This Religion column is a regular feature written for the Gallup
Independent by Gallup area residents, representing different faith
communities, who share their ideas about bringing a spiritual
perspective into our daily lives and community issues. For information
about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
at The Independent: (505) 863-6811 ext. 218 or
lizreligion01@yahoo.com.
Ron Polinder is the executive director of Rehoboth Christian School. He can be contacted
at rpolinder@rcsnm.org or (505) 863-4412
Defining Religion, Culture and Identity
More accurately this title should be “toward defining religion, culture and identity.” It
is foolish to think that one could clarify these terms in a mere 750 words. But, can we
move toward clearer definition and better understanding?
Having returned to live in New Mexico now 5 years ago, there is clearly enormous
confusion and misuse of these terms. Religion, for many, has become synonymous with
culture. Identity is easily complicated and confused by issues of religion and culture.
Let’s try to unpack the puzzle.
The confusion regarding these concepts crosses cultural lines. Some Native Americans
easily equate and interchange culture and religion. Some Anglo Americans want to deny
any relationship between religion and culture. Radical Muslims equate everything
American with Christianity. All of the above messes with one’s identity and sense of
self.
Practically, this comes to expression in the following examples:

Navajo Christians are often made to feel like they are “lesser Navajos” because
they no longer subscribe to traditional Navajo religion. Their use of the Navajo
language may be impeccable, their family and clan relationships are in harmony,
their frybread outstanding, and somehow they are second-class Navajos? Hog
wash! Such a projection reflects the inappropriate equation of religion and
culture. It is fully possible to be culturally Navajo and spiritually Christian.

Secular Americans would deny the right for religious Americans to allow their
religion to influence how we live in culturally. They desire religion to be
privatized. So they are offended by religious claims in the public square about
marriage, sanctity of life or wholesome sexuality. They make the opposite
mistake of the above example and desire for religion to have little or no voice in
the culture. Here too, I say, “Hog wash!” My religious faith has enormous
implications for how I live in the culture. As a Christian, I am always trying to
transform culture – even this article is an attempt to influence how we live
together culturally.

Radical Muslims identify America as the great Satan. They too mistakenly
equate culture and religion. Because America has a significant percentage of
This Religion column is a regular feature written for the Gallup
Independent by Gallup area residents, representing different faith
communities, who share their ideas about bringing a spiritual
perspective into our daily lives and community issues. For information
about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
at The Independent: (505) 863-6811 ext. 218 or
lizreligion01@yahoo.com.
Ron Polinder is the executive director of Rehoboth Christian School. He can be contacted
at rpolinder@rcsnm.org or (505) 863-4412
serious Christians, they believe that all American cultural manifestations are a
result of Christianity. MTV, Jerry Springer and Howard Stern are the antithesis
of Christian faith and morality, but they have failed to make that distinction. So
too, Americans must be very careful not to equate every radical cultural or
political expression of Islam to be true for all Muslims.
All of the above confusion contributes to serious identity crises. If the only way one can
be a true Navajo is to believe in traditional Navajo religion and, let’s add, speak the
Navajo language, then there are going to be thousands of Navajo youth and adults who
will spend much of their lives trying to be someone who they are not. They will overreach trying to “prove” they are the real thing, and never accept themselves for who they
are.
Christians who happen to be Americans, if they believe the secularists, will be, at best,
muted (or mutated) Christians who actually buy into the notion that their faith needs to be
“separated” and has nothing to say as to how they do business, politics or entertainment.
Their identity as Christians has been compromised, even violated.
Then there are those Americans who actually think they are Christians because they
believe they live in a “Christian” America. They identify themselves as Christians if they
believe in the Constitution, know a couple of the 10 commandments and recite the
Pledge. They need to know that America never was or ever will be a Christian nation.
Was/is America influenced by Christianity? Absolutely, and thankfully I would add, but
never to be identified as singularly Christian.
All of this is say:



Religion is the recognition on the part of humans that there is a transcendent
being(s) entitled to obedience, reverence and worship.
Culture is a way of living and a set of values built up by a group of human beings
which is transmitted from one generation to the next.
Identity is the condition of being oneself, which may or may not have a sameness
with one or even several groups.
With a little help from a dictionary, these are my concocted definitions. But I think they
work. Please observe how these concepts are very different from each other. Yet, they all
influence each other.
If we were to stay true to such definitions, I believe there would be much less
misunderstanding in our community, our nation and our world.
This Religion column is a regular feature written for the Gallup
Independent by Gallup area residents, representing different faith
communities, who share their ideas about bringing a spiritual
perspective into our daily lives and community issues. For information
about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
at The Independent: (505) 863-6811 ext. 218 or
lizreligion01@yahoo.com.
Ron Polinder is the executive director of Rehoboth Christian School. He can be contacted
at rpolinder@rcsnm.org or (505) 863-4412
Remember I started this piece with “toward a definition…” I welcome others taking a
stab at some needed clarification.
Ron Polinder
Executive Director
Rehoboth Christian School