Religion as an It

In 1923, Martin Buber published Ich und Du. Translated into English in 1937 as I and Thou, this theological work explored the relationship which humans have with those around them. He characterized these relationships into two groups: I-Thou and I-It. When people use other people simply for their own purposes, they perceive their subject as an It. But, when two individuals interact with respect and conscious give and take, that relationship is considered I-Thou. What does this have to do with the modern American political system? Certainly Buber did not intend for this interpretation, but religion in the modern political atmosphere has become the It in a massive I-It relationship with the established political system and the modern televised media. By no means am I arguing that all of those who serve in the public light use religion for their own advantage or that religion is being corrupted, I hate generalizations, I simply wish to point out several unsettling trends which have become apparent in the blossoming media revolution.
The effect of the modern media machine cannot be underestimated in regards to the political decisions Americans make. When CNN or Fox News reports on a candidate’s actions on a particular day, the routine is the same. The anchor will summarize the speech or interview given by the candidate in a few sentences, a brief clip of the candidate will appear spouting a rehearsed one liner to rouse the crowd, and the anchor will then report where the candidate is off to next. This is what our televised political journalism has boiled down to, and the candidates know it. This process can seriously distort a genuine religious message that a candidate wishes to express. Also, this process can also allow a candidate to bypass the need for authentic religious dialogue in favor of a nice, concise sound bite for the nightly news. One might argue that this is the fault of the media for allowing their medium to be manipulated into a talking piece for politicians. Certainly they bare a burden of the blame. But when was the last time that a politician has called for a true debate about abortion instead of “I am pro-choice” or “I am pro-life?” When was the last time a politician called for a true discussion about the strategy of the War in Iraq in stead of harking on how they voted in the past? As long as the national stage for a political candidate is determined by the mass media, religion along with every other issue worthy of discussion will be swept under the rug in favor of how to look the best in the short time provided by television.