Political Pluralism at the DNC

I attempted to give Donald Miller a fair hearing after his opening prayer at the DNC. But the closing benedictory prayer offered by Joel Hunter on Thursday just stunned me. It shouldn’t have, I suppose. As if the Christian faith could be anymore divested of its prophetic witness, Hunter ended his prayer with a “participatory” close. In other words, a Christian minister led Buddhists and Muslims, monotheists and polytheists, true believers and false believers, in a “prayer” to whichever deity they serve. This has to be the nadir of American civil religion.

My frustration with Hunter and his prayer isn’t even primarily directed at the obvious syncretism on display in Denver (and presumably in St. Paul later this week). God will deal with those individuals who worship other gods. What startled me was the utter impotence of Hunter’s prayer, insomuch as it showed civil religion for the sham it is. Civil religion is, by definition, a faith with a national, rather than a creedal, narrative. It has its own liturgy, its own priests, its own rites. And because it defines its communion in national terms, it includes a pantheon of gods, each equally dignified and accessible. But for a minister of the Christian faith to, in essence, forswear his primary citizenship (Phil 3:20) in order to adopt a civil one… it boggles the mind. Granted, Americans have never had a high view of the Church. But this was one of the more gruesome spectacles to watch (and from a conservative, pro-life Christian, no less). When Christians are willing to lead an assembly in futile prayers and toward the promise of a national salvation… makes you wonder, where are all the prophets? It takes mettle stronger than this to stand as a witness. Not one ounce of courage was required of Hunter to give that particular prayer in Denver on Thursday.

[Removed video due to IE being finicky. See it here.]