Role of religion in politics and public life

Recent study by the Pew research center indicates the falling support among Americans for the role of religion in politics and draws a distinction between secular Europe and religions America. There are two separate issues; the role of religion in public life, and the role of religion in politics.

In my previous post, I did not suggest that most Americans believe religion should have a bigger role in politics, because clearly that is not what the public opinion is heading, according to Pew forum. My argument was that among the majority of individuals across the world, religion is gradually taking bigger role in their public life. By majority, I meant most of people in Asia and the Middle East who represent more than two thirds of the world population. My statement was a reflection of opinions and subjective observations circulating in foreign literature, however, I could not find objective data to support it, and it is subject to scrutiny.

Furthermore, on the issue of role of religion in public life most recent data show that Americans are equally divided, although the rise of religious issues to the center of debate in the U.S. is an indication of what could be an impending shift in the public opinion in favor of more assertive role for religion. Issues like stem cell research, abortion, gay marriage, school prayers and the display of the Ten Commitments on government property, are all becoming of huge public interest that is even reshaping our political discourse.

Nonetheless, we ought to define exactly what do we mean by “religion” when we ask these questions. If by religion we mean invoking the scriptural interpretations of the Bible and sectarian religious ideology into political life, then I believe that would be a violation of the Bill of Rights which declared that “the legislature shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” which was later expressed by Thomas Jefferson in 1785 in his infamous “wall of separation between church and state. However, if by “religion” we mean the moral values and traditions that strengthen the society social fabric and the commitment to family and equitable justice, then I believe that current trend in the U.S public opinion favor that role by religion.