Secular vs. spiritual in American politics

Each week, The World and Everything in It features a “Culture Friday” segment, in which Executive Producer Nick Eicher discusses the latest cultural news with John Stonestreet of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. This week, Trevin Wax from The Gospel Coalition, filled in for Stonestreet. Here is a summary of their conversation.

Neurosurgeon Ben Carson has refused to apologize or walk back remarks he made last month about whether a Muslim ought to be president. His statement has remained news throughout the month, to the point where The New York Times stated in a headline just last week, “Ben Carson finds momentum in provocative remarks.”

Carson, at the front of the pack of Republican presidential candidates, has qualified his statement only by saying he would oppose any theocrat who ran for president, not just a Muslim who followed Sharia law.

“When more secular-minded people jumped on Ben Carson’s comments, they seemed to be arguing that one’s religious beliefs were totally irrelevant to how one votes or how one governs,” Wax said. “But that’s just silly to most religious people. We know that religion really does matter in our daily lives and how we think and how we live.”

The disagreement over Carson’s remarks shows the clash between secularism and faith in American culture, Wax noted.

“What the situation shows us is that many people in the secular society, they’re OK with religion, whatever religion, as long as your religion doesn’t impact your view of the world or how you vote or what platforms you endorse,” Wax said. But Carson “understands that his Christianity is also a worldview with implications in every area of life.”

Wax noted another way Christianity is clashing with culture both in the presidential race and in political battles over abortion. Last week, California enacted a controversial measure mandating pro-life crisis pregnancy centers post the following notice: “California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women. To determine whether you qualify, contact the county social services office.”

Though the California law is frightening as a threat to free speech, it is encouraging as a testament to the success of Christian pregnancy care centers.

“If the care centers were irrelevant, the abortion business would just ignore them,” Wax said. “It’s actually a backhanded complement to the volunteers all across America who staff these centers and do good work.”

Listen to “Culture Friday” on The World and Everything in It.