No God, only country

On that frostbitten morning Jan. 20, Barack Obama stood before the scrutiny of the world to become the president of the United States. He gave his acceptance speech with the same vigor and passion that had fueled his campaign trail and recognized America for what it really is, a patchwork of cultures that finds strength in diversity.

Unfortunately, there are those who believe Obama is responsible for more than just secular criticism. They hold him to a higher standard, demanding not just obedience to their beliefs but faith in those beliefs as well. It seems to be their desire that Obama answer to God as well as to the country, but can this possibly be what’s best for America?

Obama’s religious conviction has continued to come off as lackluster. His inclusion of Rick Warren at the inauguration was a transparent act, easily recognizable as a politically correct bow to the religious right. Having the notoriously anti-gay, pro-life reverend was an effort on the part of the current administration to make God-fearing conservatives feel included.

But the church did not return that embrace.

In his acceptance speech Obama referred to the multiplicity of America, saying, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and nonbelievers.”
This statement would be routine in a kindergarten class, but it sparked outrage on the stage of our nation’s must public event.

The Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Va., accused the president of “trying to redefine American culture.” Rev. Cecil Blye of More Grace Ministries Church shared similar sentiments over the president’s inclusion of nonbelievers, saying, “It’s important to understand the heritage of our country, and it’s a Judeo-Christian tradition.”

But is God really good for the country? A study released in 2005 stated: “In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD-infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies.” The report, published in the Journal of Religion and Society, concluded that a foundation in religion is not necessary for ethics or morals in a society.

So though in its infancy America was intended to be nothing more than a shining city on the hill, it has evolved into much more than that. In this day and age, countries steeped in religion tend to be backward and have more of a tendency to give up social and technological advancements for their book of worship. Just because America has a tendency for priests instead of imams doesn’t change the fact that fundamentalism is still counterintuitive.

Thankfully, our president seems to recognize the importance of diversity not just in color of your skin, but in beliefs, too. America should not be looking backward on what it was intended to be, but instead focus on what it actually is.