To what extent should religion play a role in the state's decision making process?

Question

Toay some religious leaders are interjecting their opinion of how goverment should run. Their opinion range from weather the goverment should allow gay marrage to laws making abortion illegal.

Answer 1

it shouldnt matter at all.
why?
because there are so many different beliefs and it would screw up the government even more than what it is

thats why

Answer 2

I believe religion should be left out of law decision making. But many laws are based on religion. That should be changed.

For example, sodomy is against the law. That's basically some oral sex. Though the law isn' enforced (unless someone is raped then they throw in rape and sodomy) does it really make sense?

Gay marriage. Who really cares? I don't. Why waste my tax dollars denying two people who love each other the right? There is a 60% divorce rate among heterosexuals. So who are we to judge. Also being african-american I feel like it's not fair to discriminate even if I don't agree with the gay methodology. It's their business.

Abortion? That's tricky. When I was 16 I got my high school love pregnant. We did have an abortion. Was it the right thing to do? I believe so. Why? Because at 16 I may have ruined my life. I may have become another statistic (i.e. on welfare, struggling to get a good job). Now I'm a senior systems engineer, my fiance is an industrial engineer, we have our own house our own cars, and a 7month old. We're productive tax paying citizens. At 16 with a child things could have turned out a lot differently.

Do we really want all these unwanted kids floating around through abusive adoption agency or foster homes? Do we want kids to be neglected, abused, or put in dumpsters because kids having kids are too afraid or are unable to have an abortion?

It's easy to say you got pregnant so you should deal with it. But at 16 are you really responsible enough to make ALL the right decisions? Of course not, that's why the drinking limit is 21, and the legal adult age is 18.

So...abortion should be legal (in my opinion) but to a certain extent. Late abortions are unfair. Early abortions are ok.

So the church and state should be separate.

Sorry I got off on a rant.

Answer 3

The problem is that in politics it's often necessary to reach compromises and religion does not naturally tend to compromise. If you believe that you are "on a mission from God", and your belief is absolute, how can you reach any kind of deal, on any issue?
A good example of this is in the Middle East conflict. For there to be any chance of a peace agreement, the religious aspects of the conflict should be kept to a minimum.

Answer 4

This is not a black and white type question. "Religion" should not play any part in the the forming of laws. That being said religion is part of what defines a persons belief structure, making many of us have a sense of what we feel is right and wrong. So in that respect religion is in some ways tied to the law.

I think that you are angling for the seperation of church and state which regardless of what the Supreme Court says is bogus.

Answer 5

Religion is not something that should discount you from politics. They have the right to free speech and the right to run for office. No one has the right to stop the free exercise thereof unless of course, it involves illegal activities such as human sacrifices which violate the right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is the ability to make it in the world, not the right to be happy, just the right to not have additional burdens (such as being arrested) placed against you because of religion, sex, race, etc.

Answer 6

To what extent? The answer is almost personal for everybody. If you're a devout Catholic and your local priest insists his own views on how your town must be managed, chances are you'll believe your priest. If your not a religious person, chances are you'll get pissed with that priest especially if you think he's just making non-sense.

Also, our politicians nowadays are largely affected by their religions. This is not a surprise since one's religion almost always defines the principles and ideology of that person. Say an atheist, he'll always think that euthanasia must be legalized to some extent because he has no notion of God who has the absolute power to end our lives.

So, if in case you just want to know my PERSONAL thoughts about your question, I'll go for extreme secularism. Extreme secularism, from the name itself, means that the state must process laws in extremely secular viewpoint without any religious views and social norms affecting it. In that process, the state must generate its own standards of what is "good" and what is "bad." For example, murder. Religious people say murder is bad because God prohibited killing other's life. However, a secular state can also label it as bad not because of any religious views but because this act harms another citizen of that country (Not to mention the family who will mourn). So, in an extremely secular state, controversial things like euthanasia, gay marriage and prostitution will most probably be legalized unless they found some harmful effects these things do to other people, to the environment or to the state itself.

However, this extreme secularist state will be hard to establish (Actually, very hard). Why? Because humans clinging to certain norms and beliefs is very natural. It's like "It's in our genes." I myself have many norms in my life which won't fit in that kind of state. Like bestiality (human-animal sex). It a secular state, unless they found bad effects this act inflicts to the human and to the animal, it should be legalized. However, even how many times I'll try to convince myself to stay away from religious norms, I'll definitely can't stand this thing. (By the way, my country prohibits it, don't know other countries).

The advantage of an extreme secular state though is that no group of people will be looked-down by the law. For example, ban gay marriages and you'll go against the gays. Ban prostitution and you'll go against the women who want to use their bodies to gain money (For me, these women deserve to have their choice). Unlike in a extreme secular state, allow gay marriages and those who are against it will just need to continue their lives un-oppressed.

Answer 7

Religious beliefs ad secular beliefs often coincide. There are moral issues that are generally decided by a reference to religious teachings and beliefs. Religion should not be used as a last resort moral compass, but any government official's religious beliefs will influence their political ideology.

Answer 8

Depends on the state and on the religion.

Many countries have established religions.


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Answer 9

None

Answer 10

none.