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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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Rob, CO
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... cannot be extracted
... 
January 28,2004
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Spritual beliefs have a place and cannot be extracted from a person prior to making decisions and then replaced. However, religious practices and religious-based dictates do not have a place in governing policies. God isn't Christian. God is everything.
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Nate, CA
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... Absence of religion does not
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January 28,2004
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Absence of religion does not mean absence of morality. Some of the most moral people I know are some of the least religious.
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Marlo, AZ
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... can they not allow their religious
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January 28,2004
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How can they not allow their religious beliefs to influence them?? Religious beliefs (or absence of them) define what we think of our relationship to God AND others and that will influence policy. I want to know the candidates religious beliefs because that can, along with their actions, tell me about their ethics and strength of character.
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Nathalie, AZ
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... based on their beliefs
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January 28,2004
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Everyone should based their decisions based on their beliefs.
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Les, TX
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... Emotions are not a good basis
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January 28,2004
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There should not be a philosophical basis of continuity to the rules of our culture ?
Emotions are not a good basis for long term decisions of any kind. Only faith in something bigger than ourselves bestows the unity and security to make really hard decisions right. Only faith allows us to accept authority other than our own...especially when it denies us personal power and pleasure in exchange for a time tested common good, the immediate in exchange for the eternal.
We have 9 judges who can't agree on mere interpretation of the rules of our culture.So...who is right? Why should I care how you feel, how you're affected by what I want or how I get it ?? Because we believe,i.e. our faith says, we're all valuable creations of God (THE authority)with different gifts and viewpoints, equally valuable pieces of a whole (e.pluribus unum )(Equality under the Law)( we the people, endowed by...inalienable rights). It's the basis of Judeo-Christian philosophy. It's the basis of our entire form of government. If it comes down to whose power prevails instead of consistant philosophically based law, we will be no different, ultimately,than the governments and their civilizations that parished before us.
You would silence that voice ?
C.S.Lewis said that even the Atheists agree that if there were a God, He would be like...He would say...He would love like.... We know what's right, but with no view of an eternal it's every man for him(her)self. If that is your vision for America, then silence the most heartfelt innervoice of the most effective leadership system this world has ever known; silence religion in politics.
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Sylvia, OR
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... separate their personal religious
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January 28,2004
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The idea that morality requires belief in a god is a persistent superstition. It is often assumed that he reason humans are able to act morally is that they have religious belief. I would argue the opposite: that the reason religions have a moral component is that they were invented by human beings, whose well-being requires certain standards of conduct. I want to point out that in order to motivate human beings to commit truly evil acts, they must have some absolute belief, i.e. an absolute political dogma or the belief in an absolute religious truth. A particularly good place for absolute beliefs to develop their full potential for damage is in public office, which is why it is particularly important for public officials to separate their personal religious belief from policy.
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Todd, CA
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... no fear in allowing political
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January 28,2004
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Religious beliefs are the very foundation of which our country was founded. I have no fear in allowing political leaders to express their views. It then becomes my responsibility to vote for those that I believe will make the correct decisions. It is impossible to separate anyones beliefs from their political ideology. We are motivated by the very essence of who we are.
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Chad, NY
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... put yourself in someone else's shoes
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January 28,2004
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It is easy for many people to feel comfortable with politicians using religion in politics because it is the same God that many American's believe in.
However, if you are Christian, put yourself in someone else's shoes and imagine the major religion in America was Islam. Our currency would read "In Allah we trust," our children would recite "one nation, under Allah," and your political leaders would end speaches with "Allah bless America." How would you feel? I know I would feel uncomfortable.
That's why I also feel uncomfortable about expecting someone else who does not believe in my God to accept these government condoned religious symbols.
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Mickey, NV
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... intended for us to acknowledge
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January 28,2004
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The Founding Fathers clearly intended for us to acknowledge the influence of religion in policy statements or decisions
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Pete Sloco, OR
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... Using "god" is not right ...
January 28,2004
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Using "god" to run our nation is not right. Moral principles should dictate our leaders direction.
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Dina, CA
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... determined by their faith
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January 28,2004
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It is impossible to separate who you are as a person from what you do for a living. Who a person is is made determined by their faith, beliefs, and experiences.
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Ginger Joh, CO
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... DEPENDS ON THEIR BELIEFS
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January 28,2004
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IT DEPENDS ON THEIR BELIEFS AND WHETHER THEY ARE GOD FEARING MEN OR WOMEN
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Allan, AZ
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... so long as he thinks rationally ...
January 28,2004
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I don't mind a politician being guided by his religious beliefs in making policy decisions so long as he thinks rationally and does not use the law to impose his beliefs on others.
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Rosemary, CO
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... Why not religion?
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January 28,2004
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Some, if not all, policy statements and decisions need to be influenced by a higher standard. What better standard can you use. Why not religion?
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Edwina, CO
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... will always influence
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January 28,2004
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Our beliefs and faith are just as much a part of who we are as the color of our eyes, hair, and skin color. They will always influence the decisions we make, rather we be practioners of Christianity, Satanism, Islam, etc. I do not believe it should be cast aside. And if one is really true to their faith, then I would say it can not be cast aside, and certainly not to appease those who are not fellow believers or feel uncomfortable by the display. Granted America has become a melting pot of people of all sorts of races and beliefs, however, this country was founded by those who professed faith in the God of the Christian faith. And yet even so, America is probably still the most tolerable country in the world in that all peoples are allowed to practice whatever brand of religion they hold dear.
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Bonnie, CO
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... could be damaging
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January 28,2004
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There are many worse influences in the world. It's hard to believe that the love of God could be damaging to the well-being and fate of our country.
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John, CO
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... man is born with rights
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January 28,2004
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think if man is born with rights why do we need a self righteous lawyer to enforce them anew you so insecure that theives and liars control your life, if so the judges in iraq are very conservative i will be happy to recommend a travel agent
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Jay, AZ
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... religion has no place in government
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January 28,2004
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Where does it say "marriage" has to be a religious institution? State governments view marriage as a legal contract between two people, traditionally a man a woman, and nothing more. I know of no state laws that require marriages to be performed under the auspices of any religion. In fact, plenty of folks (my wife and I included) prefer to keep religion out of it and are married by justices of the peace or other secular persons so authorized. When it comes to same-sex marriage, government officials opposed to it on religious grounds are actually trying to bring their own convictions to bear on the entities (their employers) that already give no weight to those covictions! It's obvious that religion has no place in government, period.
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Holly, NM
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... will use religion to gain
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January 28,2004
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When political leaders bring their own personal beliefs into their public service jobs they are only able to effectivly serve a part of the public and not the whole. Also political leaders will use religion to gain popular vote and support when it is clear by their actions and decisions that they don't walk the talk. Religion is then used to influence the masses, so therefore I don't believe that political leaders should be able to bring their religion into their job.
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Baerbel Ka, CO
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... should not ever be ashamed
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January 28,2004
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I feel, one should not ever be ashamed of one's believe, regardless of whatever situation and moment one is currently under.
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