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THE QUESTION
State of Our Disunion
In his prayer at the Inauguration, pastor Rick Warren said, "As we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ."
Since then, clarity, responsibility, humility and civility seem to have given way to self-righteousness, anger, resentment, and what columnist Kathleen Parker calls "a political era of uninhibited belligerence" that is finding expression in sermons, at town hall meetings, on radio talk shows, even on the floor of Congress -- especially when we differ.
Why are people so angry and belligerent, and so willing to express their anger publicly? Why has our civil discourse become so uncivil? What does this public anger say about our private faith? What should we do about it?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on September 15, 2009 12:51 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Seven Suggestions for Christians in the Public Square
Political talk has had an ugly side, but things are getting worse. Hateful talk is no longer underground, but practiced openly and shamelessly. Mainstream politicians are more willing to tolerate association with fringe rhetoric. So what should Christians do?
Posted by John Mark Reynolds, on September 18, 2009 2:56 PM
The Problem is Me
When I denigrate someone else's opinion with shrill and sarcastic language, or in my rebuttal of someone's argument I search for clever words and phrases that demean and ridicule the individual, I have become the problem.
Posted by Michael Otterson, on September 18, 2009 10:02 AM
An Epidemic of Bullying
It may be cheap fun to watch someone else get pounded by the thugs--but bullies have a way of turning on their former friends and allies. Watch out--you may be next!
Posted by Starhawk, on September 18, 2009 4:05 AM
Rage About the Transfer of Power
We are witnessing in our nation a dramatic shift in power. Such a shift always means that those who have in the past possessed power are seeing that power weakened and those who were formerly the powerless ones are becoming empowered. Rage always accompanies the transfer of power.
Posted by John Shelby Spong, on September 17, 2009 1:43 PM
Celebrity and Power Trump Civility
The contemporary devaluation of humility, civility, truthfulness, and responsibility has been particularly detrimental to us both collectively and individually.
Posted by Ramdas Lamb, on September 17, 2009 5:48 AM
The Cost of Materialism and Prejudice
The message we impart to our children is to get to the top by any means possible. And success is always measured in terms of material possessions and power.
Posted by Arun Gandhi, on September 16, 2009 1:33 PM
Praying for Civility
If we waited (and prayed) instead of giving into anger, self-righteousness, and resentment, that we'd more readily find a solution - not just to that anger and resentment, but also to the issue that was causing those feelings?
Posted by Phil Davis, on September 16, 2009 12:52 PM
Less Pluralism, More Dogmatism
Where pluralism rests comfortably in the gray, we are sadly becoming a nation that only sees in black and white.
Posted by Aseem Shukla, on September 16, 2009 10:32 AM
Faith's Response to Incivility
Religious faith cannot eliminate the incivility endemic in our society. Anger and hatred have existed perpetually and they are symptomatic of our fractured condition. But religious faith, at its most authentic, can inspire us to inculcate qualities and habits that make us fully and truly human: respect, humility and love.
Posted by Kerry Robinson, on September 16, 2009 6:31 AM
Losing Trust in God and Government
Our former thickness of trust in God has shrunk into the thinness of trust in "the system" sustaining their consumerist way of life.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on September 16, 2009 12:19 AM
Society's Belligerence
At the heart of uncivil behavior is a heart rooted in something outside of love, for whatever reason; be it selfish, or fearful; angry or manipulative.
Posted by Matt Maher, on September 15, 2009 11:56 PM
When God Tells You to Hate
The rise of incivility in this country is a symptom of mass psychopathology. Groups of people see other groups of people behaving badly, and this gives them permission to behave badly themselves. The same thing happens in families.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on September 15, 2009 6:32 PM
Unhinged Society Needs Scapegoats
Unhinged politicians, wrathful preachers, belligerent protesters and hateful pundits pursue a practice as old as the Bible. They create scapegoats.
Posted by Robert Parham, on September 15, 2009 3:35 PM
God Expects Us to Be Civil to Each Other
Have we become so consumed with the idea of winning a political battle that we've lost sight of basic virtues of our faith like The Golden Rule? I certainly hope not. God expects - He demands -- more of us than that.
Posted by Jim Daly, on September 15, 2009 12:46 PM
Boors, Cads and Cretins
We live in an age of internet discourtesy, where insults are as common as ideograms. Disconnected from one another we feel too free to berate and belittle
Posted by David Wolpe, on September 15, 2009 10:54 AM
Unrepentant Liars on the Right and the Left
Politics has always been a contact sport. There once were canings and worse language than "you lie" on the floor of Congress. Alcohol fueled some of the rhetoric and first fights were always a possibility.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on September 15, 2009 10:02 AM
Talking to "The Other"
Despite what Psalm 37 and Jesus say, I see little evidence of the meek inheriting the earth. However, I see much evidence for the belligerent and loud-mouthed inheriting talk shows, and the aggressive and cantankerous inheriting political careers.
Posted by Herb Silverman, on September 15, 2009 8:29 AM
Why Joe (and Kanye and Serena) Won't Apologize
Civility is about creating a culture of mutual respect, not simply making sure that the biggest celebrity in the room has their moment. But Serena doesn't get that, and neither do Kanye or Joe. And that's why they can not or will not offer meaningful apologies for their bad behavior.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on September 15, 2009 7:40 AM
Fear, Suspicion and Change
Some of the anger expressed on the floor of the joint session of the United States Congress indicates an unwillingness to accept the verdict at Appomattox Court House that ended the Confederacy.
Posted by Gardner Calvin Taylor, on September 14, 2009 10:03 PM
It's not "Incivility," It's Racial Prejudice
What we are seeing in our public life right now in this writhing, screaming and resisting President Obama's leadership is, in fact, the next step on the journey toward one America. The vitriol is coming from the still deeply held race-prejudices in some that are being are pulled out into the open and exposed.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on September 14, 2009 5:40 PM
Rage, Racism And American Unreason
What we are seeing is the rage of a minority at an African-American president who is considered not only wrong in his policies but illegitimate as the leader of our nation.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on September 14, 2009 3:08 PM
Racism and the Religious Right
The underlying element in all that we are seeing and hearing is racism. People saying that they "want their country back," the accusations of President Obama trying to make the United States a socialist country, and the comparisons of the president to Hitler and other hated figures is racism at its finest.
Posted by Susan K. Smith, on September 9, 2009 4:28 PM
FEATURED COMMENTS
edbyronadams: It is the height of incivility to silence the opposition with cries of "racism". The opposition to #43 was as uncivil as those toward #44. C...
kert1: Ironically, I can see this question as stirring up more anger. It seems to be at least a little partisan in its phrasing, but I will try to...
WmarkW: A couple of points:
1) American political discourse has deteriorated in part because demographic issues can't be discussed openly due to so...
