The debate about what is the appropriate role of religion in American politics has heated up in recent weeks, this time thanks to Glenn Beck and his vitriol toward social justice advocates with religious connections.

Mr. Beck, one may assume, considers the halls of Congress and our state legislatures to be the purview of lobbyists with more “legitimate” objectives than the likes of Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners who relentlessly pressures those holding the purse strings in government to remember the needs of the poor. In Virginia, we have The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), and its member faith groups and justice seeking individuals who have similar designs on our General Assembly.

Many people consider themselves religious and are quite happy to take Beck’s advice to stay out of politics with its built-in complexities of opposing priorities, its access protocols, overblown egos, and its finger pointing. Sound enticing? They also do not want to be confused with religious groups pushing to codify their personal religious dogma through political manipulations. This sort of quagmire is not what many were hoping for when they joined a church, mosque, synagogue, or spiritual home.

Perhaps the Dalai Lama‘s reflections on the nature of religion versus spirituality explain some of the problem. In The Pocket Dalai Lama, it is said that he tags religion as characterized by dogma and ritual; whereas, “Spirituality I take to be concerned with qualities of the human spirit—such as love, compassion patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony, which bring happiness to both self and others.”

I cannot help but be struck by the similarity of this second definition, minus “the sense of responsibility,” with Jill Bolte Taylor‘s detailed description of her experiences when the right side of her brain dominated her consciousness. Note her book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey or check out her video online. 

Taylor writes that our society and most jobs primarily require the development of our left-brain, with its capacity for time schedules, competition, and discernment of differences among people or objects. But it is our spiritual [my word], capacity, or right-brain, that enables us to connect profoundly with each other and with all forms of existence.

Faith communities, at their best, will nurture this potential. Of course, we acknowledge those who claim no God connection but who model a strong sense of caring and responsibility for others. My humanist friend, Morton Nadler, proudly proclaims that he works hard for justice for nothing, given that he is expects no rewards in the afterlife.

Considering the political climate in which our government leaders are expected to make important decisions, I believe faith communities can provide an important service. By pulling together under the auspices of their common values, they can be role models of compromise and selfless service. And, they can be of great help to lawmakers by researching and providing well-documented, reasoned arguments for attending to the earth, to our children, and to our poor.

Sorry, Glenn Beck.  You lose the debate.

Bobbie Littlefield, M.S.W. is a retired social worker who has worked in five states on child welfare and family support services. She has also volunteered as a citizen advocate with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.