As Jesse Jackson stated in front of Mrs. Schiavo’s hospice, “This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes.”
With the passing of Terri Schiavo, it appears that the huge societal introspection and discourse this event has evoked is causing a religious reawakening in our nation with astounding historical portent. In fact, no matter what side of the political or religious aisle you are on, it is highly likely you had some rather spiritual discussions about this issue in the past few weeks that challenged not only your faith or lack of it, but also how you feel about life and death.
To be sure, America has been debating for decades mortality and how it relates to abortion. Additionally, whenever there is a death row inmate about to be executed, similar emotions well up to the surface amongst those with a steadfast view of capital punishment.
However, truly unique in what the Schiavo case has elicited in our nation is a startlingly greater civility and level of candor in the current debate that might end up having a startlingly greater long-term positive impact. For instance, on political talk shows lately, liberal and conservative pundits are taking predictably diametric positions on this issue, but with greater respect and reverence for each other’s views than we have grown accustomed to.
The finest example of this occurred this past weekend on NBC’s Meet the Press. Tim Russert’s guests were Reza Aslan, Rev. Robert Drinan, Dr. Richard Land, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Jon Meacham, Managing Editor of Newsweek, and Rev. Jim Wallis.
For those who missed it, what ensued was a fabulous sixty-minute discussion that covered such issues as Terri Schiavo, religious politics in America, and how Judeo-Christian ideologies impact America’s war on terrorism. Frankly, I’m not sure that I have ever witnessed a more intriguing religious conversation on television.
Which raises a key point that has mysteriously eluded pundits on both sides of the aisle: Discussions like this one on Meet the Press are happening all over America, but unfortunately for the first time in the public forum for many, many years.
Such is the result of four decades of systematic religious declines in our nation. Church and synagogue membership and attendance waned, as did public references to religious ideologies. To a certain extent, religion was somewhat replaced in the public persona by concepts of agnosticism and atheism which largely came into vogue.
High profile television characters like Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner of All in the Family) flaunted such opinions as they told viewers how foolish religious followers were while proudly professing disgust for those who were silly enough to believe in a supreme being.
Fast-forward to the new millennium, and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union regularly file lawsuits against corporations and government offices for any display of religious content. Amazingly, a state Supreme Court chief justice was recently fired for not removing a monument of the Ten Commandments from the court’s premises.
And yet, in the midst of all this secularism, America has been singularly focused on Terri Schiavo for weeks. Most evening news broadcasts begin with an update about her condition or the most recent legal maneuvers. Even leading representatives of the mainstream print media such as the New York Times and the Washington Post place stories about Mrs. Schiavo quite prominently on their front pages.
Ostensibly, conservatives maintain that the usual suspects on the Left are depicting their typically secular view of this issue, and, therefore, should be largely discounted in the debate.
However, at least they are participating. It would have been very easy for any of the major media outlets to bury this story in their back pages, or well into their broadcasts. Instead, the very fact that this continues to be headline news day in and day out regardless of the slant is in and of itself a huge victory.
For example, one of the most extraordinary statements made by any member of the recent panel on Meet the Press was the following from Senator Lieberman:
The fact is that Democrats that I know and love, the majority are very religious, they believe in God. It’s their — but there came a point in the history of our party where too many Democrats for various reasons began to be shy about speaking of their faith and America’s faith as a source of values and good works.
It appears that in the past few weeks, Terri’s saga has begun to ease some of this “shyness.” If this is indeed the case, and Democrats are going to start speaking more openly about their faith much as Republicans do, isn’t this a seminal moment in modern American politics? And, mightn’t this begin to reverse decades of secular attacks on core religious beliefs and values in our nation?
Answering these questions almost on cue, Rev. Jesse Jackson on Tuesday stated in front of Mrs. Schiavo’s hospice, “This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes.”
When one of the most liberal political figures in American history stands arm-in-arm with conservative protestors fighting for a common cause, it is quite clear that we are witnessing a potentially historic sea change.
slep@danvillebc.com
Read more articles by Noel Sheppard
