Embracing Both sides In the "Cultural War"

THERE IS, ACCORDING TO SOME, something going on in America called a "culture war", consisting in an alleged, perceived battle between the traditionalists, and the secular progressives. By "traditionalists", what is meant is "conservative Christians". The term "secular progressive" refers to people who are liberal, and who either do not embrace Christianity, or who embrace it but do want it to be a prominent feature of American civic life. Surely, there is, in a vast continent, room for both. There always has been.The founding fathers were for the most part non Christian, but rather "deists", a term roughly synonymous with the term "pantheist". Jefferson was often accused of being an "atheist", and since he once referred to the Bible as a "pile of dung", it can be construed that the term fit, at least from a Christian perspective. Then too, there is the famous letter Jefferson wrote to Madison, in which he advocated a wall between church and state, which we largely have today, with but a few exceptions. Had the founders been "traditionalist", not only would they have been ardent Christians, they would have favored retaining the "political bands" which connected them with another. Thus, for the most part, America's founders were secular progressives. America's founders, alas, were more than "progressive", they were revolutionary. and let us bear in mind that many liberals are indeed christian, and that it is indeed quite possible, and sensible, to be both christian and secular, with regard to civic concerns. Which traditions should we embrace, which which should we reject? And which Judeo-christian value should we retain, and which should we discard. Let's keep the work ethic, and discard, at long last, our long tradition of excluding minorities from mainstream american life. the Bible says, in Leviticus and again in Mathew, that children who curs their parents should be put to death. Let's remove that from scripture. Slavery is a Judeo-christian value, according to the Bible. Strike that one. But let's consider eliminating the designated hitter, and returning to the tradition of having the pitcher hit for himself. Perhaps there is room enough in all of us for a bit of tradition, and a bit of progress.