CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION to the CULTURE WAR

Craig Detweiler — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:08:54 -0700

How should we respond to the bullets currently flying in the culture war? Each week has brought another loaded headline–from President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame to the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. The murder of George Tiller while he was serving as an usher at Reformation Lutheran Church made him the latest casualty in culture war. He becomes another means to raise money for both sides of the fight. The same week, a Muslim convert shot two army recruiters, killing Pvt. William Long from Conway, Arkansas (hometown of new American Idol, Kris Allen). Now, comes another salvo, shotgun blasts inside the Holocaust Museum. A security guard died at the hands of an 88-year-old white supremacist. That is a lot of hate spewing across our nation. Lebanon is holding peaceful elections, while we continue to fire on each other. Somehow, these latest culture war casualties haven’t inspired renewed calls for gun control. At the very least, we can pause long enough to grieve over what we are doing to each other.

While the rhetoric continues to ratchet up across the culture divide, a few pundits have decided to opt out. Will Hinton considers himself a “conscientious objector in the culture war.” He blogs at places like redbluechristian.com. Lord knows, we need a massive public uprising to turn the tide on the war profiteers who get paid to divide us. May those caught in the crossfire rise up on behalf of peace and civility.

In the meantime, Will Hinton is hosting conversations with the editors of Paste Magazine and author Cathleen Falsani. (Check out her arresting new book on ‘grace spotting’, Sin Boldly). Will and I recently engaged in a conversation captured here. Our discussion ranges from the Purple State roadshow to the Windrider Forum at Sundance, through the subcultural phenomenon currently known as ‘Christian film.’

These topics may seem inadequate and slight given the increasing severity of our times. Should we be weeping over the blood we’re continuing to spill on both sides of the divide? Absolutely. But the spokesmen for the far edges of America remain far too busy raising (blood) money to listen.