Understanding U.S. and world requires "getting religion"

Q: The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is recommending that the U.S. government develop a strategy to make religion 'integral' to American foreign policy. Should U.S. foreign policy get religion?

Yes, U.S. foreign policy should "get religion," because one or more religions influence the citizenry of all of the world's countries on how to think or act. Trying to engage a community (neighborhood, city, region, country) without understanding its religious foundations and institutions is ultimately doomed to failure.

Too often, U.S. and world affairs are viewed, from within and without Washington, as endeavors that must "put up with" religious views and leaders, openly desiring that religion somehow just go away, even looking forward to the day, soon, where we are living in a "post religious" world.

However, the world is not "post-religious," as many would hope, nor is it moving rapidly in that direction. If anything, there are large portions of the world - some would say the U.S. as well - that are becoming more faith-based, and more religious. And this trend looks to persist for the foreseeable future. But this does not have to be a problem: it should be understood and leveraged.

The structures of the world's religions are the best existing vehicles for transmitting important lessons, and for communicating with and leading the world's peoples. Religions have the attention of the world's citizenry, and thus can make the most impact. It is analogous to when the phone company decides to deliver broad-band internet: it is most efficient for them, because they already have the captive audience. The same goes for religious institutions: the vehicles to change the world are the social-religious structures that are already in place.

The institutions of the world's traditions should be used as vehicles for helping to solve the world's problems - political or otherwise. I often use the buzz words of "communicate" and "activate". Communicate: Getting out the word in any community in the world is easier and more consistent when done in conjunction with the religious establishments. Activate: Getting people and energy directed to one or another problem, or to one or another point of view, is most effective when supported by and amplified by the religious establishments.

Finally: I find it odd when the U.S. government seems to believe that religious ideals and beliefs only drive other countries - that somehow U.S. foreign policy and U.S. actions aren't also driven in some part by our own religions. There are lots of actions that the U.S. takes (say, concerning Israel) that can only be fully understood when overlaid with a religious lens. Said differently, other countries politicians have to "get religions" to understand and communicate with us.

By Leo Brunnick  |  February 23, 2010; 6:22 PM ET Save & Share:                 
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