Someone asked me the other day if I thought that the new U.S. president is the antichrist. I replied that as far as I know he is just a man, an ordinary human like the rest of us, neither totally evil nor good.

Trump’s supporters might disagree. For a good number of them he can do no wrong. He is going to make sure that the “deplorables” will now count for something. He will build a stronger American military. He will get rid of environmental regulations. He will rejigger U.S. foreign policy to put America first. He will make the American economy once again the most potent on the planet. He will tell the politically correct where to get off. He will keep his hairdresser.

Trump’s enemies might also disagree that he is neither totally evil nor good.

For a good number of them he can do no right. He is going to make sure that the “deplorables” will now count for something. He will build a stronger American military. He will get rid of environmental regulations. He will rejigger U.S. foreign policy to put America first. He will make the American economy once again the most potent on the planet. He will tell the politically correct where to get off. He will keep his hairdresser.

We love to put our faith in something or someone and often a political leader can seem like the best candidate for the role. Across this country people are flocking to spend an hour or so basking in the power and popularity of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In China and North Korea many work hard to create a cult of personality around their respective leaders. In the U.S., leading up to federal elections, citizens are expected to declare themselves followers of either the Republican or Democratic candidate.

It is easy to cross the line between politics as a responsible activity to politics as religion. The rhetoric leading up to federal elections, especially in the U.S., but here in Canada too, can take on religious dimensions. By that I mean that potential leaders are often advertised as able to bring on a new age of prosperity and blessing for their respective nations.

Their opponents, on the other hand, are held up as demagogues who are bound to lead the nation to ruin.

Taking extreme views on the abilities of one leader or another is not helpful, and is potentially dangerous. But what can keep us from elevating political leaders to a god-like status or reducing them to demagogues?

Certainly it helps to have a tradition of critical opposition to incumbent leaders.

We need the freedom to complain about our leaders without fear of reprisal. This is where journalism, opposing political leadership and elections play important roles.

Might there be anything else to prevent making idols of our politicians?

It is instructive to consider the various countries. At the risk of oversimplifying I will say this: in the Northern European and American nations, the possibility of god-like authoritarian leadership is less than in other regions of the world. In those areas it is less likely that a leader can get away with demanding their constituents see them as the be-all and end-all. Even Donald Trump is not likely to get more than half his country to worship him.

One thing that is frequently ignored is the historic influence of the Christian tradition in those northern countries. It is often overlooked because, in an effort to find values that work for the majority of people in a diverse society such as Canada’s, we do not like to appear to be elevating one religious perspective over another.

However, it would not be honest to overlook the influence of Protestant Christianity, and to a lesser degree Catholic Christianity, in the regions I have identified. These are areas where, until around six decades ago, Canadians visibly participated in their churches. And even if this has changed to some degree, the effects of Christianity in this country linger. Those effects are just below the surface.

One way to scratch the surface is to show up at any Protestant or Catholic Church service on a Sunday morning. You will understand why the Christian tradition has had the effect of keeping politicians humble. You will immediately be confronted with the claim that only God is God. We humans, even the politically elevated, remain simply human; nothing less, but nothing more either.

We are not to make religion out of our politics, or gods of our leaders. This is a key reason why trust in God is so vital. Without it, the tendency to make idols of our leaders will grow. If that happens, the burdens we place on them will become unbearable. Our expectations of them will turn into illusions leaving us, not fulfilled, but angry.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.