129 | Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 3: Culture, Politics & Religion

Transcend HumanTranscend Deconstruction

Aug 22

Written By Daryl McMullen

August 22, 2022

Minute of Transparency: My Personal Deconstruction - Round 3

Today's Topic: Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 3: Culture, Politics & Religion

Separation of Church & State
Our Dark History
Failing to Learn From the Past

// 1. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Now, a little caveat before we dive in today:

On the surface - this episode might not seem to have a lot to do with deconstruction
It might feel a little out of place in our Transcendent Deconstruction Series
But don't worry - it all comes full circle
We need to take this little detour in order to understand the deconstruction movement we're seeing in this country
Because it's more than just people questioning, doubting or rebelling against the religious beliefs they were taught as children
In fact - peoples religious beliefs are tied to the culture, and unfortunately to politics
So this week we set the stage by looking at how they are all connected

In the title of this episode I specifically mentioned them:

Culture
Politics
Religion

Now - in my upbringing - the three worked like this:

Culture was the umbrella
And under the umbrella there were two elements:
- Politics
- Religion
And in my family - these two things were kept very separate
I was aware of the fact that politics existed - but we rarely talked about it
In our family, religion took center stage
- So you could describe my upbringing like this: The culture I grew up in was filled with religious ideology
- Maybe for you it was different: The culture you grew up in was filled with political ideology
- Or for some: The culture you grew up in was devoid of any religious or political ideology
- Or still others: The culture you grew up in was both religiously and politically charged

But in each of these scenarios - two things are true:

Politics and religion both exist - even if they weren't important to your family
There is a relationship between the two - one that is becoming increasingly important

Ever since the 2020 election, the January 6 Insurrection, the overturn of Roe v Wade and growing political polarization - these two ideologies have become front and center:

Politics - because at this point in time everything seems political
Religion - because one of the political parties has claimed religion for themselves - and they're combining the two into one

And this is the relationship I want to chat about in this section. Because it's a topic that we're being forced to think about these days.

When you think about politics and religion (if you're like me) the first thing that comes to your mind is that you're not supposed to talk about them - especially at family gatherings. Because they are powder keg topics. And nothing kills a good family BBQ like Uncle Bob ripping on Aunt Betty because she voted for the other guy...

But in this day and age, it's getting harder and harder for these conversations to be avoided.

People are coming out of the woodwork on both sides. The extremes are getting more extreme. And even for those of us somewhere in the middle - it's been hard not to hear the rhetoric. And hard not to be triggered by some of the things being said.

And my hypothesis is this: Because both politics AND religion factor into this new polarization - it's blowing it up even more.

It's one thing to witness traditional political posturing - and people not working together across the aisle. But throw in flammable religious beliefs and now we have a party...

Which brings us back to that relationship I was talking about.

The relationship between politics and religion.

In the United States - the relationship is supposed to work a specific way. Legally, based on the founding fathers, the original documents and even legal precedents set in the early years of our countries history.

Back then - it didn't even need to be written down. It was understood. There was to be a separation between church and state. Between politics and religion.

Now, that didn't mean a politician couldn't be a religious person. It just meant that religious person couldn't take their unique version of religion and politicize it.

Now this makes total sense in absurd examples right?

If a politician claimed his or her religion involved worshiping snakes - and he or she wanted to enact a law that everyone had to worship snakes - we would immediately bring up the separation of church and state as the reason this couldn't happen

However, there has been a movement since the 1970's that questions this separation:

They push back - saying that it really isn't in the Constitution
They explain that the laws in our country are moral laws - and that the only reason they are moral is because they are based on Christian values
And that if things were truly separate we wouldn't have the laws we have
See how quickly that can turn around?
It's easy to point to laws about murder, stealing and lying and suggest that they may not be laws at all if the Christian religion hadn't had an "influenced" on the government
And...when they start throwing out examples of laws that should be passed with religious overtones - most of them aren't like worshiping snakes
They sound good on the outside, positive and helpful for the country

And that's where we find ourselves today.

Smack dab in the middle of the Separation of Church and State debate.

Now people have been fighting for this separation for years. There's an entire website. Just go visit au.org:

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
And you'll see that this has always been an issue

It just hasn't been a very public issue - until recently.

So why is it important?

Simply put - without Separation of Church and State we open the door to a whole new form of government:

A fascist government that is either autocratic, or theocratic
At the end of the day there is a leader - much more powerful than our current president
Laws are enacted based on that leaders personal, religious beliefs - even if they aren't the beliefs of the country
The leader typically surrounds him or herself with those who believe the same
And laws begin to change based on their unique version of religion
At some point in the process this reduces the freedoms for the majority
Because the majority of the country doesn't follow the leader's belief system - so the laws put in place restrict the majority from living in freedom

Now - I could go on and on about this - but I think you get the picture.

