The failure of purely secular education

I ran across this transcript years ago and have kept it in my memory banks to pull out for such a time as I hoped would never come again. Sadly, however, here we are yet again, once more unto the breach, in this country that has a long history of political assassination attempts, four of which have been successful at killing sitting US Presidents. Dozens more of which have not been. 

I have largely been unimpressed by the theological reflections I have seen from various religious leaders across the spectrum in response to the attempt on former President and candidate Trump. Now, I am not in any way advocating for or against Trump or his candidacy here. My political philosophy is that salvation cometh not from politicians, and as Forest Gump once said, "that's all I have to say 'bout that..."

In the age of social media, responses poured in from religious leaders all over the globe after last weekend's failed assassination attempt in fairly short order. Because of the instantaneous nature of social media and the 24/7 news cycle, I think a lot of religious leaders tweeted out half-thought out or, frankly, bland and/or banal statements about the incident. The Pope's response from the Vatican a few days later did not even mention Trump by name. The Archbishop of Canterbury's response seemed, to be charitable, confused. Many bishops and pastors put out banal statements condemning nebulous violence or partisanship. Some quoted canned prayers for unity from this or that prayerbook or liturgy. I even saw a few who spewed out the general "thoughts and prayers" trope. 

I hope against hope that more serious reflection will come from such leaders after a bit of time has allowed for more adequate reflection. Considering our long history in this country of political violence and assassinations, one would think trained religious leaders would have had ample time to have mentally prepared public statements to address such issues when they occur. Only time will tell, but the fact that Trump did not die (though sadly a bystander did), the entire theological conversation will largely be shelved and forgotten by religious leaders and theologians, only to rise and repeat when the next spat of violence, assassination attempt, or mass shooting occurs. 

That having been said, I have been appalled for some time how the political rancor in this country has ratcheted up to levels not seen in quite a while. I am also a political realist, and I do not believe that we have reached a new low in this country in partisanship. We have been partisan and at each other's throats in this country for centuries. This is not a new phenomenon. Trump's (his old Twitter name calling tantrums) and Biden's (his 'Blood Red Speech' comes to mind) name calling and demonization of the political other (both sides do this) are symptoms not the causes of the disease that has infected America since the beginning.

For example, the US House in Congress allowed Representatives to bring their war dogs onto the floor for personal protection until Henry Clay as Speaker of the House passed floor rules outlawing that in 1820. There was even a corner of the US House floor where Congressmen could go to have a sanctioned fist fight for years, and there were even House procedure rules about how to suspend debate temporarily if two Congressmen needed to go outside and have a duel with firearms and what to do with the bill being debated when one or both were killed in the attempt. (If both were killed, the session was suspended pending funerals and the bill went back to committee. If one was killed, the debate would continue after lunch. If neither was killed, debate continued before lunch. #TrueStory.) 

While some assassinations were tragic and other attempts comic, lethal violence and political debate have been woven into the American fabric since colonial times. This is nothing new. (I say some attempts were comic because Teddy Roosevelt's manuscript of a long speech stopped an assassin's bullet once, and he was giving out the pages with the bullet holes and autographing them as he exited the building after the assassination attempt because he was the ultimate showman.) This is also why the US House was originally the only elected body on the Federal level with the original draft of the US Constitution. The membership of the Senate, the Presidency, the Supreme and Inferior Courts were all appointed directly by States (senators), by Senate (courts) or by the electoral college (president), all to protect from the crazy masses. 

I acknowledge some of my preceding paragraphs were tongue in cheek, and I do not mean to make light of serious attempts on anyone's life. The article I linked to above is the transcript of a speech by a Rabbi to President Reagan after he was shot in the early 1980s and is one of the better socio-theological reflections I have read on the topic. I think it deserves consideration because it is as timely now as it was then. 

See what you make of it, but I do think he was right in so far as if a secular education clearly does not teach or inform any clear morals or even ethics and mental health of students is largely only dealt with at best by pop psychology and talking about feelings and at worst by giving the kid a lollipop and sending him back to class...is it any wonder these cyclical events occur?