Sunday, June 09, 2019
Sunday Reflection: Religion and Politics
Most people, including politicians, will say that their faith is an important part of their life, and is the basis of their sense of right and wrong. Not all people, of course-- some folks have principled systems of belief that are not rooted in a theology. But most politicians do claim a faith; it is telling that no member of Congress asserts an atheist identity, and only one member of Congress-- Senator Sinema of Arizona-- describes herself as religiously unaffiliated according to a Pew Research Center Analysis.
Other than Republicans defending their views on abortion or LGBT issues (or brave Pete Buttligieg on the same-- and he really is brave in this way, given that the rest of his party seems very wary of talking about religion), the people running for office rarely talk about their faith unless they are talking to a faith group. This is especially true of the current crop of presidential candidates. I suspect there are three reasons for this:
1) For some, the truth might be that their faith isn't really that important to them, but it would be unpopular to admit that publicly.
2) For others, they are afraid of being characterized within the parameters of our toxic religious stereotyping-- ie, the bigoted Christian or the pro-terrorist Muslim.
3) Finally, I suspect some are quite moved by their faith, but don't want to be depicted as completely captive to it-- ie, the charge that JFK would take directions from the Pope.
The result is that we end up knowing little about the interaction between a leaders' faith and their actions. And isn't that a problem? If faith is their source of discerning right from wrong, isn't that something that should be revealed and discussed openly?
I would love a debate to feature this question: "How does your faith inform the choices you make, and would make as President?"
As a culture, we seem to want to avoid that kind of discussion. I don't know why that is, though. Do you?
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That is really interesting. When I bring up biblical reasons why someone might support something, my friends who are not religious, or not strongly religious, often say that "policy shouldn't be made for religious reasons." (And I've heard that said when politicians DO cite religious reasons for their political positions).
But religion does/should affect our actions, positions, opinions...and so, as you said, wouldn't we rather KNOW a politicians religious beliefs?
But religion does/should affect our actions, positions, opinions...and so, as you said, wouldn't we rather KNOW a politicians religious beliefs?
I think Joe Biden and his Catholicism are frequently referenced with regard to abortion and several other issues. This leads me to believe his faith is very important in his decision making. But I believe anyone who has deep faith (regardless of affiliation) needs to remember they represent a greater population/society who don't share their thinking on all matters.
I'm not sure why candidates and parties don't want to talk publicly about how a candidate's faith informs their decisions and policy proposals. Maybe it's because they're afraid of the discussion leading to something that sounds like judgment of another's beliefs, or leading down a logical (or, illogical) rabbit hole that no one knows how to get out of. Maybe it's because presidential campaigns are arguments writ large. They are persuasion. And for our huge messy diverse country, (to me) those arguments need facts, history, data, achievements, actions to back them up. Religious belief in the mix is okay, but I think talking excessively about it risks alienating anyone of any faith (or not-faith) who doesn't feel the same way.
I take a contrarian view, I suppose: I really don't care what any candidate's religious beliefs are, nor does it matter if they are atheist or agnostic. I want to see their actions, hear their words, see how they treat people and talk about people.
Ultimately I think candidates talking about their faiths risks breaching the separation of church and state that is foundational to our country. I think the candidates need to live that founding principle. Already, it's practically demanded that a successful candidate be a person of [Christian] faith, or appear to be, and that in itself is an affront to the establishment clause. People can practice their faith and believe all they want (in my view), but I don't like the religiosity test. A professed atheist, or agnostic, or even a Muslim or a Hindu, will not be elected in this country for a long time yet, I suspect. And it shouldn't matter in the first place.
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I take a contrarian view, I suppose: I really don't care what any candidate's religious beliefs are, nor does it matter if they are atheist or agnostic. I want to see their actions, hear their words, see how they treat people and talk about people.
Ultimately I think candidates talking about their faiths risks breaching the separation of church and state that is foundational to our country. I think the candidates need to live that founding principle. Already, it's practically demanded that a successful candidate be a person of [Christian] faith, or appear to be, and that in itself is an affront to the establishment clause. People can practice their faith and believe all they want (in my view), but I don't like the religiosity test. A professed atheist, or agnostic, or even a Muslim or a Hindu, will not be elected in this country for a long time yet, I suspect. And it shouldn't matter in the first place.
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