Here is a tip for reporters getting ready to tip-toe into coverage of stories that mix politics and centuries of Christian tradition.
Ready? There are times when it really helps to find out if Jesus — look for quotes in the New Testament — has addressed the issue that you are preparing to cover. This is especially true if you are considering an attack on a believer for defending a doctrine that is so central to Christianity that Bible passages about it have been given a unique name.
Like this one — “The Great Commission.” Here’s the quote from St. Matthew:
… Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This brings us to that headline atop a short piece at The Daily Beast that keeps popping up in my email: “Newly Elected GOP Congressman Madison Cawthorn Has Tried to Convert Jews to Christianity.”
Yes, I know that there are debates about whether The Daily Beast is a proper source for hard-news coverage of serious topics, such as this one. And this “story” is actually a short piece of aggregated news from another source (click here for more Jewish Insider info).
It’s pretty easy to spot the buzz words in this overture, which argues that it is controversial for Christians to, well, take “The Great Commission” seriously — even in private life:
Madison Cawthorn, the North Carolina Republican who will become the youngest member of Congress in history, has admitted he tried to convert Jews and Muslims to Christianity.
In an interview with Jewish Insider, the 25-year-old, who came under fire for selfies he took at Hitler’s vacation retreat in Germany, claimed he had converted “several Muslims to Christ” and several “culturally Jewish people.”
“If all you are is friends with other Christians, then how are you ever going to lead somebody to Christ?” Cawthorn said. “If you’re not wanting to lead somebody to Christ, then you’re probably not really a Christian.”
It’s all about the word “admitted.” The Hitler reference was an especially brutal touch, in the context of discussions of salvation.
One one level, this story is another example of fading support in some circles for an old-liberal stance on free speech and freedom of religion. You would think that journalists would understand that free speech — yes, including speech offensive to some — is as important to reporters and columnists as it is to preachers and evangelists.
But it’s clear that some people who used to be liberal on this topic have shifted their views. Do you remember that 2017 encounter between U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Russell Vought, an evangelical Christian who had been nominated to serve as deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget?
Vought had taken part in debates about a controversy at Wheaton College controversy in which a professor made headlines with her claims that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
Speaking as a Wheaton graduate, Vought argued that salvation was found through Jesus — period. Here is a chunk of an “On Religion” column I wrote about this Senate hearing (and see the video at the top of this post):
Sanders said: "You wrote, 'Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ, His Son and they stand condemned.' Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?"
The nominee repeated his defense of this ancient Christian doctrine. Sanders kept asking if Vought believed that Muslims "stand condemned."
Once again, Vought said: "Senator, I'm a Christian …"
Sanders shouted him down: "I understand you are a Christian! But this country is made of people who are not. … Do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?" Sanders concluded that he would reject Vought because, "this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about."
Afterwards, Sanders drew criticism from those arguing that — rather than defending tolerance — he had attacked Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which says "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
The reality, of course, is that Christianity isn’t the only world religion that believes it holds exclusive truths about salvation and eternal life. Do Muslims attempt to covert people to their faith? Sanders was, in effect, arguing — as noted here by a Muslim human-rights activist — that it would be dangerous, or at least offensive, for traditional Muslims to serve in the U.S. government.
The crucial news question: Is there evidence that a religious believer as attempted to convert others as part of their work in government or, perhaps, while in the workplace?
Obviously, it’s understandable that some people are offended by discussions of heaven and hell and conversion to another faith. It’s also important for journalists to note that many Christians — liberals in particular — have embraced some form of Universalism, arguing that there are many roads to the top of the same eternal mountain and everyone gets to the top, no matter what (or variations on this theme).
It’s interesting that one of the strongest defenses of Cawthorn — “Convert Me If You Can” — came from David Harsanyi at National Review. Once again, it’s now “conservative” when someone steps forward to defend what was once considered First Amendment liberalism. Here is a crucial passage in his essay:
As a Jew, I’ve had a number of Christian friends try to turn me toward Jesus — Lutherans, Catholics, and Evangelicals. Though denominations seem to adopt different philosophies on how best to proselytize in a secular world, they have all been exceptionally polite about it.
My assumption is that they wouldn’t be very good Christians if they weren’t spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is, from what I gather, one of the central premises of the entire enterprise. To be honest, I’m often surprised at how shy Christians are at performing this task.
As a heathen, though, I am flattered by the attention. And as a person in possession of free will, I am also unconcerned. Never once have I found such efforts to be “anti-Semitic.” The very universality of the endeavor tells me it is not. I simply assume that my friends are troubled that I have forsaken salvation. Maybe they’re right. I’ll find out soon enough.
Fortunately, I do not live in the Holy Roman Empire or medieval Portugal or in a shtetl in the Pale. The notion that Jews should be offended by Christians approaching us with theological ideas is un-American. Trust me, Jews are not helpless in the face of arguments.
These arguments about the First Amendment (and a religious test for public service and even, in some zip codes, the ability to stay employed) may become more common as more Americans are “triggered” by religious liberty and free speech. Journalists need to be prepared to listen to the arguments of believers and unbelievers on both sides.