>>> Christian Right to retain influence on US foreign policyThe continuing influence of the Christian Right will mean little change in US foreign policy regardless of whether John McCain or Barack Obama is in the White House, claims a controversial new book.
Dr Lee Marsden, a lecturer in International Relations at the University of East Anglia, has had unique access to leading American Christian fundamentalists, thanks to his own background as a former ordained pastor in the Word of Faith movement.
He has also interviewed significant members of the US Administration and conducted in-depth research for his new book For God’s Sake, which argues that the religious core values of middle America have potentially disastrous consequences for the US and the world in the coming century.
“Despite McCain’s recently distancing himself from the views of right wing pastors – and despite Obama’s campaign theme of ‘change’ - Bush’s departure is not going to see the end of the influence of the Christian Right,” says Dr Marsden.
“This is an organised movement which seeks to prevent any resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict on anything other than Israeli terms. Obama’s and McCain’s recent speeches to AIPAC support this approach and Obama’s commitment to an undivided Jerusalem as Israel’s capital fits exactly with the Christian Right agenda and effectively destroys prospects of a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
The Christian Right has been responsible for the Bush administration’s anti-abortion, anti-gay, pro-nuclear family stance, which has, among other things, deprived organisations such as Planned Parenthood of funding. Instead, the government has promoted abstinence in developing countries rather than the use of condoms and funded Christian organisations to deliver humanitarian services while evangelising.
“Although an Obama administration would lean more to the Christian Left, it would still share much of this social conservatism,” said Lee Marsden.
McCain will need to secure Christian Right votes to have any prospects of winning. Dr Marsden predicts increasingly bellicose foreign policy rhetoric and an uncompromising position on radical Islam. Both candidates have been equally aggressive towards Iran.
And, regardless of who is in the White House, Dr Marsden says conservative evangelicals are disproportionately represented in the US military and private security contractors.
“This presents a problem in terms of cultural sensitivity and Muslim perceptions of the US military being a Christian army engaged in a crusade against Islam.”
Dr Marsden is organising a public round table discussion for the week after the US Elections and teaches a number of courses at the University of East Anglia, including new Masters courses in International Security and Religion in International Relations.
For God’s Sake: The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy, by Lee Marsden, is published by Zed Books www.zedbooks.co.uk----------------------------------
Interesting, no?
