The great melting pot of the American imagination no longer melts. Our story is becoming the same old story of other nations throughout history whose peoples divide into warring factions, grouped by religion, race, ethnic group, class, and whatever other divisiveness the devil can conjure up. Knowing that oversimplification can be a useful tool in the search for Wisdom, the Catholic Wise Guy imagines America as two Cultures – two ways of thinking and looking at the world, two belief systems, two ways of imagining the future.
Two songs help us understand these cultures.
The anthem of the Secular Leftist Culture (SLC) is “Imagine” by John Lennon. The CWG notes that he’s been a Beatles’ fan since the 60s and considers the Lennon-McCartney songwriting team among the best in the 20th century. “Imagine” is John’s most famous solo composition. The song is simple and hauntingly beautiful. Sounds like a love, joy, and peace song – until you study the words. In the first verse, John imagines a world without “heaven” and “hell.” People will be “living for today.” In the next verse he posits a world with “no countries” and “no religion,” leading to “people living in peace.” The heart of John’s “culture” of peace and brotherhood is a world without heaven, hell, and religion. This fits perfectly with our Secular Left Culture, which is a culture without religion and without God. They believe religion prevents humanity from achieving peace and brotherhood, echoing Marx’s dictum that “religion is the opiate of the people.” 50% of Americans are “Nones” (no religious affiliation) and fit snugly into the SLC.
Many adherents of SLC display a religious zeal for their non-religion. From the minarets of mainstream media and the universities their muezzins proclaim the SLC word.
If religion is the problem, then government is the solution. SLC preaches a strong central government, with the government dominating political, economic, and personal life. Some SLC acolytes advocate “socialism,” once a dirty word in America. The government managed by the SLC elites will bring America to the land of milk and honey, peace, and brotherhood.
The downside of “strong government” is weak individual political, religious, and economic rights. The SLC relentlessly attacks the dignity of the individual and the family. Everything is group, group, group. A strong government necessarily restricts individual rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion, which have been prized by many Americans.
One last characteristic of the SLC: they are storm troopers for the sexual revolution, taking up arms for abortion and every letter of the LGBT alphabet.
To facilitate understanding, I list here some terms and groups of the SLC: cancel culture; woke; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DIE); progressive; Antifa; Black Lives Matter; Critical Race theory; Groupthink.
“I Can Only Imagine” is the anthem for the Religious Right Culture (RRC). It is a popular Christian song from the group MercyMe. Bart Millard, the author, wrote this song after the death of his father. And what does Bart imagine? Heaven. He’s imagining heaven, being with Jesus in heaven. “I can only imagine what my eyes will see/When Your face is before me…Surrounded by Your glory/What will my heart feel?” What a contrast with John Lennon’s song. John thinks heaven and religion ruin us, pushing peace and brotherhood away. Bart imagines that heaven and God are the key to life, to living well. God and the vision of heaven make us better and improve society.
For the RRC, religion is not the problem, man is. He’s a fallen creature and without God his better angels will languish, and his little devils dominate. You cannot make a good society from bad people. There is no peace and brotherhood without God.
The terms “Left” and “Right” define the type of government “imagined” by the culture. “Left” means a strong, expanded government, extending to socialism and communism. The “Right” means limited government, extending to libertarianism and anarchy. The “Left” thinks in terms of groups and emphasizes “social justice” and “equality.” The “right” thinks in terms of “individuals” with an emphasis on the dignity of each person and his/her freedom to act and speak in political, economic, and religious spheres.
The RRC supports traditional sexual morality, including marriage between a man and a woman as the bedrock of society, believing that as the family goes, so goes society.
Terms and groups in the RRC: Catholic; evangelical; capitalist; Christian; orthodox Jew; other believers in one God and heaven; pro-life groups.
The Catholic Wise Guy closes by observing that dialogue between the two cultures has been diminishing. The SLC, having won most of the cultural battles, holding the high ground of the media and universities, and imagining final victory to be near, is not interested in debate with the RRC but its capitulation.