In the recent past, Donald Trump operated as such a leader:

Loyal followers rose to power
Those not loyal were removed, and black-listed
Work was done to stack certain parts of the government with loyal participants
The SCOTUS is the most obvious example of this
Which led to major changes in laws that we thought were here to stay
Laws protecting basic human rights
And the January 6 Insurrection shows the level of control and coercion a group can go to in order to get what they want

Now, I know this is getting political, and because of that there is a good chance I'm triggering a percentage of my listeners.

Which is why I've never been a very political person. And don't really enjoy talking about it.

But what I just said wasn't really political. It's not because I'm a left leaning socialist. I simply described how things played out under the Trump presidency.

At this point they are historical facts. And if you can't see the trajectory toward a more fascist, controlling, theocratic government - you either have your head in the sand - or you believe it's the right direction for our country.

At the end of the day, Separation of Church and State is the issue. Are they really separate? Or are we moving toward the collapse of that separation. Moving to the point where someday - we might be forced to practice a religion that we aren't part of?

// 2. OUR DARK HISTORY

Now, what I want to do next is take you on a quick drive through the past.

Not just our past - here in this country. But farther back.

Because when you do the research, you realize that without Separation of Church and State - all sorts of bad things can happen.

When a king, or a government begins to act on a set of religious beliefs - and rigidly enforce them - all sorts of bad things can happen.

Let's start with the Ancient Egyptians:

The Pharaoh was believed to be the divine connection to the gods
Specifically - descendants of the god Ra
And every living person in this civilization fell under that belief system
Whatever Pharaoh said went - because he was speaking on behalf of Ra
And if this infringed on your rights as a citizen - that was just too bad

Next we have Tibet:

Prior to 1959 the country was led by the Dalai Lama
He was considered to be the reincarnated version of previous Dalai Lama's
And was revered as a ruling god
And similar to Pharaoh - because he was god - the people had to listen

Next is China:

The Shang and Zhou dynasties
Both based on the idea that the ancestral gods chose them to be in power
The Zhou dynasty used the "Mandate of heaven" approach in order to take power
Suggesting that they were chosen to lead by a divine force

Now - these are just three in a very long list of countries and civilizations that connected their spiritual or religious beliefs to their government - or leadership within the country.

In fact - this wasn't the exception - it was typically the rule. And it still exists today.

Don't believe me? Here are just a few modern examples:

Iran:

A country based on Islamic Law
There is a Supreme Leader - and this person is a religious or spiritual leader

The Vatican:

Yes, since 1929 the Vatican has been a country, or a sovereign state
The Pope is the ruler and has a direct connection to God
And whatever the Pope says on Earth goes
Now this is a very unique situation:
- Because Vatican City isn't a massive civilization - with millions of people living under the rule of the Pope
- But at the same time - from his home in the Vatican - the Pope holds incredible power
- He is seen as god on Earth by 1.36 Billion people
- That's almost 18% of the worlds population
- To put that in perspective - there are believed to be around 2.38 Billion Christians in the world
- Which means out of all Christians in the world - close to 60% are Catholic
- That's pretty impressive

And finally - we have Saudi Arabia:

Another modern example of a church state
Similar to Iran - they follow Islamic Law
They have a king, a prime minister and a ruling family that have absolute power
Punishment is described as "strict" for those not willing to follow the religious teachings in the country

Now, having said all that. Some of these theocratic civilizations may have been ok. As a citizen, maybe you were able to fly under the radar. Do your own thing. Believe what you wanted to believe.

But unfortunately - that isn't what typically happens. Because in many theocracies - the beliefs of the ruling party are so important to them - that they feel the need to enforce them. At times ruthlessly.

Which is where we get the word "fascism."

Wikipedia describes fascism like this:

"Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy that rose to prominence in early 20th-century Europe."

Now fascism does not require a religious component:

For example, Mussolini was considered a fascist - and yet not very religious
And then there was Hitler, who was raised Catholic, but many believe he became an atheist

However, if you look deeper into Hitler, and his time in power - you see all sorts of religious rhetoric and symbolism. Most likely used to create his following and ensure conformity. But there was also his maniacal desire to rid the world of the Jewish people - who he believed was responsible for "killing God."

And this is where you start to see the dangers of combining church and state.

Things can go terribly wrong. As they did in Nazi Germany with the Holocaust.

