Crítica de livros: Religião e Política nos EUA

Um dos factos salientes do panorama político norte-americano, nas últimas décadas, foi a capacidade do partido republicano de responder às preocupações e à agenda da direita religiosa, e de capturar parte significativa do eleitorado religioso (religioso enquanto tal).

Nesta crítica do NYT aos livros The Party Faithful - How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap de Amy Sullivan, e Souled Out - Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right de E. J. Dionne Jr., faz-se eco da tese, defendida nestes livros, que a responsabilidade passou, também, pelo Partido Democrata:

"The leadership of the Democratic Party, to its misfortune, has tended to confuse the religious right with religion, period. As a result, they can now look back at a long campaign of successful efforts to alienate white Christians, who make up two-thirds of the American electorate." e "In short, the Democratic Party’s long string of counterproductive responses to the enduring influence of the religious right has had the cumulative effect of driving away any type of base with the word “faith” attached to it, and opening the door to the Republicans’ shrewd, if cynical, courting of religiously conservative white Christians. It’s been a self-defeating failure, since there are millions of moderate and progressive Christians ready to embrace a reasonable alternative."

Ambos os livros defendem que a situação está a mudar, e vai mudar ainda mais, havendo uma agenda de esquerda susceptível de ser apoiada pela maioria dos eleitores religiosos moderados:

"Strikingly, both authors announce the demise of the religious right and proclaim the advent of a new era of religious engagement in the direction of what might be called faith-friendly liberalism. “American politics is at a turning point,” Dionne asserts. “Evangelical Christians are an increasingly diverse group,” broadening their political agenda to include environmental issues and a commitment to international human and religious rights, as well as to economic policies that address poverty. Mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics are poised to renew their “rich history of social concern,” Dionne says, and he concludes, “There is very good reason to believe that in the coming years, America’s religious communities will no longer be seen as the natural allies of political conservatism.”

A ver vamos! Existem indícios disso mas o tempo dirá.