Religion Influences Public Policy

Religion Influences in Public Policy and Peace Making

In January 2005 , George W . Bush was sworn in as President of the United States of America for the second time . For the ceremony , as he did in 2001 , Bush placed his hand on a Bible to take the inauguration oath and the ceremony was officiated by Bush 's personal priest . As America 's religious pluralism is enshrined in its constitution , in the First Amendment , we must ask ourselves whether religion can be allowed to influence public policy in secular states . What role has religion

had in public policy in the past , or should it have in the future

Can there be any consensus in a pluralist society respecting the common good ? Can notions such as 'the dignity of the human person ' or 'equality of persons ' or 'human rights ' be articulated in such a way as to guide effectively our legislators , judges , and those charged with overseeing public welfare ? What role should religion play in determining the content of these notions ? In shaping policies on economics education , scientific research , foreign policy , etc ? It is often said that ours is a 'secular ' society , but what exactly does that imply (1 )Probably the single most important issue about religion and public policy in the US today is the rise of the so called Christian Right Typically , the Christian right is involved in fighting their own corner on `moral issues ' like gay rights , abortion , medical research and family politics . They have a history of arguing against decisions by the US Supreme Court which widen the gap between church and state , or restrict Christianity 's influence in the public sphere (2 ) The Christian Right in America has also been characterised by a militancy against what they see as `liberalism ' on behalf of a large portion of their society , whether it is private individuals , the media or the government

Recently , the Christian Right has become a key group in US politics , not least at last year 's presidential election , where they swung the poll in favour of George Bush and his `moral ' stance on their issues of abortion and stem cell research "Of all the issues that influenced how people cast their ballot , the number one category was not terrorism , not taxes or the economy , but `moral issues (3 ) The role of the Christian Right in turning the election towards the Republican Party cannot be ignored by any political , social or religious commentator as now that George Bush is again in the White House , they may look for some kind of payback for their efforts at the election , their issues can only gain support from George Bush 's own Christian faith

Thus , although religion is separated from the State in the US Constitution , it may now wind up being a tool for voter friendly public policy and vote winning in the United States . George Bush and the Republican Party would be wise not to forget the Christian Right in forthcoming congressional elections if they do it will...