Deus Ex Machina Torium

Why is there such a strong link between religion and the political right? It’s no coincidence that these both concern themselves with the status quo, in particular when there is a significant imbalance between the haves and the have-nots. Having been neither right wing nor religious, I can not speak from experience but, rather, must base my conclusions on observation and reason (neither of which seem to play significant roles in the manifestations under discussion).



Religion as the champion of the status quo is sine qua non. Since the beginnings of organized religion, churches and temples have acted as the pillars of a community’s codified beliefs (rules of social interaction, if you will) and the anchor of its socio-economic hierarchies. Churches have always known on which side their communion bread is buttered and the knife has always been the well-heeled and the powerful. Money may flow from the faithful but the legitimacy and clout that allowed the church to keep the doors open and the schillings coming in lay in the hands of the rich and powerful.



In the near two millennia between the fall of the old republics and the rise of our modern republics (read entrepreneurship), that elite was comprised of royalty and its hangers on. The feudal system which dominated European history during this time was predicated on a king or emperor deriving his right to govern directly from God. Thus God was the pinnacle of both the religious and socio-political pyramids and the maintenance of the structure of both hierarchies was dependent, not on the evolution of these structures, but on their steadfast preservation. Hence the term ‘conservative’.



Our modern republics (and constitutional monarchies are just republics that think pomp and ceremony are cute and, besides, they add an aura of heritage and stability what with their tracing privilege back hundreds of years) are different only in the make-up of the aristocracy. Presidents and prime ministers take over the role of the crown at the political apex and bloated entrepreneurs are the new nobility. Their positions may not flow directly from the creator but their adherence to the same legerdemain of entitlement makes it obvious that theirs is a ‘God-given’ benison rather than being due to an accident of birth or a suspension of moral responsibility.



Is it any wonder then that religion and right wing politics go hand in hand? If you find yourself in a position where fortune has smiled upon you, doesn’t it seem logical to preserve that munificent grin? For me, the rich and privileged are like slot machine players who have, at some time in the past, had a large payout and are repeating the gestures and incantations that brought them their windfall. The process that creates slot machine wins is not that different from the chance that rewards some and relegates others to a life of poverty and ignominy. The phrase, “there, but for the grace of God, go I” is implicit in the mantra of the well-to-do with ‘the grace of God’ part constituting the best guarantor of continued prosperity.



So why do poor and disadvantaged people often wind up in churches or on the right side of the political landscape? The short answer is ‘ignorance’. Is there any better way to describe supporting a status quo in which your status is at the wrong end of the quo? Maybe these people think that wealth and power will rub off a la ‘trickle down economics’. Maybe they are so fatalistic as to think it is their lot in life to be exploited and marginalized. Maybe what was good enough for their father is good enough for them.



Between the new aristocracy who seek to hold on to what they have, religions that have a vested interest in holding on to traditions and ambient socio-political structures, and the unthinking mundane masses, the right wing is defined by its adherence to the status quo. Unfortunately, its non-rational roots will lead inexorably to a continued recourse to fear mongering, hatred, and misinformation emanating from its pivotal factions. It is ironic that radical conservatism is bringing about change in our southern neighbour. Radical conservatism would seem to be an oxymoron. Only mentally challenged bovines need apply.