Religion seems to be getting more and more important in American politics. Candidates are often asked what their religious beliefs are and politicians often refer to their religious beliefs in speeches. Is this appropriate? Should we be hearing so much about politicians' religion like this or should religion instead be ignored as a generally irrelevant issue?
Secularists argue that personal religious beliefs should not be part of public policies or political campaigns. Christians, both liberal and conservative, have pushed back forcefully to insist that it's appropriate for voters to demand statements of religious faith from politicians. They say it's fair to ask a politician about their religious faith and for politicians to base their policies, agendas, and laws on their religious faith.
There are good reasons to dispute this, even from a Christian perspective. If a person has to make a big deal about their religion in public, one has to question whether their "faith and values" are genuine or merely adopted for public consumption. When does talking about faith become pandering to the faithful, and how much damage does it do to religion?
Furthermore, public discussion of religion contradicts the principle that public policy should be based on ideas and values that can be defended by impersonal reason, not personal religious beliefs derived from spiritual revelations only accepted by some. Perhaps that is why politicians are loathe to get into specifics when they proclaim their public piety.
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