Religion in the Political Sphere

Continuing our discussion from my previous blog entry I want to take a look at the legitimate role of religion in politics. For religious organizations to enter the world of politics they need to understand the ground rules. The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and American History would be good places to start. Americans are very independent minded. Their government operates according to the consent of the governed. The notion that a religious leader can impose his or her will or point of view in a democracy is not only wrong, it is offensive.

That is not to say that religious groups cannot express their point of view in the public discourse. They must recognize, however, that their voice is only one of many voices that will be heard. Also, in a pluralistic society we have many religions with widely different positions. In our country the Roman Catholic Church is not the only game in town. Their conviction as to the rightness of their position, even resorting to their own narrow view of natural law does not decide an issue in a democracy. The more insistent the Church may be that no one can morally, or even naturally find a different position defensible only makes many people less likely to acquiesce to such a viewpoint. This is especially true, since amazing as it may be, many people of good will do indeed hold and defend positions that are at variance with that of the Church.

Issues in this country are decided and often redecided not by fiat but by the strength and persuasiveness of one's arguments. The Church in general is not used to participating on these terms, but it cannot be a legitimate player if it chooses not to. Disciplining politicians who hold the Catholic faith, as discussed in my previous blog entry regarding the withholding of the Eucharist, may seem like an easy way to exercise control and foist its positions on its members, but that is not the way it is done here. The Church can only legitimately participate in the political realm on the same terms as every other indeividual or group. That's why we say that all men are created equal. That statement includes women, organizations, and yes, Churches.

For those who may say that denying Communion is not a political issue, but a religious issue based on Catholic teaching, I say stay tuned for my next blog entry.