The Tea Party: Separation of Church & State

Daniel BottittaStaff WriterAt a Tea Party rally, just like any other rally, you are liable to see a lot of signs. “Stop Spending Or Learn Chinese.” “Unarmed, This time.” “Glenn Beck for President.” These are all legitimate concerns for a political party in America today, exaggerated though they may be by partisan news narratives.What is perhaps less in accord with the Tea Party’s stated message of being a political party concerned with fiscal choices is its religious affiliation. Though the party is officially secular, it is very common to see religious iconography and symbols at Tea Party protests. This leads to a strange dual perception of the party.On the internet, and within the administrative ranks, a large portion of the party members are secular libertarians or centrist Christians concerned chiefly with the fiscal choices of the government and its perceived excesses. This demographic has been polled at approximately 55% of the tea party’s numbers. On the ground however, that remaining 45% of members who are seen and interviewed are members of the religious right.These are people who believe earnestly that America is a Christian nation, a nation that has the divine upon its side, and a nation with one ruler: The Lord. These people bring different signs with them. “A Czar Is A Russian King. Here, Jesus Is Our king.” “Pelosi Is A Jezebel.” “Obama, Antichrist?”It would appear that this kind of ignorant hate-mongering doesn't represent a significant party of the Tea Party movement. According to Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, a prominent organization that represents and supports Tea Party candidates, Americans have moved “towards a focus on the proper role of government. And from that you could get a respect of a division between church and state."But an emphasis on the division between church and state is not something generally represented at the popular protests. Instead, what is displayed is an extreme distaste for secular debate, for Islam, and really for any creed that is not under the umbrella of Christianity. This has delegitimize the Tea Party’s message, which could perhaps be taken on its economic merits. Unfortunately, it has been marred by a reputation for playing fast and loose with the division between church and state.Perhaps we could re-examine the tea party on the basis of its official documents, but it would be hard to focus on them over the din of the protesters denouncing the president with a nearly religious zeal.dbottitta@thesamohi.com