Christian Covenanter

There nonetheless remains a fundamental difference between northern and southern versions of religious tolerance. In the north the people are wont to say, "You worship God in your way, and we'll worship Him in ours." This delightful formulation says, in effect, that since religion is of little consequence anyway, why argue? In contrast, the southern version, well expressed in an old joke, says: "You worship God in your way, and we'll worship Him in His." From the early days of the Republic, when Baptists led the the fight for religious freedom and the separation of church and state, white southerners have done rather well in living together with mutual respect and tolerance for each other's religious views. Always reminding themselves of human frailty, they are perfectly tolerant of some damned fool's right to choose eternal damnation. But they are not about to pretend that they regard another's religion as intrinsically equal to their own.
—Eugene Genovese, The Southern Tradition: The Achievements and Limitations of an American Conservatism

Posted by Ryan S. on Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 12:36 PM | Permalink