Protect Institutions of Pluralism

Of all the things that we are rightfully afraid of that President Donald Trump and his administration are doing, the most threatening is his obvious aim of destroying any and all institutions of pluralism.

Pluralism is the belief that the coexistence of different types of people with different beliefs and opinions is a good thing.

One of the greatest achievements of the human species is the embrace of such coexistence—the understanding that it enriches society.

I have learned through my life that pluralism is the hope of humanity. I have learned that it is also the hope of Christianity. Christians used to force slaves to work for their benefit. They kept women out of all positions of authority. They used armies to kill off those of different races and different religions. They were happy to use myths of their racial superiority to maintain convenient colonialism and to protect their prerogatives. They rationalized all of this by claiming they were simply protecting a civilization of superior merit and worth.

During much of my life I benefited personally from such a Christianity. But when people asked me why girls smarter than me were kept from achieving as women, why blacks could not live in the best neighborhoods, why our Lutheran congregations were so white, why good and loving and community- minded gay men and women could not love and marry whom they chose, I felt the world change.

And I realized it was changing for the better. I have seen whole institutions grow up around me to keep us on the life-affirming path of pluralism—in the habit of listening to ideas that seem inconvenient and uncomfortable, but make us better because all the varied gifts of God’s people are cherished.

I am a happy member of the Society of Biblical Literature—one such institution of pluralism. Here is a statement of that society’s values and aims:

The mission of the Society of Biblical Literature is to foster biblical scholarship. It is committed to its core values, including collegiality, respect for diversity, critical inquiry, inclusivity, and tolerance. As a society of scholars, we aspire to provide a model for engaging critically and respectfully all aspects of religious discourse in the context of civil society. Among a membership that is socially diverse and increasingly international, individual members may espouse intensely-felt opinions on ethical issues that can be diametrically opposed to the opinions of other members. This is a positive state of affairs and an opportunity to exercise the core values of the Society. As a learned society, its role is to encourage the expression of these opposing viewpoints in public fora (including digital, or social media), and to provide a safe space for discussion in which everyone is encouraged to put forward their reasoned opinions while being offered respect and collegiality, and being protected from all forms of hate speech. The Society encourages its members to engage with the major issues that face them in their particular place and moment in history, and aims to provide resources to foster deep discussion of these issues, and critical engagement with them, from a variety of standpoints and perspectives.

What a great declaration! And one that now risks repercussions for the members of the Society and for the colleges and universities where they do their research and teaching. We need more individuals, businesses, religious bodies, and institutions of every kind to take that risk and formulate and champion such values.

What is the most horrible cause of alarm raised by the Trump administration is that it has its sights set on undermining and distorting every venerable institution of pluralism--institutions that have been years in the making. Universities are denied grant money by this administration for allowing non-violent student protests. Student activists are being arrested and deported for their empathy for and support of the “wrong” people. Judges who question the legality of the administration’s actions are vilely criticized and threatened with calls of impeachment. Corporations and government departments are threatened if they maintain efforts dedicated to promote diversity and inclusion in their ranks. Inspectors general are fired and agencies with the mandate to protect consumers or the environment are dismantled.

The mantra we often hear is that the President won a great mandate, heads the administration, and therefore has the right to demand conformity with his priorities—all in support of democracy. But democracy is nothing without the free flow of ideas. The President we have now keeps talking about freedom of speech. But at the same time he is waging an all-out war against any speech or thought that calls his interests and ideas into question.

For the sake of a healthy society, and a living, breathing Christianity, we must maintain institutions of pluralism. For the cause of repentance for past injustice and the hope of a more perfect union built on justice, we must have pluralism. For the sake of the future of the planet we must stop the current destruction and distortion of our sacred institutions of pluralism.