Religion, politics, and freedom

Here is a topic that everyone has a really strong opinion on, few people can possible think it all the way through because it’s so complex, and too many people let other people think and decide about it for them.  Yes, I am talking about religion.  I think about religion a lot because I am in a few study groups.  But the connection of religion and politics is particularly an issue these days for several reasons.  

I am not against religious people or using religious values in secular decisions.  I think I make good secular decisions and my religious philosophy guides them every time.  But it isn’t a bias towards people of my religion or people who share my religious values.  It is a bias towards selecting the option that I think will achieve my values, whatever that option may be.  Even if it goes against specific people in my own religion (or gender or race or socio-economic class, or . . . ).  Even someone without religion has values and ethics that would guide their decisions; they just got them somewhere else. 

Mayor Bloomberg is planning a “minimalist” ceremony for the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 with no religious leaders giving sermons.  My guess is that it isn’t necessarily “minimalist” that he is going for but he knows that the shit will hit the fan from half the population if he invites an Imam to speak and from the other half if he doesn’t invite an Imam to speak.  So he found a middle path to avoid the question.  Brilliant politics if you ask me.  It was the only way to keep the focus on the 9/11 victims and their families, where it should be.  Otherwise, we would have been right back in the argument when they were going to build the Interfaith Center on the Freedom Tower block.  As useful as that debate COULD have been because it involves very important issues, it quickly degraded into something very ugly.  I would have loved to see the look on people's faces if he ONLY invited an Imam. 

Another reason this is coming up regularly these days is the particular slate of GOP candidates we have running for President.  You have two Mormons, two evangelical Christians, and one very conservative Catholic.  And Ron Paul who wants to keep religion completely out of politics.  There are more candidates, but these are the ones I know about and who have brought up the topic of religion in their campaign.  The question is whether their religious views should affect your vote, and whether their religious views will affect their decisions as President.  These two questions are tied together intimately.  There was a big controversy during the GOP primary debate when Bachman was asked a question about her religion.  The whole crowd booed Brian Williams.  But he asked a very important question.  Bachman believes that the bible tells her to be subservient to her husband.  The part of this that matters is how it would affect her decisions as President.  If it wouldn’t, then she can say so and we can move on.  But if it would, we need to know before voting.  If her husband is going to influence her decisions, then we need to have him in the debates too.  Of course, all Presidents’ spouses have a great deal of influence I am sure.   But subservient is an order of magnitude more than influence.  

So as much as religious freedom is an important value, that doesn't mean we can dissociate it from politics or policy.