22AR27-29

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AR 27:29 - The "God gap" and a "seismic shift" in U.S. politics

In this issue:

CENSORSHIP - strong criticism of the "leftist takeover" in the publishing industry

RELIGION - "We don't get the role of religion in people's lives"

TRUST - "the role of religion as social trust unravels" in the U.S.

Apologia Report 27:29 (1,582)
August 17, 2022

CENSORSHIP

"The American publishing industry has long prided itself on publishing ideas and narratives that are worthy of our engagement, even if some people might consider them unsavory or dangerous, and for standing its ground on freedom of expression." However, John Sexton adds (HotAir, July 25), "Pamela Paul, the former editor of the NY Times Review of Books, wrote [in her July 24 Times opinion piece] <www.nyti.ms/3A4py7A> (paywalled) about a new trend in the publishing industry. Her piece is titled 'There's More Than One Way to Ban a Book' and it offers some strong criticism of the leftist takeover of the industry which she says has introduced a new strain of self-censorship. ...

"Though the publishing industry would never condone book banning, a subtler form of repression is taking place in the literary world, restricting intellectual and artistic expression from behind closed doors.... [M]any top editors and publishing executives admit off the record, a real strain of self-censorship has emerged....

"[M]any books the left might object to never make it to bookshelves because a softer form of banishment happens earlier in the publishing process: scuttling a project for ideological reasons before a deal is signed, or defusing or eliminating 'sensitive' material in the course of editing.

"Publishers have increasingly instituted a practice of 'sensitivity reads,' something that first gained traction in the young adult fiction world but has since spread to books for readers of all ages. ...

"Even when a potentially controversial book does find its way into print, other gatekeepers in the book world - the literary press, librarians, independent bookstores - may not review, acquire or sell it, limiting the book's ability to succeed in the marketplace. Last year, when the American Booksellers Association included Abigail Shrier's book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, <www.bit.ly/3QkN05A> in a mailing to member booksellers, a number of booksellers publicly castigated the group for promoting a book they considered transphobic. The association issued a lengthy apology and subsequently promised to revise its practices. The group's board then backed away from its traditional support of free expression, emphasizing the importance of avoiding 'harmful speech.'" <www.bit.ly/3SyvQDC>

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RELIGION

"The most important religious divide isn't between right and left, but between left and left." -- David French's title for this item (Jul 17 '22) finds that "The God Gap Helps Explain a 'Seismic Shift' in American Politics." French has picked up on it: "There's talk of realignment in the air."

"The Democratic Party has a huge 'God gap,' and that God gap is driving a wedge between its white and nonwhite voters. ...

"Yale law professor Stephen Carter sounded the alarm more than four years ago: 'Overall, people of color are more likely than whites to be Christians - and pretty devout Christians at that. Some 83 percent of all black Americans are absolutely certain that God exists. No other group comes close to this figure. Black Christians are far more likely than white Christians (84 percent to 64 percent) to describe religion as very important in their lives. Of all ethnic groups, black Christians are the most likely to attend services, pray frequently and read the Bible regularly. They are also - here's the kicker - most likely to believe that their faith is the place to look for answers to questions about right and wrong. And they are, by large margins, the most likely to believe that the Bible is the literally inerrant word of God. In short, if you find Christian traditionalism creepy, it's black people you're talking about.'

"Hispanic Americans also tend to possess strong religious values. ...

"That's exactly why a politics focused on mobilizing by race/ethnicity will not reach them, especially when identity politics is paired with hard-left cultural positions and hostility for traditional religion. ...

"The disproportionate secularization of white Democrats represents a danger for the Democratic Party, for the country, and for American religion. ...

"[T]he tight union of Christian faith and political power has a terrible track record for Christianity. ... When Christian power is seen as indispensable for the flourishing of the Christian faith, history demonstrates that power, not faith, will become the priority of a Christian people." Sad reminder.

"In December 2016, the executive editor of the New York Times, Dean Baquet, famously told NPR's Terry Gross, 'We don't get religion. We don't get the role of religion in people's lives.' His comment rang true to me." <www.bit.ly/3A2LIah>

With the consistent mess we make of things, it appears we all will routinely experience reminders that we have this common flaw:

The heart is more deceitful than all else
and is desperately sick;
who can understand it?
(Jeremiah 17:9)

French adds some timely balance on this topic at the conclusion, as he champions "local hero" Nick Bostic. Don't miss it.

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TRUST

"What's the role of religion as social trust unravels in American public life?" Richard Ostling (GetReligion, Jul 21 '22) updates us on this important topic. On July 16, "CNN host Michael Smerconish asked whether the United States is experiencing 'a national nervous breakdown,' and conducted a (non-scientific) online poll in which 78% of 22,000-plus viewers answered 'no' to this question: 'Are concerns about America's unraveling overblown?' ...

In presenting related Gallup findings, Ostling wants us to remember that they <www.bit.ly/3AnToUG> represent "opinions among the general public, not just Americans who are personally involved or knowledgeable about religion.

"Simply put, the populace's confidence in organized religion has hit rock bottom in 2022 at 31%, compared with a 52% majority as recently as 2009, and consistent scores of 60% or better from 1973 through 1985. Digging into the internals we find 46% confidence among self-identified Republicans vs. a paltry 26% among Democrats. ...

"Successful religion fosters - and in turn thrives in - a coherent society that in particular respects traditional sources of authority, and also upholds widely-embraced moral principles, community and charity involvement, and stable marriages that nurture children."

Gallup reports that "four institutions rate better than religion. Two of them show consistently high esteem over many years, small business (now at 68%) and the military (64%), followed by two categories hit by recent turmoil, the police (45%) and the medical system (38%). Science enjoyed 64% confidence in a single 2021 poll."

By contrast, those "rated even lower than religion stand at the center of public life and show significant disintegration since the start of the 21st Century: In descending order: public schools (down from 37% to a current 28%), organized labor (stable at 25% and now 28%), banks (46% to 27%), Supreme Court (47% to 25%), the presidency (42% to 23%) and three perpetually unpopular entities - the criminal justice system (24% to 14%), big business (29% to 14%) and the U.S. Congress (24% to a dismal 7%). In a new category the past three years, big tech's numbers were 22%, 29% and 26%."

And last, there's the news media: "Since 2000, confidence in newspapers has dropped from a troublesome 37% to an embarrassing 16%, and for TV news from 36% to an even sorrier 11%. Past polling about news on the Internet fell from a weak 21% in 1999 to 16% in 2017."

So, in the big picture covering all the institutions above, "only one, religion, has moorings that stretch back 2,000 and 3,000 years rather than to 1776 or the day before yesterday." <www.bit.ly/3P6HXoe>

If the above sounds familiar and you'd like to revisit our July 13, "DECEIT & TRUST" edition, you'll find it here: <www.bit.ly/3cavke4>

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