Having faith in America

     

"Trump and his supporters assume that America and Europe will be transformed by Islam, but that Islam will not be transformed by America and Europe."

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There is fear and defeatism in Trump's message. 

The premise inside "Make America Great Again" is that we aren't great now. American workers can't compete; American Christians cannot evangelize; American families cannot reproduce; America is in a death spiral.

One of the mysteries to political pundits has been the overwhelming support given to Donald Trump by self-identified evangelical Christians. After all, he doesn't even pretend to be one of them. He does something better: he acts on their behalf. They feel under siege and losing to a wave of woke liberals, secularism, multiculturalism, and foreign beliefs. Trump's enemies are their enemies.

This blog received a copy of a chain letter circulating among Trump supporters, sent me by a white, male, Christian. Its primary purpose was to warn about immigration from Muslims. It reflects both demographic and ideological panic.

     
     "There is a frightening scenario that is a threat to our country and the free world. The Muslim faith wanted a power base in the Western world and they are succeeding rapidly. They plan to out-populate us. I know of no policy to educate people to the danger of populations of another Faith and Belief!"

The presumption inside the chain letter, and more generally in the Trump message, is that the primary affect of immigration is on America, that America will be watered down and changed. There is another way to view immigration: America changes Islam. That attitude requires pride and self confidence. 


Muslim immigrants will come into contact with Christianity as it has been infused with American values and customs. Muslims will experience America-style freedoms, including religious freedom. They will encounter and interact with Christians, Jews, people of other faiths and people of no faith. 

They will experience the American Way of Life. They have come to America in search of it. 

Christianity in America

The immigrant experience in America is one in which people and cultural sharing goes back and forth, and the common experience is that immigrants are happy they came.  Immigrants visit the "old country" on trips back or in retirement. They talk with relatives. They share their experiences. Perhaps their cousins will realize they have it pretty good compared to things back home. Immigrants' sons and daughters will have native-born American friends, will speak English without an accent, and be fluent in both cultures. They serve as change agents, introducing new, American ways. As immigrant families go about their lives in America and back visiting their former homes they are ambassadors. 

It is American soft power at work, powerful and relentless.


Americans understand soft power, and we fear it when we see the Chinese exercise it. China makes Belt and Road economic investments in Asia and Africa, creating economic ties. We see that as power projection and Americans worry that they are doing it and we aren't. 

China sponsors Confucius Institutes, where they fund schools in America and pay for teachers who teach Chinese to Americans. At first Americans welcomed this--free money!--but recently have grown suspicious. After all, this is Chinese cultural soft power at work.

CLICK: Chinese soft power

Muslims in America will give Christians easy opportunity to share their faith, to evangelize to them. Muslim immigrants will observe Christians at work, play, and in their religious practice. Won't some of them find Christianity powerful and persuasive, and Christians to be people of good character? Wouldn't Christians hope to be considered such?

Muslims in America could have a salutary affect on Christianity. Some American of nominal Christian faith, but currently lapsed or non-religious, will see newcomers from Muslim countries who are faithful in their religious practice. They pray. They go to mosques. The lapsed Christian and see that those people of faith prosper, live good lives, raise good children. Some of those observers may be awakened to the value of faith and the common God of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Do Christians need to fear people witnessing people practicing another faith? Wouldn't some be drawn back into religious practice? 

If America believed in itself, it would practice the long game. It would understand the goal of creating a secure and prosperous America requires our spreading our cultural values organically. That would lead to more immigration from Muslim countries, not less.

it is the leaders of Islamic countries who should fear emigration of their people, where their people are exposed to a prosperous, welcoming, religiously tolerant country. Of course, it works best if America is, in fact a welcoming, religiously tolerant country.

If that were so, then America would  have nothing to fear.