Evangelical Christians have no interest in the U.S. becoming isolationist.

[Judi Lynn]

Gregory Rodriguez:
Keeping the faith, globally
Evangelical Christians have no interest in the U.S. becoming isolationist.
March 26, 2006


AFTER THREE LONG years of war in Iraq, a growing number of Americans are deciding that the U.S. should turn its attention inward. An October poll found that since 2002 the percentage of Americans who think that the nation "should mind its own business internationally" has risen from 30% to 42%. Likewise, trade protectionism and nativism are on the rise. Is the United States destined to enter a period of isolationism? Probably not. That's because evangelical Christians, who make up somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of the U.S. population, won't let it happen.

Surprised? You may characterize evangelicals only by way of hot-button domestic issues — abortion, stem cell research, same-sex marriage. But it's at least as interesting to look at them in terms of global issues. Once upon a time, they were among the most isolationist of Americans, but no more. If that weren't true, we'd see much higher figures when it came to those who think the United States should merely be minding "its own business."

"Bible-believing" Christians have, in a way, always been internationalists. After all, "evangelism" means spreading the Gospel and missionary work around the world is central to their faith. But before the last quarter of the 20th century, most evangelical leaders eschewed real-world politics and foreign policy strategizing for more otherworldly concerns. In 1965, Jerry Falwell gave a now famous sermon, "Ministers and Marchers," in which he declared that evangelicals' duty was to "preach the Word" and not to "reform the externals."

But that was when conservative Christians felt that their culture was America's culture. It was the liberal shift during the cultural revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s that pushed them into the public square, at the same time that they felt themselves becoming marginalized. Politicized, activist evangelism, as sociologist Christian Smith observed, "thrives on distinction, engagement, tension, conflict and threat."
(snip/...)

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rodriguez26mar26,1,4927079.column?coll=la-util-op-ed

[bluestateguy]

1. I'm kind of a moderate isolationist

I'm all for joining organizations like the UN and WTO, and I'm all for facilitating dialoge in world politics, but the United States has no responsibility, and no standing to remake the world order. Other countries in the world have to sort out their own dirty laundry and deal with their own dictators. I would be just as opposed to the US meddling in the situation in Sudan, trying to build a "democracy" in that country, as I am to us getting involved in Iraq. Humanitarian aid is fine. In fact, I think it's a good thing, but no nation building.

We need to pull back for awhile. Tend to our own affairs and just take a time out for awhile.

[rodeodance]

2. ok,i get it, now i know why Jr. mentioned issolationist a few times in SOT

U address.

[Demeter]

3. I Think We Should Simply Isolate the Fundamentalist Christians!

We'd all feel a lot better, and they could deafen themselves in their own echo chamber and get out of our hair.