It was only a matter of time before Congress found religion

I saw a disappointing quote in the Washington Post last night from a Baghdad resident who appreciated a harsh sandstorm that was keeping U.S. military forces from the city. The resident, Imad Mohammed, saw the storm as divine intervention. God, he thought, was keeping the Americans at bay.

“The storm is from God,” Mohammed said. “Until the aggression started, never in my life did I see a storm like this. We all believe in God, we all have faith in God. And God is setting obstacles against the Americans.”

Iraq, unlike nearly all of its Middle Eastern neighbors, is not a theocracy, it’s a secular dictatorship. Saddam Hussein only uses religion when he’s desperate or needs to rally some extra support. The Iraqi people, however, are devoutly religious. What was discouraging about the quote was the idea that this war — a battle between two militaries — is not about force, it’s about currying favor from God.

While the Iraqi gentleman’s remark was disheartening to me, it was far more disappointing to see members of Congress thinking exactly the same way.

Late last week, 24 House members introduced a resolution “recognizing the public need for fasting and prayer in order to secure the blessings and protection of Providence for the people of the United States and our Armed Forces” during the war. As Sam Felder, blogger extraordinaire and Carpetbagger’s trusted friend, noted yesterday, the effort is “beyond surreal.”

Those of you who know me understand that I have more than a passing interest in the issue of church-state separation. And while this resolution is non-binding and, as a practical matter, is just another example of politicians trying to appear pious, it’s still irritating for a number of reasons.

Our nation is facing real threats right now. Hundreds of thousand of troops are in harm’s way and too many will not be coming home, terrorist threats against us have brought us back to Code Orange, our economic growth is stagnant, we’re running the largest deficits in history, and we’re in the longest continuous stretch of job decline since 1944-46.

We look to our elected representatives for some leadership and they tell us our government wants us to fast and pray? That if we do, we’ll “secure the blessings and protection of Providence”? That’s not the kind of leadership I had in mind.

Just as importantly, these Republican representatives, once again, fail to appreciate the proper role of government in matters of faith. America is an overwhelmingly religious country, among the most religious on earth. Families will fast and pray following the dictates of their faith and their conscience, not the suggestions of Congress. Elected officials parading as spiritual leaders belittle religion while ignoring their governmental responsibilities. The Constitution requires government neutrality on matters of faith; Congress urging the population to fast and pray is far cry from neutrality.

In 1999, Congress nearly passed a similar resolution calling on Americans to engage in “prayer, fasting and humiliation before God.” During the floor debate, Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) eloquently urged his colleagues to vote against the measure.

“Perhaps it is time for us in Congress to preach a little less and practice a little more,” Edwards said. “God doesn’t need Congress’ help. But may God help us if we ever use religion for our own political ends.”

Edwards’ suggestion is as right now as it was then. Congress would be wise heed his words carefully.