Politicians need not abandon religion (Barack Obama)

[Qutzupalotl]

By Barack Obama for USA TODAY

My faith shapes my values, but applying those values to policymaking must be done with principles that are accessible to all people, religious or not. Even so, those who enter the public square are not required to leave their beliefs at the door.
For some time now, there has been talk among pundits and pollsters that the political divide in this country falls sharply along religious lines. Indeed, the single biggest gap in party affiliation among white Americans today is not between men and women, between red states and blue, but between those who attend church regularly and those who don't.

This gap has long been exploited by conservative leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, who tell evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their church, while suggesting that religious Americans care only about issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
....

This separation is critical to our form of government because in the end, democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. If I am opposed to abortion for religious reasons but seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

This might be difficult for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, but in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics involves compromise, the art of the possible. But religion does not allow for compromise. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policymaking on them would be dangerous.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-07-09-forum-religion-obama_x.htm

This is a well-written article and well worth your time!

[Bill McBlueState]

1. the headline is weird, but there are good points

"Politicians need not abandon religion" sounds funny to those of us who are nonreligious and have had enough of loudly religious politicians.

But this is an excellent statement of how people with religious beliefs can contribute to a secular society:

"This separation is critical to our form of government because in the end, democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. If I am opposed to abortion for religious reasons but seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

I would go a little further and say that if a concern cannot be translated into universal values, a secular state has no reason to even consider it.

[rosesaylavee]

2. Good for him - this needed to be said

and people will hear from him better than some others. Good for him.

K & R

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. RE: the Evangelicals that sponsored the conference Sen. Obama spoke at

The conference that Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton and Gov. Dean was speaking at was sponsored by the Sojourners movement.

Sojourners are actually fairly left-wing on foreign policy and economic issues; and moderate on social issues.

Sojourners are the group they were speaking to:

link for Sojourners


http://www.sojo.net /

link for Sojourners Magazine:


http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.home

Interview on Democracy Now with Rev. Jim Wallis (founder and leader of Sojourners) - link:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/26/1355204

_____________

"The Rev. Tim Ahrens shared Wallis' dismay: "The faith of Jesus Christ has become such a violent and violating faith in the religious right," he contended. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a group of 300 clergy members dedicated to promoting social justice."

"Many Sojourner supporters didn't hesitate to call right-wingers "bible thumpers" and "fanatics," and they criticized the Bush administration for not helping the poor. They gave Obama thunderous applause when he proclaimed his support for separation of church and state and giving teenagers access to contraception. " link:
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/nation/14923089.htm

[Martin Eden]

4. I think this is a great quote:

Politics involves compromise, the art of the possible. But religion does not allow for compromise. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policymaking on them would be dangerous.

[Vidar]

5. If they spent half the time on ethics that they do on religion we

wouldn't be in the current cesspool.

[Cha]

8. Yeah! They have their

heads up their collective ass regarding religion when all they need are a little bit of Ethics!

Who's "abandoned their religion", anyway?

[Demeter]

6. I'm Abandoning Barak Obama, Instead

The man is tone-deaf to the Constitution and the pleas of those people who don't mix politics and religion based on the principles contained therein.

This nonsense has to stop, and the Democrats are going to have to stand for Separation of Church and State. Otherwise, why have two parties?

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. "They gave Obama thunderous applause when he proclaimed his support for

for separation of church and state and giving teenagers access to contraception. "


"such a violent and violating faith in the religious right," he contended. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a group of 300 clergy members dedicated to promoting social justice. ...

Many Sojourner supporters didn't hesitate to call right-wingers "bible thumpers" and "fanatics," and they criticized the Bush administration for not helping the poor. They gave Obama thunderous applause when he proclaimed his support for separation of church and state and giving teenagers access to contraception. "

link:

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/nation/14923089.htm

___________


The conference that Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton and Gov. Dean was speaking at was sponsored by the Sojourners movement.

Sojourners are actually fairly left-wing on foreign policy and economic issues; and moderate on social issues.


Sojourners are the group they were speaking to:

link for Sojourners


http://www.sojo.net /

link for Sojourners Magazine:


http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.home

Interview on Democracy Now with Rev. Jim Wallis (founder and leader of Sojourners) - link:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/26/1355204


.