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"Political leaders should separate themselves from their religious beliefs when making policy statements or decisions."
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| Total # of Responses: 531 - 2/5/04 |
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35% |
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7% |
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6% |
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7% |
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40% |
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We have received feedback on this issue from people all across America. Review the graph to the left for a quick snapshot of the responses received to date, or read the responses below.
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Manuel, CA
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... should temper his religious beliefs
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January 28,2004
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Integrity, even if based on religious belief, is preferable to reliance on "the polls." A good leader should temper his religious beliefs with his obligation to his secular duties.
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Phyllis, OR
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... the truth of the matter
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January 28,2004
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I hope our leaders are basing all their policy decisions on prayerful consideration of the issues. Hopefully, they are smart enough to read and make decisions or present questions to get to the truth of the matter. But all truth without wisdom is pretty useless!
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Ronald, OR
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... What would have have become
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January 28,2004
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Our religion is a large part of what makes us up as people. Why shouldn't we take what we hold dearest into consideration as a politician? If a man is truly more than just a sum of his parts, then so is our nation. We can't say everyone must be religion-neutral, because our nation is not religion-neutral. To require such beliefs to be hidden and ignored would be to discriminate against them. What would have have become, when for the good of the few, the many must be made silent?
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Dennis, OR
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... Where do you aquire
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January 28,2004
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Where do you aquire morals if not from God.
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Jennifer, CA
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... who will stand up
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January 28,2004
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Political leaders are human beings. They have been elected by the people based on many reasons, including religious beliefs and value systems. As a citizen and Christian, I EXPECT our elected officials to use their value systems in making decisions. Otherwise, who will stand up for what I believe?
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George, CO
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... who we vote for
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January 28,2004
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We must be informed about the beliefs of our political leaders and candidates in order to make decisions on who we vote for and how we respond to and advise our representatives.
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Roger, OR
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... should be allowed
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January 28,2004
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They should be allowed to state their religious belief.
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David, OR
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... fundamental component
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January 28,2004
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As affirmed by our founding fathers, one's religious beliefs are a fundamental component of his/her person. To divorce one's statements or decisions from his/her fundamental beliefs, even in the political realm, would be hypocritical.
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Joseph Her, CA
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... personal choice ...
January 28,2004
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It is not an object or duty or responsibility of the government to promote, require or subsidize religion of any type of form in any state sponsored institution. A person's relationship or no relationship at all with the almighty is a wholly personal choice and not the purview of the state.
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Nina, LA
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... cannot totally separate
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January 28,2004
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I firmly believe that what a person chooses to believe forms the basis of their character and therefore one cannot totally separate what one believes from the choices/decisions they make--whether it be personal or governmental decisions. This is why I am commenting in the undecided option.
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Catherine, CA
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... myriad of unfair decisions.
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January 28,2004
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With so many religions in the world, to have someone make a decision based on their particular brand would end up in chaos and a myriad of unfair decisions.
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Gary, CA
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... amazing insight
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January 28,2004
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If you study the Bible you become aware of it's amazing insight and direction for living. It also happens to tell a lot about the best leader to every have walked the earth... Jesus.
He led for his constituants, not for himself. He went to the level of whoever he was interacting with. He spoke to their needs (both perceived and unperceived). I could go on and on, but to be brief, the bottom line is there is no better person to model your life on (whether you are a leader or not) than Jesus.
Thank you for your attention!
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Brandon, ID
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... there is a problem
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January 28,2004
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A good leader should let his moral and ethical beliefs guide him or her in those rare times of uncertainty - that is, when the public they represent and serve has unclear needs. If those beliefs come from religion, to a point, that's fine... I don't believe in any god or the bible, but my morals closely match the ten commmandments. Most of us can distinct from right and wrong. But when a leader's decisions and policy come so directly from the bible, as we can see from President Bush, there is a problem. A leader must first satisfy the public he or she represents, not a creator that he or she represents.
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Jack, TX
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... core to their being
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January 28,2004
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A person's beliefs are core to their being. I believe this country NEEDS those who will stand up for what is right...especially if it is opposed to the majority.
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Jo, OR
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... setting aside our personal beliefs ...
January 28,2004
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We are asked to be jurists, setting aside our personal beliefs in order to rule according to the law in the interest of fairness and justice, all the time. How can we not ask the same of our political leaders?
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Dave, OH
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... few times when a political
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January 28,2004
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There are few times when a political leader makes decisions based on religion.
Moral issues are by nature crossing the boundaries.
Without looking at the 10 commandments lets just look at the issue of adultery.
the dictionary definds adultery as: infidelity of a spouse. Definition of spouse: Husband or wife. Definition of infidelity: unfaithfulness in a married person; adulery; unfaithfulness to a charge or moral obligation; treachery; deceit.Marriage: the act of marring; the legal union of a man and a woman for life; the ceremony by which they are united; a wedding.
Neither God nor the Bible wrote the dictionary. Do our legislators and judges not know how to read or find the definitions of words?
If you have no religious belief then study the dictionary. One more: God: A being conceived of a possessing divine power, and therefore to be propitiated by sacrifice, worship, and the like; a divinity; the Supreme Being; Jehova; the eternal, the Creqtor, and the Spirit, the Creator, and the Sovereign of the universe; any person or thing exalted too much in estimation, or deified and honored as the chief good.
If you care to get into the religious aspects then I suggest the Bible, a good concordance and several books available at the Christian Book Store in your area. You might even look for a good Bible Church in your area.
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Jeffery, OR
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... keep your god to yourself
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January 28,2004
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despite the argument that the United States were built upon a system of christian beliefs, it is time to educate our people as to extreme personal nature of religion and the religious experience. it has no place in government at all. the word God must be taken out of our future documents, off of our currency and removed from courtrooms--including using the bible as a swearing in tool. keep your god to yourself and slowly move away from "God Bless You" as a perfectly acceptable refrain to an extremely private affair.
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Ralph, WI
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... foolishness
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January 28,2004
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Anyone not just political leaders who have Biblical standards, must apply them to his or her life. There was a man named named James who didn't believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He was an unbeliver. After the resurection of Christ this man became a believer. This James was the half-brother of Jesus. He wrote in the book of James in the Bible, "But be ye doers of the word not hearers only.....If any be a hearer and not a doer....he forgetteth wat manner of man he was....a doer is steadfast not a forgetful hearer...the doer shall be blessed in his deed". James 1:22-25
Not living by the values we have is foolishness and we would be living a lie. We would really have no standards.
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Janet C We, OR
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... GOVERNMENT blur the line
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January 28,2004
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The question is not about whether one should act based on religious beliefs but rather what brand of religion would be "approved" by the government. If ANY religion is approved by the government then all other religions are pushed out. That is the core of the problem in allowing GOVERNMENT blur the line between religion and government. Those who dont subscribe to the OFFICIAL religion would lose their freedom of religion. Whose brand should be approved....yours or mine.
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Karl, OR
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... act for the good of all
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January 28,2004
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It is impossible for anyone to totally divorce themselves from their beliefs, but as a civic and public employee, as elected policians as, it is the responsibility to suppress to the best of their abilities their beliefs and act for the good of all, not just the religious members of our country.
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<
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25
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