The sad politicization of Christianity

Christians like Roy Moore have won the battle for "Christianity." Maybe it's time for a Reformation.

An anti-abortion activist holds up rosary beads in front of the Supreme Court.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Religion and politics have always comingled in America. Public officials have relied on their religious values and those of their constituents since the United States was founded, and for the most part, those values were heavily influenced by Christianity. But if being a Christian was part of your political identity, it wasn't the whole loaf of bread. A Christian could be an FDR Democrat or a Reagan Republican, an anti-Prohibition hedonist or anti-evolution creationist, an anti-Masonic Whig or a pro-royalist Tory.

Well, times change. Christianity in America has been hammered into a sort of political identity of its own.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.