions is to make the message stronger. They’ll value that, or at least they should.
Susan, the fact that you are wrestling with these questions proves that you are in no way a bigot.
I wonder a few things. First, do you really want to be in this group at all, or is it possible that your mind is constructing reasons to get out of it? Second, do the benefits that you are deriving from the group exceed the costs to you of staying? And third, is there someone in the group to whom you might privately voice your concerns? If so, is it worth it to do that? Your time, after all, is your most valuable commodity.
Sometimes when I face a decision like this, I sit down with a pad and list all the reasons I should stay, and all the reasons I should go. It sounds simple, but it clarifies the decision-making process.
Above all, though, I wouldn’t spend inordinate time over-analyzing this. If your gut and your writing pad tell you it’s time to go, then it’s time to go. Nothing is permanent and there are plenty of other useful places that you can devote your efforts. They’ll get over it.
Good luck with the decision.
I think you’re looking at yourself as merely the recipient of the religious actions and beliefs of the founder and the other workers at the Convention of States. But you should see yourself not just as acted upon but as an actor. What can you as a Jew contribute to COS? What do you add that others do not have?
What an excellent lists of suggestions! Ordinarily I would have thought of some of them, so there’s a message in that, too. I’ve thought of speaking to one person in particular, privately. She’s a lovely person and teaches the Servant Leadership class. And she’s a parson’s wife. Isn’t it funny that I’d feel most comfortable with her? But then, maybe she is the best person to confide in. Thanks, Gene.
Great question, Steve. With several answers.
Possible, but highly unlikely. No matter what the COTS came up with, the results would have to pass the Constitutional amendment standard . . .
I get a bit frustrated when people suggest that it’s a flawed process (not you, Stad) when they haven’t studied the structures in place. Yes, I suppose they can’t account for every evil effort, but are we really satisfied with how our government is performing now?
@susanquinn
For at least four generations, we Americans have been operating according to the fiction that there is such a thing as secular neutrality. But a number of events have snatched those particular rose colored glasses off of many a Western nose. Not least in rudely opening the eyes of Western citizenry, was government behavior during Covid, and the transgender craze with its injustice and brutality toward women and children, the utter cravenness and negligent complicity of the West’s reaction to October 7th, and one could go on with examples ad nauseum. Most political and policy concerns – the ones people are passionate about at any rate – involve not strictly utilitarian questions but moral ones. There’s a reason that the left, especially, cosplays with the halo of virtue.
The problem we have is that principles for what constitutes humane government always rest on explicitly moral axioms. @henryracette alluded to this in his comments regarding how Judeo-Christian thought had influenced the American founders.
We have been running a multi-generational experiment into whether people can privatize their faith. Or, at least, insofar as public policy and politics are concerned.
In a serendipitous timing, I happened to write this on Substack this morning:
From your description, it sounds like you’ve fallen into a nest of conservatives who have decided to speak openly about how their faith informs their policy prescriptions. I suspect we’re all going to see much more of this going forward, because the depredations of government “experts” have so disabused people of the mythology that secular neutrality is even a thing.
Every system has a God, the only question is what or whom.
I would be gobsmacked to ever learn that Susan Quinn was a bigot. Having read much of what you’ve written, as I type this I feel like laughing out loud at the thought, tbh. In this particular case, it just sounds like (I could be wrong) your tension is over whether what seems to be shared moral assumptions with them in matters of politics and policy, is important enough for you to tolerate their explicit expressions of how their own faith has informed those shared assumptions. I don’t know anything about this organization, but maybe desperate times may call for strange bedfellows? I wonder if that is what’s going on in this particular case. <shrug>
Keith, I so respect your opinion due to the depth of your faith and your articulateness (is that a word?) It really hit home for me, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I especially appreciated this comment:
I have come to realize that my discomfort primarily comes from the workbook they use in their Servant Leadership course, which includes a number of New Testament quotes. I’ve now written a courteous and sincere email to ask if I might have a conversation with the author about his strategy. I think it might be helpful to know more about his point of view, and maybe he might learn something from mine.
Thanks so very much for weighing in, particularly at a time when I’m reaching clarity about my own thinking.
If you joined because you felt it was a good cause and served a purpose and enjoyed participating and interacting with others, then you should continue. Looking for a reason to not participate because there are Christian references seems excessive. When they reference a Judeo-Christian foundation, that to me (without digging into the group too much) means a “Western Civilization” view based on principles and values laid out in our Constitution and by our Founders. They themselves (our Founders and past presidents) referenced God, and religious quotes throughout all they wrote.
You could bring up with someone there your dis-comfort, and you may learn something new about yourself. It sounds like they have a very supportive outlook (for both Christians and Jews) and toward everyone, which we very much need right now.