Religion and Policy

Recently a large number of scientists and philosophers signed, "A Declaration in Defense of Science and Secularism." This document called on leaders of our government "not to permit legislation or executive action to be influenced by religious beliefs." In this view religious faith must never be brought into discussions of public policy.

Many of the men who signed this are not against religion in itself. They believe, however that religion in the public square is divisive and time consuming. In their view religion-based views are sectarian and controversial and secular reasoning for moral positions are seen as universal and available to all.

I have some pretty simple objections to this way of thinking. But I am going to appeal to some much better words than my own on this one. Stephen L. Carter of Yale wrote, "Efforts to craft a public square from which religious conversation is absent, no matter how thoughtfully worked out, will always in the end say to those of organized religion that they alone, unlike everybody else, must enter public dialogue only after leaving behind that part of themselves that they may consider the most vital." The Dissent of the Governed (Harvard University Press, 1999), pg. 90

Religion is not just "a belief in a god or God". There are religions that do not believe in a god at all. It is not a belief in the supernatural. There are religions who do not believe in the supernatural. A religion is really a worldview. It is the set of beliefs a person has that explains what life is all about, who we are, and what is most important for a person to be doing. EVERYONE has a worldview (religion) and EVERY worldview is a set of faith-assumptions about the nature of existence.

More later...