Religion influencing Politics

Religion 's Influence On Politics

In the United States , a role for religion in the political arena is embraced , but the two areas contradict each other over the extent of that involvement , The Pew Research Center 's survey report , entitled 'Religion and Politics : The Ambivalent Majority ' said . These days , the report pointed out , more people are comfortable with religious leaders expressing ideas and opinions on social and political matters , although a solid majority of voters still express uneasiness over members of the clergy espousing their political views from the pulpit . Seven out of

ten voters believe that it is important for the president to have religious faith , but there is a very considerable amount of discomfort over politicians who speak publicly about how religious they are , the survey report further noted

The Tavis Smiley Show on June 30 , 2004 , agrees with this "ambivalence It said that , according to a major pollster , the United States is the most religious developed democracy in the world . That is why , the pollster stated , people hear one presidential candidate being criticized for often mixing his religious beliefs with his political platform while the other major candidate is criticized for not considering God often enough

The debate over American politics in the 1990s is becoming more and more spiritual , according to Martin Morse Wooster , in his article 'Faith , hope , and welfare -- influence of religion on politics

The left advocates "politics of meaning " while the right fights over "family values " Wooster wrote that the reasons for this debate are grounded in the nature and limits of government

Churches , synagogues and other religious institutions are overwhelmingly seen as positive forces in addressing the problems of society , according to 'Religion and Politics : The Ambivalent Majority

The government has a very hard time dealing with moral issues , Wooster said . The government is very good at beating the public with laws regulations , taxes , fines , and legalisms , but very bad at inspiring individuals to lead a just and decent life , the author pointed out . In welfare , Wooster cited as an example , the state can generate volumes of regulations mandating workfare programs and can create welfare offices but it cannot stop troubled teens from having children , or teach the underclass about the benefits of joining the work force . Moreover , in educational matters , the U .S . Department of Education can generate national goals and regulations , but there is no federal report proving that it inspired a child to study hard or to value learning

Americans are asking : Can 't the government persuade people to lead good lives ? Is politics something better than an endless power struggle between special interests ? These questions , according to Wooster , are at the core of the debate over religion and politics

Naomi Thompson 's article 'Religion , Politics : Growing Influence of Faith Dangerous ' presented the opposite by stating that religion , in recent times , appears to be playing an increasingly negative role . The rise of fundamentalism is mainly to blame , Thompson said . According to the article , religion appears to be becoming...