What role, if any, should religion play in public American life?

[Modem Butterfly]

I want to know what you think.

[justinsb]

1. Some role is unavoidable

religion, or some other philophy of life, should determine your morals and those morals should influence your opinions and thus how you vote, but no religion should dictate public policy.

[mr blur]

24. Why should this be enyone else's business?

Why should your philosophy of life be declared in public? How is it anyone else's business? The law is there to modify people's behaviour to make it acceptable to society as a whole. I don't go around robbing people or beating them up but the reasons I act this way aren't anyone else's concern.

[justinsb]

25. No I'm just saying that

whether people make pronouncements or not, what they believe is bound to have an influence on how they vote and thus on politics in general.

[realFedUp]

2. No religion should be used in public and government

I'm a Christian, but I really don't think
that my beliefs, although widespread, should
be in the public arena at all...including
prayers at government and public gatherings.

A time for silence to mourn or reflect on
what a speaker has said is appropriate, but
not in the context of a higher power.

I have the freedom to worship and pray
any time of the day or night, meeting or
not, football game or not, silently to
myself. I can go to my church anytime
or gather with others of faith.

I believe it's been very distructive
to bring religion into the public arena
and impose a widespread belief system
on others...would you want to recite
Muslim prayers if you didn't believe or
understand them. Islam is a huge religion
yet Christianity seems to get the bigger
billing.

[HockeyMom]

12. New Yorker

I work in the public school system. On the anniversary of 9/11 the principal came on over the PA asking for a "moment of silence to REMEMBER those who lost their lives." He didn't say PRAY for them, just REMEMBER them. Anybody who wanted to pray to themselves could, or one could simply think about the lives lost, etc. That is APPROPRIATE. Calling for PRAYERS isn't.

[No Mandate Here.]

3. A lot of the values that we, as a nation, say we have

are derived from religion. Fairness, compassion, selflessness, charity, and many others, to be sure. I lead my daily life with these tenets, and have a hard time seeing others, who are more visibly "religious" than I am, ignore some of them.

For example, I play golf with a bunch of guys, several of which are adamant about going to church and espousing other ofthese values. I refuse to go with them when they go to Hooters and the strip clubs on golf trips, because I don't agree with the degradation and exploitation of the women who work there. Yes, some may want to do it, but I have a feeling that they provide the best, and perhaps, only chance these women have for a decent standard of living. This may be their only way to provide fo a family.

I will bookmark this thread to see if it goes anywhere.

[Cleita]

9. A lot of what passes for religious values were co-opted by

religious leaders. Mores develop because of the needs of a particular group of people and then become religious values, not the other way around. Our ten commandments developed from the needs of nomadic tribes of people for order in their society and are often inadequate in our modern lives. For instance only three of the commandments, those against lying, stealing and murder are still useful in our society for maintaining order.

[txaslftist]

4. A distinctly private and personal one.

Like Christ recommended.

[leftofthedial]

5. arcane anthropological conversation topic

and theme explored in the history of wars and political repression

[tubbacheez]

6. Depends on which American's life we're talking about. n/t

[Cleita]

7. None. It should be practiced in churches and privately.

Although, I grudgingly concede their tax free status, I think we should hold a big stick over them to keep them out of government and secular life.

[madrchsod]

8. back in the old days

when i was growing up, religion was something private. it was never shoved down the throats of america as it is now. now it is being used to cover just how badly we are being ruled and just how badly we live.

[Bouncy Ball]

18. I remember those days.

And I miss them. My parents and grandparents believed it was something that should be private, too.

And I was raised that way.

[forgethell]

10. I think that your religion

is part of your world view. I don't see how it can avoid coloring your policy positions. Nor should it.

What can't be done is imposing your prayers, ceremonies, etc. on others. Or even your moral positions, unless you can also make a secular argument. For instance, alcohol. I don't agree with laws that would prohibit drinking, but I think that due to safety considerations there should be a certain amount of regulation to prevent drunks from bothering other people and operating motor vehicles.

[donsu]

11. None, nada, zip

nt

[infusionman]

13. I think religion plays a big role...

It is enmeshed within the framework of our constitution, everywhere you go, you can see it in churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. (We have a Hindu Temple close to where I live.) Most people today have been brought up with being exposed to some religion or other so yes, It does play a part in public life.

The key point however is our ability to have mutual respect for one another's belief systems.

[Wisc Badger]

14. I do not think Religion should be over done in public.

I have gotten a lot of solace and peace with my walk with God, but I am not allowed to force my views on others, each must decide for himself how or if he wants to have a spiritual life.

You can only come to Christ if you choose to, to be made to by duress is to defeat the whole purpose of choosing him (if that be your choice).

To the extent that government acts as a force of duress on a populace who would like to live in peace and choose their own spiritual well being than that government policy is wrong and merits resistance.

To the extent that secular society or government refuses to respect an individuals free choice of religion that to should merit resistance.

I know that if I had to be force fed Islam (I will use Islam since justified or not I hold that religion in very, very low regard) I would not be a happy camper and to the extent I was capable would resist such indoctrination.

Not so hard to understand others who do not want a version of Christianity forced on them. Each person gets to choose how or if they want a spiritual life without external pressure either from society or government. That is as it should be.

To force a choice is to me to question weather a free will choice is made. God requires a free will choice it is best that way.

[UdoKier]

15. None. Spirituality is a private matter for inside the church and home.

It has no business in government.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." Napoleon

As an agnostic, who respects religious (spiritual) beliefs very much, i.e. Gandhi, Tolstoy, MLK, I think they have a role in society..not government.

As a socialist, what is a simpler way of describing the tenets of socialism than with the biblical question: "Am I my brother's keeper?".
For me as a Socialist, the answer is yes.

[Bouncy Ball]

17. WEll

obviously there is freedom of religion, so people are free to build churches and go there to worship, etc.

Beyond that, not much, imo.

We should also have freedom FROM religion. And I say that as a Christian.

True freedom would mean that religion wasn't involved in our government and it very much is.

[bemildred]

19. Religion (or the lack of it) is a private matter. nt

[BuyingThyme]

22. I wish.

[bemildred]

26. Yeah, speaking only for myself, of course. Sigh. nt

[BuyingThyme]

20. Lesson

It should teach us about what happens if we surrender our capacities for intelligence to people who'd prefer that we'd never had intelligence in the first place.

[SmokingJacket]

21. PUBLIC life? None.

Apart from our guarantee that everyone can practice it freely.

Why should it?

[Bridget Burke]

23. How do you define "public" American life?

People should be free to express their religious or non-religious beliefs unless they're breaking any laws.

The government must be neutral.