Ross Douthat has a lengthy posting in yesterday’s times in which he reflects on the papal visit and muses about whether we are a Christian, a post-Christian, or a secular country. I don’t disagree with many of his observations, but I don’t think he has a firm grasp of the Christian/post-Christian/secular issue, so I am here to help him out.
There are three ways of viewing the issue:
- There is no doubt in my mind that the American public still has a profound respect for Christian traditions. They are so intertwined in our culture that we barely even notice them except on special occasions. Since the Pope, regardless of who he is, embodies Christian tradition, any papal visit is bound to be greeted with enthusiasm.
- It is also clear to me that the American public still embraces Christian ethics involving person-to-person conduct. You don’t realize how profound the conflicts are between pagan and Christian ethics until you have made an effort to immerse yourself in pagan culture. Francis, with his emphasis on simplicity, modesty, and open-mindedness, does a far better job of displaying Christian virtues than his predecessor–hence his greater popularity.
- Christian doctrine on other (particularly metaphysical) issues is a different story. The differences between Christian doctrine and the views of the American public go far beyond the nearly sublime inanity of Catholic positions on sex and contraception. Does anyone really believe the the majority of Americans believe that:
a. By virtue of the Apostolic Succession, a priest has the magical power to turn bread and wine into the body of Christ?
b. The statements in the Book of Genesis regarding the origins of the universe, the beginning of life on earth, and the fall of mankind are true, even in a metaphorical sense, given the state of the empirical data?
c. Salvation is in any way dependent on upon compliance with cultural norms established by a small group of people in the Middle East thousands of years ago?
d. The nature of God was firmly identified for all time at a meeting that took place over a millenium ago?
Just to name a few. The answer to that question is “Not bloody likely.” And so, in response to the initial query, I would say that the US remains a Christian country in many respects, but is post-Christian in others, and the papal visit has no long-term implications for the credibility and popular acceptance of Christian doctrine.