Musings on the Limits of Reconciliation in a Divided Democracy

By Rudy Barnes, Jr., May 24, 2025

Jesus was crucified by a coalition of Jewish leaders and Roman authorities, and the crowds cheered his crucifixion.  During the crucifixion Jesus lamented “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?” (Mt 27:45, and Mark 15:33); and Jesus later said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32).

There is a distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation.  We can and should forgive others when we feel wronged if we expect God to forgive us, as mandated in The Lord’s Prayer;  but reconciliation requires more than forgiving our adversaries.  It also requires peacemaking, and forgiving our adversaries is only the first step to peacemaking.

Jesus was the Word of God, with his teachings summarized in the greatest commandment to love God and all our neighbors as we love ourselves.  It’s a moral imperative that emphasizes reconciliation, and in America’s polarized partisan politics, the need for reconciliation is evident in the animosity between those who support and oppose Trump.

Reconciling with Trump supporters requires more than claiming to love them.  It requires an altruistic alternative to America’s polarized partisan politics.  If the 2026 midterm elections don’t transform Trump’s GOP or create a viable third party, there will be no political alternative to the polarized partisan politics that will sustain the dominance of Trump’s Republican Party.

Popularity is the measure of success in both politics and churches, and the popularity of America First Christian nationalism and racial partisan preferences in most church congregations seem to defy reconciliation. The result is that 11:00AM on Sunday mornings remains the most divided racial and partisan time of the week.

Churches are divided by race and partisan politics by choice.  The separation of most Black and White churches by race and partisan politics has been voluntary, and has become part of America’s culture.  Reconciling polarized racial and partisan divisions in our churches will be difficult, but it should be a top priority.

In America’s libertarian and pluralistic democracy differences in race, religion and partisan politics can be either an asset or liability.  If those differences become polarized in our churches they will corrupt our political legitimacy and our democracy.  America’s churches must exemplify God’s moral imperative to reconcile the racial and partisan differences that divide us.  

A diminished American church must initiate a moral reformation to save itself and its divided democracy from self destruction.  Only then can America begin to restore its racially divided social structure and its moral legitimacy as a Constitutional democracy, and save itself from the corruption of Trump’s regime.

Notes:

On religion, race and politics:

(7/12/15): Reconciliation in Race and Religion: The Need for Compatibility, not Conformity   http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2015/07/reconciliation-in-race-and-religion.html

(3/12/16): Religion, Race and the Deterioration of Democracy in America

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/03/religion-race-and-deterioration-of.html

(3/26/16): Religion, Democracy, Diversity and Demagoguery

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/03/religion-democracy-diversity-and.html

(7/9/16): Back to the Future: Race, Religion, Rights and a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/07/back-to-future-race-religion-rights-and.html

(7/16/16): The Elusive Ideal of Political Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/07/the-elusive-ideal-of-political.html

(10/22/16): The Need for a Politics of Reconciliation in a Polarized Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/10/the-need-for-politics-of-reconciliation.html

(11/19/16): Religion and a Politics of Reconciliation Based on Shared Values

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/religion-and-politics-of-reconciliation_19.html

(11/26/16): Irreconcilable Differences and the Demise of Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2016/11/irreconcilable-differences-and-demise.html

(2/18/17): Gerrymandering, Race and Polarized Partisan Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/02/gerrymandering-race-and-polarized.html

(8/19/17): Hate, History and the Need for a Politics of Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/08/hate-history-and-need-for-politics-of.html.

(11/11/17): A Politics of Reconciliation that Should Begin in the Church

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/11/a-politics-of-reconciliation-that.html.

(12/9/17): Religion, Race and Identity Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2017/12/religion-race-and-identity-politics.html.

(1/6/18): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Diversity in Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2018/01/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on.html.

(12/29/18): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Justice in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2018/12/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on_29.html.

(3/9/19): Musings on the Degradation of Democracy in a Post-Christian America

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2019/03/musings-on-degradation-of-democracy-in.html.

(7/13/19): Musings on Sovereignty and Conflicting Loyalties to God and Country 

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2019/07/musings-on-sovereignty-and-conflicting.html.

(7/20/19): Musings on Diversity in Democracy: Who Are Our Neighbors? 

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2019/07/musings-on-diversity-in-democracy-who.html.

(11/2/19): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Polarization and Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2019/11/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on.html.

(2/1/20): Musings on the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Altar of Partisan Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/02/musings-on-sacrifice-of-jesus-on-altar.html.

(7/11/20): Musings on America’s Culture War, Racism and Christian Morality in Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/07/musings-on-americas-culture-war-racism.html.

(8/1/20): Musings on Echoes from 1860 as America Seeks Truth and Reconciliation

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/08/musings-on-echoes-from-1860-as-america.html.

(9/12/20): Musings on the Demise of American Democracy: Is It Deja Vu All Over Again?

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/09/musings-on-demise-of-american-democracy.html.

(9/19/20): Musings on Law and Order, Reconciliation and Racial Justice

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/09/musings-on-law-and-order-reconciliation.html.

(11/7/20): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Good and Evil in Religion and Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/11/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on-good.html.

(12/5/20): Musings on the Preference of White Christians for Demagoguery over Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2020/12/musings-on-preference-of-white.html.

(2/15/21): Counterpoint: The Danger of Racial Reparations as a Means of Restorative Justice

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2021/02/counterpoint-danger-of-racial.html.

(3/27/21): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on a Civil Religion in a Divided America

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2021/03/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on-civil.html.

(6/12/21): From Hammond and Tillman to Trump: A Legacy of Shame for South Carolina

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2021/06/from-hammond-and-tillman-to-trump.html.

(6/26/21): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Critical Race Theory and The 1619 Project

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2021/06/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on.html.

(7/10/21): Musings on the Need for Racial Reconciliation in America’s Divisive Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2021/07/musings-on-need-for-racial.html.

(2/19/22): Musings on Reconciliation to Resolve the Dilemma of Diversity in Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2022/02/musings-on-reconciliation-to-resolve.html.

(8/6/22): Musings of a Maverick Methodist on Moderating Hatred in Partisan Politics

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2022/08/musings-of-maverick-methodist-on.html.

(6/10/23): Musings on Popularity and Altruism as Competing Values in American Democracy

http://www.religionlegitimacyandpolitics.com/2023/06/musings-on-popularity-and-altruism-as.html.