According to a recent Newsweek article written by Jon Meacham, we are witnessing “the end of Christian America.” The percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has dropped significantly, and Christianity’s influence in Washington is withering away. Is this the start of a revolution in American politics? I think not. As a Christian, I see it as an opportunity to revisit religion and return to its guiding principles.

There are 10 percent fewer self-identified Christians in the United States than there were in 1990. If this trend continues, we will see separation of church and state has not been witnessed in this country since Jimmy Carter announced he was a born-again Christian — an unheard-of move that catapulted religion into politics for the first time in American history. Now, secular politics is on the rise, in accordance with the founding documents of our nation. However, the time has come for some honest discussion of religion’s role.

If we can get past the fact that religious doctrines have been used time and again as justification for genocide, then religion doesn’t look all that bad. The fundamental message of peace and love at the core of all mainline religions isn’t such a bad idea.
The religious right has given Christianity a bad name as an intolerant mob of Bible-thumpers. Now, with the conservative sects of Christians in this country admitting defeat in the wake of gay marriage becoming legal in Iowa and Vermont, Christians now have an opportunity to reshape our image.

The founding fathers of the United States were not Christian, but many of their documents have their roots in Christian thought. It’s hard not to see the parallels between our legal system and the Ten Commandments, but Christianity has had an even deeper impact on the American way of life. Christianity provides a set of moral guidelines that, if followed correctly, would have a profoundly positive effect on our society. A little compassion and selflessness — the top Christian values — would go a long way toward solving many problems in this country and would do wonders for our foreign policy. Talking with our adversaries in other countries instead of blowing them up would also save billions of dollars on our military budget.

I’m not advocating a mass conversion of Americans or a return to the days of the Spanish Inquisition. All I think we need in this country is some form of moral foundation. Religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam all provide such foundations, and if we forget their teachings, then we are lost.

What we need is open discussion. Let’s talk about religion and its role in our lives. There’s no reason why we can’t talk civilly about it. If everyone engaged in the conversation — believers and non-believers, religious or just spiritual and moral — we could find some common ground and a moral compass to guide us into an uncertain future.