Healing the Divisions of Religion?

Obama spoke today at the Notre Dame University commencement and was honored with an honorary law degree. I’m not sure exactly which act he has done that was being honored but he was honored nonetheless. Before being awarded his honorary degree, Obama was recognized with these words:

… The University of Notre Dame Confers the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the 44th president of the United States, whose historic election opened a new era of hope in a country long divided by its history of slavery and racism. A community organizer who honed his advocacy for the poor, the marginalized and the worker in the streets of Chicago, he now organizes a larger community, bringing to the world stage a renewed American dedication to diplomacy and dialogue with all nations and religions committed to human rights and the global common good. Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Did you catch that last part? “Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.”

Since when are Christians interested in healing the divisions of religions and politics? Why should we be? I respectfully remind Notre Dame of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:34, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

Christ didn’t heal divisions – He made them and He didn’t water down His message to appeal to the masses. You’re either with Christ or you’re against Him (Matthew 12:30). Jesus didn’t just speak the truth, He was the Truth (John 14:6). To compromise on even one point on order to win converts would make the truth a lie. I could almost understand the argument that we need to give a hearing to different points of view. But do we have to honor them? Obama is perhaps the most militant, pro-abortion politician in Washington today. For a strongly Catholic and (supposedly) pro-life institution to award him an honorary degree should be a scandal.

And now there are some in the GOP who believe we should abandon our conservative principals and move the party toward “the center.” Excuse me? Do they mean we should be more like Obama? What exactly do they think the objective is: to win people or to win elections? I’m sorry but I don’t go for the Arlin Specter model of politics (“if you can’t beat them, join them”). I prefer to stand on my principals and try to win others to my point of view. If anyone is persuaded, great; if he refuses, then I continue without him.

“Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). In other words, there’s no room in the truth for a “big tent.”