And unfortunately this has happened over and over again throughout time:

Remember learning about the Crusades in history class?
- They began back in 1095
- Backed by the Catholic Church
- They were military efforts to reclaim land from the Islamic people and to convert them to Christianity
- According to Andrew Holt, a historian who researches the Crusades:
  - The number of people killed between 1095 and 1291 varies greatly
  - But the range is between 1 and 9 million people
  - Which is incredible considering the world population in 1100 was roughly 300 Million
Next, do you remember the Spanish Inquisition?
- Spain, in the 1400s moved away from its medieval civilization to one heavily influenced by the Catholic Papacy
- Citizens were forced to convert from Judaism and Islam to Catholicism
- 150,000 people were persecuted during that time
- And between 3 and 5,000 were killed because they wouldn't convert
Not to be outdone, there was a Roman Inquisition and a Portuguese Inquisition...

Are you starting to see a theme?

This is dark stuff friends. Any time the church and the state join forces - something bad happens.

Isn't it interesting that the people who left Europe - looking for a new land - were people being persecuted for their religious beliefs?

The Church of England (which was nothing more than the Catholic Church with a shiny new name) became more and more intolerant of people with differing religious views - specifically Protestant Christians.

So they left, and found America - a land where they would be free from the religio-political persecution they faced in Europe.

// 3. FAILING TO LEARN FROM THE PAST

So the Puritans escaped religious persecution, and moved to America to live in peace, right? Wrong.

At the end of the day - the Puritans were as rigid about their faith as the Church of England was about theirs!

The Puritans simply left the persecution they faced, for a land where they could be on top - and be the persecutors.

Between 1656 and 1661 in Massachusetts, there were a group of people called the Quakers. They held slightly different religious views, and asked that they be allowed to practice their religious beliefs in peace. However, the Puritans, who were very rigid in their own belief system, persecuted, killed and banished the Quakers for their divergent beliefs.

How sad is that?!

Here in the New World! The place people fled to in order to find peace and freedom!

There's no doubt in my mind that our founding fathers had this in the back of their minds while they were forming our official government.

That they saw the problems, and addressed them with one simple concept: A little thing called "The Separation of Church and State."

A brilliant concept - and so different from the way the rest of the world operated.

This separation is described in the 1st Amendment and provides two very important protections:

The Establishment Clause: Which prohibits the government from establishing a religion. Like the Church of England
The Free Exercise Clause: Which protects our right to practice our own unique religious beliefs - so long as they don't infringe on the rights of other citizens, or threaten the sanctity of the government

So with that put in place we should be good - right?

Well, for many years we were. The government upheld the idea and the citizens seemed to be good with it.

Until the 1970's - when things took a turn.

The Roe v Wade court case in 1973 became a rallying cry for a new wing of the Republican Party.

Called, the Religious Right, this group used abortion as their rallying cry. However, according to an article by Politico.com this was just the public rallying cry. They were also interested in maintaining segregation in schools. Among other things.

This led to the formation of the Moral Majority in 1979. Led by Jerry Falwell. And through this organization - millions of people in mainstream Christianity were encouraged to get involved in politics.

Largely through the Pro Life rallying Cry.

The interesting thing with abortion is that the Supreme Court in 1973 was mainly Republican.

There were 9 seats on the Supreme Court. 3 were appointed by Democrats, and 6 by Republicans.

So it was a conservative, Republican dominated court at the time - and they legalized abortion.

Fast forward to today, and look how far we've come!

The Republican party was able to stack the Supreme Court during the Trump Presidency. And what did they do?

Immediately overturned Roe v Wade.

So what's going on here? Why would the Republicans legalize it, then change their minds and overturn it?

Well, my extremely novice explanation, is this: Between 1973 and today - there has been a movement afoot.

A movement started by the Religious Right, and the Moral Majority. And one that has picked up steam over the years. And though the names of the organizations have changed to things like the Christian Coalition, or Turning Point USA, it's still there - and it has grown in intensity.

Today, Donald Trump has somehow managed to become the talking head. The fearless leader. The one who can do no wrong.

And there is a large segment of the Republican Party that has attached their car to the Trump Train. And not just politicians. Numerous fringe groups in the country have jumped on the Trump Train. Anti-segregationist militias, anti-government militias, militias who just love guns and America. You name it - all have joined this movement.

And then, there is the massive evangelical Christian population in this country. A population that is under attack by this movement. Don't believe me? Take some time to look through the websites for the Christian Coalition and Turning Point USA. These organizations are laser focused on getting mainstream Christian pastors to join the movement. Because they know that if they can convince a pastor, or minister - they just added an entire congregation to the movement. Because people trust the person leading them.

