Why Religion Cannot Be Excluded from American Politics - Essay Example

A select group of people affirm that religion has no place in the country’s politics. They claim that religion is a private matter, so it should remain as such, and since politics focuses on public matters, then it should disregard private views like religion. On the flipside, some believe that religion has a role to be play in political debates especially on moral issues. It is possible for people to come to an agreement about something without necessarily sharing the reasons for that agreement. Religious arguments have a place in political debates because excluding religious thought would omit a large group of people who value the phenomenon. Why religion still deserves a place in political debates During most presidential or congressional elections, one is likely to hear discussions about abortion, same sex marriage, stem cell research and the death penalty on the basis of moral grounds. Usually, religious views tend to play a prominent role in these matters, and could make the difference between support and opposition to their respective legislations. However, in recent times, there has been a growing feeling that only those views supported by fact should determine public policy. Many perceive religion as an expression of personal opinion, and religious followers share this sentiment. The result of this push has been that fewer religious followers are acting politically because they regard even their own views as opinion rather than fact. 1 This inclination has led to increased domination of political debates by secularists. They are often perceived as fact-driven, so they have the freedom to advocate for whatever they want publically. Christians and other religious believers are thus prevented from getting involved in political discussions. This tendency has made most views held by secularists as starting points in political debates even on matters of morality. Therefore, religious persons play by secularists’ tunes and are made to feel as second-class political participants. Secularists claim that most assumptions in Christianity are based on faith thereby nullifying their validity. However, in order to rightfully claim superiority in political discussions, secularists should also shed any assumptions of faith. This is simply not possible as no humans are value-free. 2 Secularists believe that society should decide what worth should be placed on man while Christians and other religious followers hold that God determines man’s worth. Therefore, in the abortion debate, secularists may support the act because they believe that some people hold greater value than others. This view is not necessarily based on fact but is an opinion about the primacy of society in determining people’s value. As it can be seen, secularists still engage in the very things that they criticize the church for. It thus makes no sense for one group to be given free rein in political debates while another is silenced. Both groups have their own views on what man’s nature is, so they each deserve a place on the political table. 3 What the founding fathers had in mind was a nation of people who could engage in rational inquiry and thus determine the best religious path. They did not need religion to be handed to them through the state or any other entity. Religion was thus a natural right in which the church had no right to interfere. In this regard, the constitution defended people’s rights to express their religion publicly. America had a distinct religious character; this is what needed to continue in modern times as it made the country achieve its successes. The secularization is effective in explaining why religiosity is declining in many states but it does not explain why certain people still ascribe to those faiths. Justifications exist for the presence of secularization but this does not negate the fact that religion is still prevalent in American’s lives. Modernization is not synonymous with secularization as religious teachings draw from traditional scriptures that are quite relevant in today’s modern society. 4 If claims about exclusion of religion were valid, then the concept would be almost invisible in the recent presidential elections. President Obama has publicly acknowledged the fact that he is a Christian. He has visited a number of churches to campaign and has stated that he is a baptized Christian follower. Additionally, the white house has numerous photos of the first family going to church. Therefore, the idea of religion among political leaders is nothing new. Additionally, most Americans expect that the holder of the highest office ought to ascribe to certain religious values. During the 2008 elections, rumors flew around the internet concerning President Obama’s alleged Islamic link. This was mostly because of his middle name Hussein. The rumors were put to rest when his opponent acknowledged that he was not one and after Barrack himself offered proof of his Christianity. Clearly, this was a matter that was important enough to the voters for them to demand proof of the same. If religion was not important in public life, then it should not have mattered that the then candidate Obama had a Muslim name. 5 When compared to other developed nations of the world, America is still relatively religious. Approximately 65% of the population claim that religion is critical in their lives, yet only 17% ascribe to the same beliefs in Sweden. 6 This fact is critical in the political sphere because it demonstrates that religious following drives people’s lives. The US has a predominantly high immigrant population; which explains why it is often called a melting pot of cultures. Most of the immigrants come from relatively poor countries. It is a fact that religion declined in wealthy nations while membership is stable in relatively poor countries. 7 Therefore, the large immigrant groups tend to resonate with political ideas that are religious in nature even if the other ‘native’ populations believe less and less in God. Comparisons also demonstrate that life in the US is slightly more difficult than it is in other developed nations. This can be accounted by the high level of inequality in the country as well as economic declines. Crime rates, health problems and unimpressive life expectancy clarify why this is the case. Social safety is relatively low in the US thus explaining why religion continues to be relevant in people’s life. It thus makes sense that politicians would incorporate the views of this relatively large demographic of people in their debates. The US is definitely different from other western nations with regard to the presence of religion in politics. Most presidents and political representatives often ask God to bless America. A number of them are also claim that they are praying for victims in the event of a natural disaster. These characteristics are almost nonexistent in some parts of Europe. It is largely because political leaders must mirror the values of the majority in their countries.8 The majority of the native population is not religious, and this is the same group that makes up the voting bulk. Conversely, in the United States, there are religious conservatives who belong to the political right, and most of them tend to be predominantly Republican. Democrats would be at a disadvantage in political elections because they would not have such a voting bloc upon which to rely. Therefore, most of them are under pressure to emphasize their religious values as this resonates with a large group of immigrants who have historically voted for the democratic side. Many non-immigrant, poor people also vote for Republicans because of their family values even when they do not agree with their other political ideologies. Democrats face pressure from Republicans to split this vote, and thus talk about their religious faith as well. Overall, the demographic set up of the American state is such that it will always give great significance to the place of religion in people’s lives. Politicians, who may or may not be sincere about their religious beliefs, have to play along in order to secure their place. Conclusion Secularists’ claim that religion ought to be removed from politics does not hold water in a country like the US where the history, values and demographics of the electorate dictates otherwise. If religion is excluded from political debates, then this would be espousing the same intolerance that the secularists reject. It would be giving undue preference to one group over another. The founding fathers had in mind a state where the state and church were separate but people still had the right to practice religion freely. Politics still forms a significant portion of people’s lives. A large majority of voters believe that religion is influential in their lives partly because American is an unequal society and it consists of a large group of immigrants. Therefore, it makes sense to consider the views of this voting bloc in public life. References Gervais, Will, Azim Shariff and Ara Norenzayan. “Do you believe in atheists?” Journal of personality and Social Psychology 101, no. 3(2011): 1189-1206. Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart. “Sacred and secular: Religion and politics worldwide.” Cambridge University Press. Last modified January 2013, http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/Z5245I.pdf Wald, Kenneth and David Leege. Mobilizing religious differences in American politics. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010. Williams, Rys. Civil religion and the cultural politics of national identity in Obama’s America. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 52, no. 2 (2013): 239-257. Zuckerman, Paul. Society without God: What the least religious nations can tell about contentment. NY: New York University Press, 2008. Read More