Looking back at the historical figures and principles that built the foundation of modern conservative and civil thought, one can only wonder what they would say today if they witnessed the present state of the GOP.
The Degradation of Public Discourse
Trump brings out the worst in people. In the most recent (of many examples) of the "love-fest" (Trump's own words) that was held at
Madison Square Garden—from calling Puerto Rico a "pile of garbage", to the references about the sexual proclivities of Catholic Latinos in general, joking about watermelons with reference to an African American, and Tucker Carlson's calling Vice President Harris "the first Samoan-Malaysian, low-IQ" nominee, to the rank demonization of Harris and political opponents as "the antichrist" – chiefly put, the xenophobia, racism, and hatred that has infected today's Trump-led Republican party is beyond the pale. Nikki Haley is also correct in her criticism of the numerous elements of misogyny that were present as well.
The Question of Character and Consistency
Growing up Protestant and fairly acquainted with "the evangelical right"'s justifiable criticism of President Clinton's serial infidelities in the 90's as a mark of poor character (not to mention the Monica Lewinsky affair as an insult to the distinction of the office of the Presidency itself), I find it astonishing that the same evangelical (and to a degree, Catholic) right would give their BLESSING to somebody with 26+ allegations of sexual harassment/abuse, escalating (at least in one case) to a conviction of sexual abuse and battery, not to mention having had a recent adulterous affair with a porn star – doing so in what can only be characterized as a blatant utilitarian bid for political power. This was, and is, profoundly repulsive to me on so many levels, and I cannot fathom the moral gymnastics needed to accept such behavior on the part of a political candidate.
Philosophically: The Death of Democratic Dialogue
Philosophically, I am reminded of Fr. John Courtney Murray, whose works exercised a huge influence on me:
“Barbarism likewise threatens when men cease to talk together according to reasonable laws. There are laws of argument, the observance of which is imperative if discourse is to be civilized. Argument ceases to be civil when it is dominated by passion and prejudice . . . when dialogue gives way to a series of monologues . . . when the parties to the conversation cease to listen to one another, or hear only what they want to hear, or see the other's argument only through the screen of their own categories; when defiance is flung to the basic ontological principle of all ordered discourse, which asserts that Reality is an analogical structure, within which there are variant modes of reality, to each of which there corresponds a distinctive method of thought that imposes on argument its own special rules. When things like this happen, men cannot be locked together in argument. Conversation becomes merely quarrelsome or querulous. Civility dies with the death of the dialogue.” — John Courtney Murray, “We Hold These Truths”
I can’t think of a candidate more than Trump who, by his dishonesty and wholesale disregard for truth in our civil and political discourse, serves as the complete antithesis to dialogue in pursuit of truth which Fr. Murray devoted his life to cultivating. Donald Trump really is the “barbarian at the gates”—and I’m confounded by how so many have willfully turned a blind eye to such behavior and in turn display a casual disregard both for the pursuit and preservation of truth in our political conduct.
Theologically: The Temptation of Political Power
For Christians, the temptation to seek political power to secure the goals of Christian faith is present across the political spectrum, on the left (liberation theology”) to the “Christian nationalism” of the right. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), sharply aware of this temptation, observed the need for constant vigilance in his book, Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration:
"The temptation to use power to secure the faith has arisen again and again in various forms throughout the centuries, and again and again faith has risked being suffocated in the embrace of power. The struggle for the freedom of the Church, the struggle to avoid identifying Jesus' Kingdom with any political structure, is one that has to be fought century after century. For the fusion of faith and political power always comes at a price: faith becomes the servant of power and must bend to its criteria."I think this temptation has been quite evident in “MAGA-Catholics’” politicization of the Catholic faith in American life, even to the point of certain priests preaching support of Trump from the pulpit, and making support of his campaign a core criterion for being a good Catholic. (Archbishop Viganò’s own framing of political opposition to Trump as a cosmic battle between the “children of darkness and light” smacks heavily of Gnosticism).
Concluding Thoughts
In summary, the current deplorable state of our political discourse in the United States necessitates an urgent reclamation of integrity, civility, and truthful dialogue. To reiterate the concern of Fr. John Courtney Murray, the death of civil conversation signals the rise of barbarism, a threat that is realized when passion and prejudice replace reasoned argument. The warnings of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) should serve as a vital reminder to Christians to resist the perennial temptation of prioritizing political power over moral and theological principles. The preservation of the pursuit of truth in political discourse as well as our everyday interactions serves as a bulwark to the integrity of our democratic institutions, and is entirely in keeping with our obligations as Catholics.
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