All that to say - this movement is picking up steam. So much steam that they are no longer hiding what used to be a hidden agenda.

Christian Nationalism.

Now don't get me wrong - I believe this has always been an underlying desire. Even back in the days of the Religious Right and the Moral Majority. But they would never call it Christian Nationalism. They would dumb it down, spin it, use other words so it sounded healthy, and necessary for the good of our country.

But today - there is no dumbing it down.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has no problem connecting the dots.

Lauren Bobert has no problem connecting the dots.

And there is a growing number of Trump Backed politicians running for office - hoping to join them this fall

Throw in organizations like Turning Point USA, and a growing number of highly vocal pastors around the country - and you see the handwriting on the wall.

There is a war going on in this country.

A war for our minds. This movement is working tirelessly to convince people this is the only way. We have to do this to save our country. To save our way of life.

And this is where we need slapped in the face...

We need someone to slap us and say, "Wake up!!! Look around you. Can't you see what's going on? Can't you see that we're repeating a very dangerous cycle? One that has never worked. One that has led to persecution, death and eventual collapse?"

Friends, we're failing miserably.

What does every good history teacher tell you on the first day of class?

A quote often attributed to George Santayana or Winston Churchill:

"Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

And that's exactly where we're headed.

The intent of Christian Nationalists is to remove the entire idea of Separation of Church and State.

With that out of the way - they will be free to make the government into their own image. Changing laws, removing laws, adding laws that match their unique set of religious beliefs. Not the beliefs of the people in this country. The beliefs of a small group of people in power.

Here's a fun fact...

Do you know the religious beliefs of some of the newest members of the Supreme Court?

Would it shock you to know that the three nominated by Donal Trump are Catholic?

Neil Gorsuch
Brett Kavanaugh
Amy Coney Barrett

Knowing that - is it a shock that Roe v Wade was overturned?

The Catholic Church is against abortion, and birth control
So these justices are simply enacting laws in line with their religious beliefs
Nothing wrong with that - right?
Wait...Yes there is something wrong with that
It's called Separation of Church and State

But that's my point. This is the slippery slope we're on. Headed back to repeat history.

Do you find it odd that the Puritans left England to get away from the religious persecution - backed by the Catholic Church.

And now we're coming full circle by accepting it back into our political system - and giving it the power of the Supreme Court to guide us into the future?

I find that fascinating. But maybe it's just me...

Let's Land the Plane:

We have to get this wrapped up or this will be a 3h podcast episode...

Like I said at the beginning - this episode will seem a little off - compared to the others in this series. Because I didn't spend a lot of time on the concept of deconstruction.

But this is SO important! Because people in the deconstruction process aren't just deconstructing some simple religious beliefs they grew up with. They are deconstructing their entire world view. And this world view is complicated by the religious and political climate we find ourselves in since the pandemic, and the 2020 election cycle.

So just keep this content in mind as we progress through the series.

Next week we dive into Part 4: The Stages of Deconstruction

And I'm sure I'll pull in some of this content when walking through the actual things we are deconstructing.

Here are some simple questions you can ask this week as you digest this content:

Have you ever thought much about Separation of Church and State?
- Where it came from?
- Why it exists?
- And why it could be one of the most important things our founding fathers included in the formation of our country?
Have you ever stopped to think about our dark past?
- How so many of the atrocities in the past were based on a religious institution, or a church-state combination?
- Forcing their version of the truth on everyone else?
- Sometimes killing them if they wouldn't convert to their way of thinking?
And do you see the cycle repeating?
- Can you see how Christian Nationalism is nothing more than a revived church-state setup?
- A religion based government that controls the rights of its people based on the beliefs of a few?

I think we'll leave it there for now.

Let me just say, this episode has been exhausting for me. I've never been a political person. I've always tried to stay out of it. For so many years it was just the typical back and forth between Republican and Democratic ideologies. Like a pendulum. But nothing ever changed. It was just politics as usual.

But I think it's fair to say that things have changed. It's no longer two political parties arguing about how to spend our money. It's so much bigger than that. And you can't help but wonder how fragile our way of life is at this point in time.

Until next time, have a great week, and as always, keep Transcending Human!

References:

Daryl McMullen

129 | Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 3: Culture, Politics & Religion

130 | Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 4: The Stages of Deconstruction

128 | Transcendent Deconstruction - Part 2: The Indoctrination-Enlightenment-Deconstruction Cycle

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