The Developing “Middle-Position Consensus” about Contemporary American Morality and Religion

INTRODUCTION In the 1990s a new "Middle-Position Consensus" has been developing about the condition of morality and the place of religion in contemporary American society. It is being more formally expressed by various writers (and leaders). This paper identifies, describes, and discusses the viewpoints and boundaries of the Middle-Position Consensus, including its more conservative and liberal aspects. Emphasis is placed upon the Middle-Position Consensus writings of William J. Bennett on the decline of morality, Stephen F. Carter on the importance of religion, and Amitai Etzioni on the responsibility of communities. Although the focus here is on looking sociologically at the influential ideas of a smaller number of intellectuals "above," rather than the ideas of the larger masses "below," the assumption is that these elite ideas are quite reflective of and interwoven with the outlook and feelings of most Americans. In that respect, the recent development of an elite Middle-Position Consensus arose, in large part, from a growing perception among the masses of increased amounts of negative immoral acts in American society, particularly more popular concerns and fears about rising violent crime, and the hope that stronger moral and religious values, among other strategies, will be a "prescription" that helps to combat and solve those problems. Thus by early 1994, national polls (Gallup, Times/CBS, etc.) showed that crime/violence, for the first time, headed the list of the public's number one choice for the single biggest problem facing the nation. In one of these polls, taken for Time (7 Feb. 1994), the two "main problems facing the country" in January 1994 were "crime" (19 per cent) and "lack of morals/values" (12 per cent), each of which was a higher percentage than any of the four other single categories of the economy, employment/jobs, politicians/government, and budget deficit ("Lock 'em Up" 52). (As recently as February 1993, the four other categories were each much higher than crime and lack of morals/values, which were only 4 per cent each.) And by mid 1994, further reflective of popular interest, a Newsweek cover story about public concerns and fears about moral decline reported that its poll found 76 per cent of respondents agreed that "the United States is in moral and spiritual decline," and that politicians of both major parties have been in turn advocating stronger punishment-oriented approaches to crime and welfare reform ("Virtuecrats" 31-32). Turning to the areas adjacent to the elite ideas of the Middle-Position Consensus (hereafter referred to as the M.P.C.), on the right, outside the right boundary of the M.P.C., stands the "Christian Right." Since about 1980, The Christian Right has preached against the "immorality" of abortion, for school prayer, and for Christianized (sometimes "Judeo-Christian") moral and religious education in public schools. It has denounced and launched a "culture war" against the alleged influence and ideas of the secular "cultural elite," and has advocated Biblical literalism. Related to the perspectives of the Christian Right, in 1992 Vice-President Dan Quayle argued for the need for more "family values" in America, rather than fatherless families. On the left, outside the left boundary of the M.P.C., stands the "Secular Left." The Secular Left tends consistently and persistently to take the positions of: a very strong "pro-choice" stand on abortion as well as staunch support for other civil liberties issues; for stands against school prayer and religious education in public schools; a high wall of separation between church and state; and the strong contention that societal problems are not primarily due to internal individual moral or religious failings, but are the result of certain external "root causes" of injustice, racism, poverty, and despair. Among the major supporters of the Secular Left have been a majority of American Jews, among both the religious and non-religious. …