Do religious beliefs influence American political policy?
825211
I completely agree, except for the speculation that the environment might not get taken care of, simply based on the fact that there has been little done to help the environment all along.\nWith that said, I do feel Christians are living out a self fulfilling prophecy, as it is in human nature to create that which is most thought about. I do think it is an unfortunate reality, and something should be done about it! The problem, I feel, is really a no win situation though, considering that we are free to practice any religion we choose, and anyone has the potential to become a politician. It's an inherent catch 22 situation.
704794
I just thought I'd point something out to all those saying it is a  good thing that religion and politics mix and can't see a problem. And that is that there is absolutely NO EVIDENCE for the existence of a supernatural super being (ie God) OF ANY KIND. Therefore it is VERY WORRYING that the US government has become so religious. \nBy all means believe what you want to believe but don't allow the Government to create policy on the back of some kind of divine guidence for which there is no evidence. Would  you be OK if Bush said he went into Iraq 'cause Santa Claus or fairies told him too?? I guess not. And I'm personally very nervous when he invokes his 'God' for the same reasons!
389210
Well first of all, this country was not built on separation of politics & religion. It was built on : no state sponsered religion and equality of all religions. If you look at our founding fathers, they incorporated thier religious beliefs into many aspects of government and politics.\nSo in my opinion , on the religious and political front, our country is out of step with what the framers of the Constitution intended it to be.
1149737
Hi Reuben,\nWe as Americans have to understand that Christian morals form the foundation of American Judisprudance and American society. The founding men and women of this country also happened to be predominantly Christian. I am not religious myself, but I do believe that it will never be possible to eliminate the theme of religion from Government. \n\nI remember in public high school being alienated for objecting to saying the pledge of allegiance. I was branded anti-American. I objected because I did not believe in the phrase "under God." Nevertheless I was forced to recite the pledge. \n\nMy point is that Christians founded this country and Christians run it for the most part. Life just isnt fair sometimes. It's sad to believe that in the USA we must make compromises with our moral values to acomodate the majority. But when we come to the bottom line, it's not about who's interpertation of the constitution we will accept. It's all about who's making the laws. Who we vote for.
927146
Last week's Newsweek had a wonderful article about Evangelical Christians' impact on laws and government, and developments of the Evangelical movement.\n\nI do believe that the fundamentalist Christian viewpoint is influencing policy a little too closely these days.  I believe firmly in the seperation of church and state, which is a founding principle of this country, despite what some folks will claim.  However, I don't necessarily think that mixing religion and politics is always a bad thing, particularly if it happens on an individual level.  By this I mean, for instance, a lawmaker who, because of his/her religious upbringing, values service to the poor.  Because he/she has this ethical value of helping the poor, he/she sets up a program in his/her district that offers skills training and assistance with job hunting to people on welfare.  \n\nHowever, when the mixing of religion and politics becomes more a matter of attempting to legislate a particular moral code or prohibiting certain things simply because this is part of this religion, then there is a problem.  I think we are seeing this in several areas.  The first is the constant attack on a woman's right to choose, which since Roe v. Wade is being steadily chipped away by legislation such as parental consent laws and the ban on third trimester abortions.  Another is the push and increase in funding to abstinence-only sex ed. programs in schools, which has been shown to be ineffective.  Speaking of abstinence-only, this also applies to AIDS relief funding.  The government requires AIDS-relief programs to spend a certain amount of money on promoting abstinence as a preventative measure, which has caused difficulties in many of these programs to effectively provide adequate preventative care.  There is a continuous push to teach "intelligent design," a theory with no backing from scientists (outside of a handful of Christian scientists), alongside the well-established evolutionary theory in public school science classrooms.  Less succesful has been efforts to re-establish official school prayer, although this issue pops up periodically (even though no-one is stopping students from praying privately in school, or establishing after-school prayer groups).  Funding has been effectively curtailed for stem-cell research, which has the potential to provide cures for several life-threatening illnesses, based on the fudnamentalist belief that human life begins at conception.  And of course, the current debate over gay rights and equal marriage.\n\nThere are also the self-stated goals of several Christian groups, to promote Christian values and the Christian way of life in government.  That doesn't sound so bad, if we're talking about promoting the values of "Love thy neighbor," "Turn thy cheek," "Blessed are the peace-keepers" and "Whatsoever you do onto the least of these, so to you do unto me."  However, when we start talking about things like, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," I get very nervous.\n------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nI got your e-mail, the answer is yes.  I couldn't reply to the e-mail because your e-mail address hasn't been confirmed yet.
850201
The modern politician has a number of gods depending on what he deems necessary at any given time:\n\n-the god of votes!\n-the god of money wars\n-the god of populism \n-the god of mass delusions\n-the god of political power\n\nand so on...\n\nI doubt politicians have rarely anything to do with religion per se.
187605
The destruction Bush has accomplished is no so much in the physical but in the philosophical aspect of this country.  Religious beliefs can be very influencing which is why they were separated from the government by The Framers of The Constitution.  Bush has repeatedly brought his Protestant beliefs into The White House and is proud to admit it.  Even worse than this is the use of "spin" and even Bush made news that T.V. station were paid to air.  The Bush administration has truly started America on a path away from US key values, away from The Constitution.
