Understanding Religion -- A Foreign Policy Dilemma

I think the Cold War era was less complicated than today's world. There were two superpowers, one "Communist" and the other "Capitalist." It was a matter of ideology. The two superpowers played it's lesser allies off on each other and rattled sabers occasionally. They even fought proxy wars, but the underlying issue remained ideological and there were lots of folks learning the language of that ideological war to guide the government's foreign policy.

Times have changed, but the same Cold War mentality remains dominant in Washington. The problem is that things aren't as they were. The so-called War on Terror has no "focused" enemy. Instead it's some kind of many headed hydra. We use the term terrorist broadly to cover everyone from Hamas to Al Qaeda, but not all groups are alike. Some dream of world wide dominion while others are focused on local issues.

The War in Iraq foundered quickly in large part because those planning it didn't understand the religious dynamics. It is clear to many of us that instead of damping down Islamic extremism (which is the Bush Administration line) we have stirred up a hornet's nest. It doesn't help the cause that back home the biggest supporters of the war effort are the most likely to be embracing a "Christian nation" mantra. This becomes, therefore, a war of religions, and wars of religions, as history shows are always messy. Especially wars of religion that take on cosmic dimensions, and this is surely what is happening. Both Bush and Bin Laden see things in this form.

So what is the problem? Well, in many ways, the problem identified by Stephen Prothero in his book Religious Literacy is at the center of things. As a nation we are religiously illiterate and our leaders are just as illiterate as we are. With that in mind, perhaps the study of world religions will be a growth industry in the coming years. The State Department and Pentagon both should be seeking out experts in religion to consult as they venture out into the world. During the Cold War the government employed experts in Soviet and Maoist doctrine, now we need new experts.

But as the headline in a Religious News Service article states so clearly: "Religion Still Marginalized in Foreign Policy."