America is Exceptional, But I'm Not an Exceptionalist

This article was originally published on The Washington Post "On Faith" blog.

I believe America is exceptional, but I am not an "American exceptionalist." The former is rooted in facts, and the latter in bad theology.

America is special for many reasons. We are the most charitable country in the world. Each year, Americans voluntarily donate hundreds of billions of dollars to churches, non-profits, and humanitarian agencies. We are the freest country in the world. Americans can worship whatever god they choose whenever they choose, and no one can force his wife to cover her face in public. The conditions are better in America. Unlike much of the world, clean water is a readily available commodity and the average wage is much higher than most of the world.

The politically correct police might have us believe that all countries are exceptional in their own way. But such assertions are thin and meaningless. They're reminiscent of a scene from The Incredibles in which the mother says, "Everyone's special" and the son replies, "which is another way of saying no one is."

The facts are indisputable: America is not only different, we are exceptional. That's why countries look to us when drafting constitutions and forming governments. That's why we spend so much time debating immigration, not emigration. This is a wonderful place to live, and many citizens of other nations are clamoring to come here while our citizens largely stay put.

At the same time, I do not consider myself an American exceptionalist because of the poor theology that is so often enmeshed with the paradigm. Many who comprise the religious right have long held that America has somehow achieved special standing with God. Working on a fundamental beliefs that obedience to God brings blessings and disobedience brings curses and rooted in several false beliefs, these thinkers believe we've earned God's blessings through historical obedience. This is rooted in several false beliefs, such as America being founded as a "sacred Christian nation" and the misapplication of Old Testament passages addressing ancient Israel to modern America.

Just as the America-is-a-dime-a-dozen paradigm falls flat in the face of facts, so these beliefs don't stand up to historical and hermeneutical scrutiny. For this reason--as former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson points out in his new book, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era--the biggest problem of the religious right is not tonal or strategic, but theological.

The difference in believing that America is exceptional and American exceptionalism is significant. Believing that America is exceptional recognizes that our blessings--like every good and perfect gift--come from God. It emphasizes God's grace rather than America's greatness. The latter assumes that our nation has claimed favored status with God and often yields a don't-you-wish-you-were-like-us attitude. That's why Michael Kinsley of Politico defines exceptionalism as "the theory that Americans are better than everybody else."

Why is this important? Accepting that America is exceptional due to God's unmerited favor breeds the virtues of gratitude and humility. A belief that America is the recipient of divine favoritism, on the other hand, breeds arrogance and triumphalism. But what many fail to recognize is that pervasive arrogance robs one of any claims to being exceptional. Instead of beating our chests and bragging, we should bow our heads in humble gratitude to the grace-giver.

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