Growth of conservatism jeopardizes freedom for everyone

Sapozhnikov is a first-year microbiology and molecular genetics
student.

By Igor Sapozhnikov

Have you noticed that society is becoming more conservative?
Examples such as “parental advisory” labels on music,
ratings for television programs and the ever-increasing opposition
to abortion and gay rights suggest that America is casting a
widening eye of judgment on social interaction.

Most of this conservatism stems from a religious awakening. When
I say “religion” I mean the majority of the religion
that is practiced in our country: Christianity, and to a smaller
degree Judaism and Islam. Such religions are becoming more
influential over society, as a whole, and are now defining what is
right and wrong.

These religious beliefs are the ones that led to the passage of
legislation in Kansas, eliminating the teaching of biological
evolution in public schools, paving the way for creationism in
curricula. These beliefs are also the ones that were largely
responsible for impeaching former President Clinton because of
adultery. Clearly these religious beliefs are finding their way to
policy-makers, and are being expressed in conservative actions by
the government.

This is nothing new, however. There were two other such
instances in American history that saw the same religious
awakenings. The first such awakening occurred at the end of the
17th century. This little glimpse into our nation’s past
reveals the Salem Witch Trials.

There is no question that the Puritans were very religious and
based their society almost entirely on the teachings found in the
bible. In order to operate in the Puritan society one had to
disguise basic human drives, such as sex. In turn, this sexual
repression was materialized through the hypnotic screams of
pubescent girls. This is when religious paranoia swept through the
town as the people tried to explain the occurrence. The only
explanation offered was that witches were haunting these helpless
girls, making them dance naked in the woods; and God forbid anybody
be caught with their knickers down.

The point is that this scandal led to more than twenty
executions, which is a big number when you live in a small town.
These witch trials sent a shiver through New England and the entire
world, showing how a religious awakening can affect the
society.

The second great religious awakening occurred in the middle of
the 19th century. America was deeply divided right down the
Mason-Dixon Line. Tensions mounted over the issue of slavery, but
conflict was not imminent. That is, it was not imminent until
Abraham Lincoln came to power.

In fact, it was the strong religious background of Lincoln that
pushed him over the top to become our 16th president. It is noted
that during this time period almost everybody in the North was
attending church. Indeed, “all men are created equal under
God” was the battle-cry for the Union. Our nation plunged
into civil war because of a potent religious awakening in the
North, demanding that the South conform to God’s will.

Although slavery was eventually abolished, this was the
bloodiest war in our nation’s history (in terms of percentage
of the American population killed). Again, this shows the effects
of a religious awakening in society.

And now we are immersed in a third religious awakening. It may
have started as an anti-hippie movement in the ’70s, but it
now encompasses all functions in society. There are many examples
of this.

First of all, look at the professional sports scene of today.
You see more and more athletes acknowledging their respective God
as the catalyst for their success. The endzone dance has been
replaced by the endzone congregation. The championship ring in
basketball has been dwarfed by Shaquille’s monster cross
dangling near his waist. Boxing has already been converted with the
advent of Muhammad Ali. Even bad-boy Deion Sanders is a
minister.

Why do more and more athletes attribute their abilities not on
self-improvement, years of discipline, blood and tears, but on a
subjective being that seems more of a casual observer than an
active participant? One answer is: it’s the trend.

Now let’s move from the sports arena to the political
arena. When a year ago our new president was asked whom he
considered his favorite philosopher, his response was: “Jesus
Christ.” Hey, Bush, whatever happened to the separation of
church and state? In one statement, Dubya disenfranchised the
following groups of people: Jews, Muslims, devout atheists and the
list goes on and on. But the Gore ticket was no different.

Time after time Gore and Lieberman alluded to God in their
speeches and interviews. This was the first time, in a long time,
that so much attention was devoted to being “religiously
correct” by presidential candidates. In fact, by the end of
the election fiasco it seemed as though the candidate who asked
“God” to “Bless America” more times would
come out victorious.

To witness the final example of a religious awakening one has
only to step foot onto the UCLA campus. From a huge banner hanging
on Bruin Walk, to signs that stand under every hall inviting
believers to join a particular religious club, it is obvious that
the campus is as spiritual as ever.

What I want to know is where are some of the notable science
clubs on campus. Sure, some people know of the Astrobiology
Society, but that’s it. Based on what I see on Bruin Walk, it
seems that religious clubs greatly outnumber scientific efforts. In
the polarized world of the spiritual versus the secular, our campus
is overwhelmingly spiritual.

The “sacred scripts” are being read by an increasing
number of individuals. It is no wonder, therefore, that society is
moving back toward conservatism.

So what does this all mean? It means that we will get presidents
such as Bush and attorney generals such as Ashcroft. People should
not be surprised to see more restrictions on abortion, a regression
in civil rights (this includes race and sexual orientation) and
more. So, buckle up; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.