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Saying “Merry Christmas” today inevitably brings to mind nearly three decades of cultural conflict associated with that phrase. The holiday has been a contentious topic since former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly brought attention to the so-called “War on Christmas” in the early 2000s.
This trend intensified with the rise of Donald Trump and the often aggrieved MAGA movement. Once viewed as a non-political celebration, Christmas has been heavily politicized over the years.
Disingenuous Republicans like O’Reilly and Trump have thrived despite Democrats’ longstanding hesitance to engage with contemporary Christianity. However, an interesting changes appears to be taking place.
Following the Democratic Party’s electoral delays last month, some Christian leaders within the party are advocating for a reevaluation of how faith issues are addressed, aiming to reconnect with a voting demographic they have long abandoned to Republicans.
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock expressed concern to The New York Times, stating, “It’s unfortunate that in American politics, faith rhetoric has become one more tool in the politics of ‘us and them.’”
Texas state Representative James Talarico emphasized the need for progressives to recognize that the separation of church and state does not equate to a separation of faith and politics, warning, “Unless we do, we’re going to keep losing elections.”
An increasing number of faith communities are beginning to welcome Democrats, highlighting the importance of this relationship. In a political cycle where various groups, such as young voters, Hispanics, and women, shifted to the right, electoral data indicates that some Christian denominations unexpectedly leaned left.
For instance, Arizona’s Mormon community diverged from the state’s rightward trajectory, while numerous Baptists supported Kamala Harris due to her acceptance of LGBTQ Christians as children of God.
Examples of this moves were visible during the campaign, with grassroots Mormons in Utah and Idaho hosting Harris campaign events that openly rejected Trump’s moral stance.
Despite this, many Democrats remained wary, haunted by earlier experiences with Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority and the intertwining of conservative Christianity with the Republican Party. Given the hateful rhetoric propagated by figures like Falwell and Pat Robertson, it’s understandable that Democrats would feel cautious.
As a Christian and a Democrat, I empathize with that reluctance, having experienced similar sentiments for years. Democrats often exhibit a dismissive attitude toward overt expressions of Christianity, such as attending church, reading the Bible, or citing biblical quotes in speeches.
When churches are involved in campaign events, it often leads to extensive internal debates among staff about the potential implications, messages, and optics. In the middle of this deliberation, the reality is that many Americans do not view such expressions of faith as particularly controversial.
The hesitance of Democrats to engage in discussions about faith, as articulated by a Harris staff member, highlights how unfamiliarity can lead to paralysis and awkwardness.
For numerous Hispanic voters who have been part of the Democratic coalition for decades, the party’s hesitant approach to faith—when it chooses to engage at all—played a remarkable role in their departure from the party last month.
Addressing this issue does not merely involve Democrats improving their religious engagement. Instead, they need to support party leaders who naturally incorporate discussions of faith into their lives.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Cory Booker (N.J.), along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, all possess a sincere and meaningful connection to their faith.
Unfortunately, the general aversion among Democrats to engage with religious topics often results in these capable messengers downplaying their discussions of faith to avoid alienating the party base.
This represents a considerable loss for the party. From this perspective, the Republican culture war has achieved remarkable success. By contrasting themselves with the religious fundamentalist right, Democrats have inadvertently abandoned millions of voters who align more closely with the religious left.
This unilateral withdrawal from faith-related discussions has allowed the GOP to claim the title of the official voice of Christianity in America, resulting in dire consequences for marginalized groups, non-Christians, women seeking abortions, and others, with the exception of the religious right.
Engaging with these challenging issues has deepened my own understanding of faith, revealing that tens of millions of spiritually committed individuals exist in this country who defy the stereotypes imposed by both political extremes. Democrats have the opportunity to win back these voters, but first, they must recognize that Christianity is not a taboo subject.
