I saw a news article today on a debate currently raging: the separation of church and state. Should they be separate? What does that phrase mean, anyway? What are the implications in either direction?
Separating religion from politics sounds good to a lot of people in an idealistic sense. Even if we adhere to the religion currently in power, the wheel inevitably turns and we don't want to find ourselves at the mercy of an administration with opposing spiritual views. But how much can we really separate these two ideas? Morality may be hard to pin down, but a sense of it still pervades just about every facet of life. If religion tells us how to live, how can religious lawmakers act separately from their conscience?
These are tough questions, and unfortunately not easily answered. I make no secret of my preference for a more distinct separation than we see today, but I also acknowledge the challenge this poses for many people, both lawmakers and constituents alike. Furthermore, I also recognize that while I think I am "right", so does everyone else. And we all have our own good reasons for believing as we do. It could be due to faith, our personal experiences, or own own reflections, but we all choose our paths because we believe it is best.
Here is one of the reasons for my view... Keeping in mind that everyone in this democratic, free-thinking country has a different opinion on religion, and that we all have an equal say in the direction of our country, I posit that separating religion from politics/lawmaking is the fairest way to deal with the matter. From a logical standpoint, if we all have good reasons for believing as we do, who is unbiased enough to say who is right? (God may be unbiased, but multiple religions claim that he endorses only them, so perhaps that is not the greatest measure, either.) If mere mortals cannot determine correctness, the only fair alternative I see is to remove religion entirely from the laws that govern everyone.
Of course, that still doesn't address the "how". People who make laws and play politics are still people, and I don't have a guide for how they can accomplish this. I can claim that it is necessary, but I haven't gone through this process myself. Perhaps if someone who reads this has ideas, you will be willing to share.
