#306: The Religious Option

EXCERPT:
Sunday I attended the John F. Kennedy Library’s observance marking the 50th anniversary of JFK’s famous 1960 “Houston Speech.” Speakers included E.J. Dionne, James Carroll, Shaun Casey, and Chris Matthews.
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JFK’s speech helped to reduce anti-Catholicism in American society by reassuring Americans about Catholics’ essential patriotism. But it also paved the way for the acceptance of other religions by proclaiming belief in an America where “religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.”

This principle clearly applies to today’s controversies about the acceptance of Islam in America—and it raises the question: Who might now provide that same reassurance about American Muslims?

Ironically, the very man at the center of the controversy about the NYC Islamic Cultural Center also spoke on Sunday. In his address to the Council on Foreign Relations, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf described how, on his own journey from 1960s Egypt to US citizenship, he discovered a religious country where religion is an option:

In America, we…protect different expressions of faith. We assemble in our various houses of worship to pray, to chant, to recite our sacred scriptures, or simply to come together in communion and draw together and draw strength as a community. But religion in America is not imposed on us: We can be as devout or as agnostic as we like.

That choice -- to be or not to be religious, or anything else for that matter -- forced me to think about who I was, who I am, what I truly wanted and chose to be; and has given me a profound appreciation for the country that provides these freedoms. In that sense, you could say that I found my faith in this country. So for me, Islam and America are organically bound together.

But this is not my story alone. The American way of life has helped many Muslims make a conscious decision to embrace their faith. That choice, ladies and gentlemen, is precious, and that is why America is precious.

This statement offers a wise insight to which many Americans remain blind. It also reflects the enduring wisdom of Kennedy’s speech.

In a world divided between religious and secular countries, America stands virtually alone. In most religious countries, religion is a social or even legal requirement, not an option. And in most countries guaranteeing religious liberty, secularism reigns. America may be unique in achieving religious liberty yet remaining religious.

The “religious option” works here. Imam Rauf’s comments reflect this glorious reality, and thus Kennedy’s enduring relevance to our day.