Religious Groups Enter the Political Arena – Part V of Religion and Politics

The rise of the Moral Majority in the 1970’s, the Presidential candidacy of Pat Robertson – a well-known evangelist -- the establishment of several religious/political groups and the emergence of the Religious Right are the latest manifestations of the intertwining of religion and politics in the United States. This is not new, however. There have been numerous such movements in US history. We will examine four: the Abolitionist movement, the Temperance movement, the Civil Rights movement, and the rise of the Religious Right.

Abolitionist Movement

Many, if not most, of the members of the Constitutional Convention and early leaders of the new republic were highly influenced by the philosophies of the Enlightenment period, which downplayed religion and focused on the natural rights of man. Beginning in the early 19th century, and lasting for over 20 years, came a huge religious revival, later known as the Second Great Awakening. Like most religious revivals, the emphasis was on personal experience with God, repentance from sin, and conversion to Christ. The revival affected wide swaths of the east coast and mid-western parts of the US. Many who were impacted by this movement began to press for social change, particularly in the areas of political and social inequality, corruption in government, and public morality. Of course, the clearest target was the institution of slavery. The Abolitionists argued that this was a terrible sin that must be repented of and rectified.  

By the time of the Great Awakening, the international slave trade to the US had stopped, and all the Northern states had emancipated previous slaves. Southern states had far more economic interest in maintaining slavery, mainly due to the profitability of the cotton industry where slaves were used extensively. Beginning in the 1830’s, the religious fervor from the Great Awakening spilled over into social action by many, leading to the formation of the Abolitionist movement. While the country was wrestling with halting the expansion of the domestic slave trade, the Abolitionists demanded the immediate end to slavery. Abolitionists called for electing anti-slavery politicians.

In 1840 the Abolitionists successfully formed a new political party, called the Liberty Party, and ran a candidate for President. The party remained small but ultimately led to the formation of the Free Soil Party, whose goals were more limited than those of its predecessor -- simply seeking to block the expansion of slavery into the newer states. Eventually, the Free Soil party merged with the newly formed Republican party, whose platform called for the eventual abolition of slavery. The 1860 Presidential election saw the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, prevail. The result was the opening of the Civil War. Following the Civil War, slavery was abolished. While the Abolitionist movement got its start from religious people, it was not a religious movement, per se. Its goal was to liberate African Americans from slavery and to empower them to enjoy the freedoms that the rest of Americans enjoyed.

Temperance Movement

The Great Awakening also spurred other social action, including combating rampant alcoholism. The so-called Temperance movement started in the late 18th century, warning that the continued consumption of alcohol led to spousal abuse, family neglect and unemployment. Various societies arose to “temper” alcoholic consumption. Just as the Great Awakening led to concerns about slavery, it also began to support limiting, and ultimately to abolish, the sale of alcohol. The Abolitionist movement above consumed most of those pursuing social change in the early and mid-19th century. However, with the enactment of 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, essentially dismantling slavery, attention became more focused on temperance.

In 1893 the Anti-Saloon League was formed by Reverend Howard Hyde Russell. The League called for the election of politicians who would vote for alcohol regulation and ultimately prohibition. The League’s motto was “the Church in action against the saloon.” The League formed religious/political coalitions that successfully led to the enactment of legislation that created “dry” states and counties. By the late 19th century most Protestant denominations supported restricting the sale of alcohol. In 1917 the Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified by the states in 1919. The law prohibited the manufacture, importation, sale and transport of alcohol.

Almost immediately following the prohibition of alcohol, organized crime set up boot legging operations, personified by Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit, to meet the demands of the people. Clearly, alcohol consumption declined during the Prohibition era, but the combination of increasingly violent organized crime, the cost of government enforcement, the loss of revenue from the no-longer- applicable alcohol taxes, and the demands of the public, led to the eventual repeal of the 18th amendment in 1933. It is the only constitutional amendment ever repealed. The entire Prohibition story is an example of the merger of religious and state issues that failed.

Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights movement was, in reality, the continuation of the aims of the Abolitionist movement. While the Abolitionist movement was successful in abolishing slavery, legal, economic and social discrimination against African Americans continued through the 1960’s, particularly in the South. For African Americans the church played a central role in their communities. It was the one place where they could gather, socialize and organize. Even early in the 19th century the Black churches combined their faith with aspirations for freedom.

By the 1940’s and 1950’s the Black church was the one place where there was money and organizing ability for African Americans. World War II helped to break some of the racial barriers, because many African Americans served gallantly in the military, and for the first time were allowed to work in major industries. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower initiated limited Civil Rights agendas. But it was the Rosa Parks affair, where she refused to relinquish her bus seat to a white passenger, that sparked the Civil Rights movement. Ultimately, under the leadership of Rev. Martin Luther King, the movement caught the public’s attention. King and other Civil Rights leaders used Black churches to organize protests, enroll voters and apply political pressure. Eventually, the movement succeeded in passing major Civil Rights legislation.

While Rev. King and other leaders were Christian ministers and gave the Civil Rights movement a religious foundation, the reality is that a relatively small number of Black Churches actually participated in the movement. Most White churches were not involved, and most in the Evangelical world, especially in the South, were opposed to the movement. On the other hand, Jewish religious leaders formed the one white religious group actively supportive of the movement. It seems the Civil Rights movement was an outgrowth of the African American dream for freedom that was accentuated in their churches. However, the Black Church was not the driving force behind the Civil Rights movement.

Next time: The Rise of the Religious Right