Are Madison Street banners examples of replacement religion?

When, in 2022, I first saw the 70 rainbow banners lining Madison Street, I was impressed. Aesthetically they created a visual feast. Ideologically they affirmed my values. Some of my best friends, as they say, and extended family members are LGBTQ.

This year Juneteenth flag banners have joined the mix. Again, some of my best friends …

On the political spectrum I tend to lean center left, so what follows is basically self-criticism.

The banners seem to fit right in with our celebration of the Fourth of July. This year, however, those banners have become a source of worry for me, and it will take two weeks’ worth of columns to explain why.

This week I’ll make the argument that we progressives are mistaken when we contend that our views are based on facts and reason and not on beliefs, and next week I will make the case that our village government, as it has in the past, should stay out of the business of promoting replacement religion.

Political ideology, the new religion

We all learned about the separation of church and state in civics class, and most of us hold as self-evident the “truth” that the state should not support the establishment of religion.

AI, however, accurately summarizes what many commenters are observing and that I myself am seeing as I interact with my neighbors about political ideology these days.

The shift of politics into a modern religion — often called a replacement religion — is a widely observed cultural phenomenon. As traditional religious participation has declined, many people have transferred their deepest devotion, moral certitude, and sense of community to political activism.

That’s why I worry about the banners. The village of Forest Park is helping pay for the purchase and installation of the banners.

“The village of Forest Park and its local departments (such as District 91 schools) officially co-host and provide funding and resources to support the festivities [of Pride Fest] and street displays.” (Instagram, exploreforestpark)

“The 17th Annual Juneteenth Family Pool Party in Forest Park is funded and supported by a partnership between the village of Forest Park and several community sponsors.” (Facebook, Village of Forest Park)

And in so doing, I wonder, is it violating the principal of the “separation of state and ‘replacement religion’”?

Commentators point out the ways in which political ideology has become replacement religion.

Moral Worldviews: Adherents divide the world into “good” and “evil,” creating a strict sense of moral superiority and identifying political opponents as “sinners” or heretics rather than fellow citizens.

The Rituals of Belonging: Rallies, protests, and conventions serve functions similar to tent revivals or denominational meetings. Campaign speeches inspire ecstatic feelings, and donating to candidates acts as a form of tithing.

Promise of Salvation: While traditional religion promises spiritual salvation, political movements often promise societal salvation through policy, positioning candidates, or ideological platforms as the ultimate fix for deep-seated human problems.

Replacement religion on the left

Johnathan Haidt argues that “Leftism is the new fundamentalist religion. … Specific progressive movements mirror fundamentalist religions by enforcing rigid moral dogmas and ideological purity.” He contends that certain factions on the left have turned political beliefs into sacred, non-debatable values.

This from an online site called United: “Unhinged election outcry reveals failed promise of secular salvation Nov 24, 2024 — They believe the right government policies will save us and solve all our problems. This wager leaves no room for dissent.”

Coffee that has been decaffeinated is still coffee, and ideology that has been “de-godded” can still be replacement religion.

Barack Obama, in his post-mortem regarding the 2024 election concluded that one reason the Democrats lost was their over-emphasis on “ideological purity.”

Replacement religion on the right

Messianic and Chosen Status: Many followers [mostly MAGA hardliners] frame Trump not just as a politician, but as a divinely appointed figure. (BBC)

Opposition to woke replacement religion: “To me, ‘woke’ has become a negative term. It seems less about real fairness and more about forcing extreme ideas, silencing opposing opinions, and dividing people. It feels like it’s gone from awareness to intolerance.” (Hannah, MAGA Hardliner, Age 41 • White woman • Talladega, Alabama, from a More in Common poll conducted 2025-2026)

The “MAGA” Gospel: The Make America Great Again platform replaces traditional theological doctrines with a nationalist focus. Trump events and rallies are described as functioning like church services or revivals, providing followers with a transcendent sense of belonging and “us versus them” salvation. (vox.com)

Reverence and Fealty: The movement demands a level of personal devotion, loyalty, and infallibility more characteristic of a religious deity than a secular politician. (New York Times)

How replacement religion works

In a site called Conspicuous Cognition, Dan Williams wrote, “The political beliefs we develop are highly fallible. At best, the mental pictures that make up our political outlook are selective, simplistic, and distorted representations of a more complex, ambiguous, and disagreeable reality.”

Follow Pastor Walter Mitty’s spiritual adventures on Tom’s substack, https://tomholmes10.substack.com.

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