620512
It is possible to not have religion run politics.  It is impossible to have politics without religion.\n\nEvery person who goes into office has their beliefs and that will control them to a great degree which is OK so long as their beliefs are known by those who elect them.\n\nThe challenge for those people then should be to acknowledge that other's religion or lack there of carries the same weight, so that nothing should ever be done to infringe upon anyone's beliefs.\n\nThat was the reason the founding fathers didn't want the government to establish or interfere with any religions.  All are equal in the eyes of the constitution.\n\nRecently, on both sides, religion has become a crusade and a supposed cure for all ails of the country.  Rather than religion playing a bigger part in the government and it's laws, perhaps the individuals should let it play a larger role in their own lives and practice what they preach.\n\n(and corvette's statement is like saying my computer is a tiger deterrent since it is here and there are no tigers nearby - more religious influence in politics will only cause MORE problems, not less. Start putting blame for the wrong of society where they belong, in parent(s) not teaching their children.)
241532
Absolutely not.  When we introduce religion into politics, we end up hurting one group of people to make another group happy.  Which religion would be allow a role in politics and which should be not?  Everyone wants it their way, everyone wants their religion to be the one in charge.
561444
Some of the things Republicans seem to support by their policies are things God considers to be sinful in motivation.\n\nThe same thing goes for some Democratic platforms.\n\nI'm sad sometimes when I watch either party claim the spiritual high ground and vilify the other side, when in all honesty neither one is acting purely for the sake of others, or the hurt, or sick, or vulnerable, or poor. \n\nPolitics is usually about power. Sometimes we think we're getting this power to do good, but our idea of good is sometimes faulty or lacking.\n\nIn heaven, we won't need labels like Republican or Democrat, because we'll all be with God, all the illusions will be stripped away, and we'll be able to love each other completely rather than trying to play off the other side to gain power to fulfill our desires.
624562
It depends on the countries you go to.\n\nIn places like France for example, religion has little or no effects on politics (in general)\n\nIn places like Italy, religion and politics go together and sometimes get into contraddictions....like in laws about abortion or those to legalize gay marriages and adoptions.\n\nIn many muslim countries Law is Religion and Religion is Law, which is why people can't enjoy a real form of freedom.\n\nAs a matter of fact, if in place like Italy (not only but it's a good example as it is the cradle of catholic christianism) you can RESPECT THE LAW but don't believe in GOD and at the same time you can enter any church without necessarily believing in what it representes, in countries where law is based on religion (Iran, Syria etc) all the above is not possible. Respecting religion equals to respecting the law and vice versa and in view of this there is a lack of freedom.
339645
Is there such a thing as Christian politics? Yes. And I think it's gone too far. I personally think that the Republican party has become a religious party. People are voting for republicans because they think republicans attend church more and are more faith based.\nMaking decisions based on faith without fully understanding a situation is dangerous in my opinion.
36802
Religion has nothing to do with it.  Society is fully aware of the risks and downtrodden effects of a culture that embraces homosexuality as a state of normalness.  Many cultures have embraced it as a norm in the past and the outcome is to say the least, always less than desirable.\n\nTheoretically to be a productive citizen within your country one must get married and have at the LEAST two children to replace both the mother and father after death.  When a society stops doing this the consequences for the said country are many.  Just one would be job force recruitment, a muddling of senior citizens income from the working young, higher percentages of diseases due to anal sex, a lessening of what some of the Christian right call morals, and a dilution of the fundamental vision of where a country is to go in the future.  Many would argue that a well-rounded person is one that is raised in a household with a mom and a dad.  I think most of us would agree and understand that statement.\n\nAs far as the not religious, many polls indicate that at least 80% of Americans relate to calling themselves Christians.\n\nTo finish I will say this, I am a gay man.  I see my friends and what happens to them.  Not all, but many get wrapped up in the club scene with drugs, sex, bath houses and many have ended up with HIV.  For the betterment of my society I will never vote or try and perpetuate a gay life style.\n\nHope this helps.
660258
In USA (not anywhere else), Christian right and republicans have brought their dogmatic beliefs into our daily life, whether we want it or not. Example - Intelligent Design being taught in school; Govt. opposition for Condoms/ Birth control/ abortions etc; Faith based initiatives using taxpayer dollars etc.\n\nAs a liberal, and traditionalist, and people believing in the scientific principles, this is something to be opposed. \n\nHowever, this also translates into - opposing religion, or Christian ideals. So, it may seem liberals have become dogmatic. But this is not so. \n\nWhen the intrusion of religion into our daily life stops, then liberals would also begin to appear less dogmatic.
639034
It is a symbiotic relationship.  Sometimes societies beliefs are shaped by public policy such as the entire indoctrination of saying the pledge of alligiance in the classroom every morning.  That policy scoops up a great deal of children who later become unquestioning citizens, it is mind control from early on.  \nSometimes (more often I think) societies beliefs shape public policy, many of the gains for people in the 60's such as freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, maybe even ending the Vietnam war was not the government policy makers choice, and it wasn't a politician who made the changes (JFK and all that) they signed on the dotted lines, passed laws (think of the civil rights movement) because people put on such pressure that they had to for political reasons. \n\nIf more people understood the latter position, we would have a much more just society today.  Politicians reply to the greatest pressure.  If it is not people pressure, then they just go for the money and that is what drives society at the current time.  \n\nThe only break in this pattern was the May 1 marches for immigrant rights.  That was more about people than profit.
872099
White Christian Males in white collar jobs represent the stereotypical american if thats what you're asking.\n\nno political party accurately fully represents the majority of americans beliefs.  for example:\nrepublicans want immigration reform which most americans would agree with, but are also pro lifers which most americans would disagree with.  flip that around for democrats.
565925
I'm not so sure Americans are that religious. However, there are loads of folks very vocal about their religious beliefs which creates the illusion that most Americans are religious.\n\nI wonder, for example, what is the annual income of all religious institutions vs. the annual income of the porn industry? Which is higher?\n\nCatch my drift?