Are You ‘Right With God’?: Alaska Official’s Religious Rhetoric Leaves Me Cold (Americans United)

[struggle4progress]

September 4, 2008

... Being president, vice president, senator, governor (or even small-town mayor) involves certain tasks, but none of them is religious in nature. The president oversees the national budget, serves as commander in chief and manages international relations, among other things. Governors draw up state budgets and work with their legislatures. A mayor makes sure the police and fire departments are adequately funded and deals with zoning issues.

Calling people to God (or determining if they need to be so summoned) is the job of the clergy. When members of the clergy urge us to do certain things, we are free to respond as we like. We can follow them or ignore them as we see fit. This is not the Middle Ages, and clerics no longer have coercive power to compel conformity.

It’s different when a political leader calls us to God. The president, vice president, governor and mayor are public servants. They represent everyone in the nation, state and community. As citizens of this country, we have certain duties – but none of them involves religion. We can worship, or not, as we see fit. What we decide to do in that realm is personal and none of the business of politicians ...

In short, I don’t want the president, governor or mayor worrying about the state of my soul and whether my neighbors and I are “right with God.” He or she would do better building the economy, creating jobs and filling potholes ...

http://blog.au.org/2008/09/04/are-you-right-with-god-alaska-officials-religious-rhetoric-leaves-me-cold/

[patrice]

1. When a business gives me a religious lead, which is very common around here, I hangup or leave.

Blasphemous idolators, Trading on the name of the Lord.