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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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Paul, CT
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... We are what we believe!
... 
January 27,2004
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The term "religious beliefs" should be amended to read: "religious OR SECULAR beliefs" - in which case it is absurd to ask that they stand apart from those beliefs! We are what we believe!
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Dianna, IL
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... should not be making policy
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January 27,2004
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Political leaders should not be making policy for all americans reflecting THEIR specific personal religious beliefs - Christian politicians need to recognize that belief in god does not mean belief in CHRISTIAN god, the secularcentric singleminded ego of this group is staggering.
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Carmen, FL
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... how I can control political
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January 27,2004
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If you can tell me how I can control political leaders from doing this, I'll tell you whether I agree or not!
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Jamie, IN
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... to deny ones religion is to deny thy self
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January 27,2004
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That's a part of who they are to deny ones religion is to deny thy self.
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Anna, IN
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... must guide their decisions
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January 27,2004
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One's personal moral compass must guide their decisions, and for many this compass is found in religion. However, I find the Bush Administration consistently contradicts my own morals, which are based in the teachings of Jesus; love of neighbor, cahrity to the poor, respect for God's creation in the land, sea and air. The most disturbing issue at hand is the conservative Christian's belief in the sole claim to the grace of God, and Buchanan's position, common to Evangelicals, that the Republican party is for God, and to vote Democratic is to vote for Satan.
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Robert, OK
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... impossible to leave one’s personal
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January 27,2004
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It would be hypocritical if not impossible to leave one’s personal beliefs out of their decisions.
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Cecil Huff, MO
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... leader who is willing
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January 27,2004
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I want a leader who is willing to follow his convicitions that honor Jesus Christ. I feel safe that way.
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Dorothy, MD
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... wouldn't want a political gamble
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January 27,2004
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I wouldn't want a political offical to gamble on my life, my security or my future with the odds of today.
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John, CA
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... we are all influenced
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January 27,2004
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I have to disagree with this statement because we are all influenced by our own individual beliefs. It is the beliefs that got these political leaders where they are today!
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S.j., FL
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... includes every facet of humanity
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January 27,2004
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I'd like to see someone that truly believes this statement try to make a cut and dry "political" decision without including a single personal belief that they hold. Wouldn't that be a dichotemy? It is impossible. The beauty of making an intellectual decision in government is that it includes every facet of humanity--which includes religion. Disallowing a person the right to religious integration in every aspect of his/her life would be in some proportion hindering their freedom of religion. Besides, didn't we see what a mess it is to have a leader without religious conviction in the Clinton administration? You'd think we learned a lesson.
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Paul O'bri, GA
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... who may eliminate separation
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January 27,2004
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President James Madison "The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries."—1803 letter objecting to the use of government land for churches.
Bush is a religious fanatic and we need to rid ourselves of him an others who may eliminate separation and lead to our destruction.
The PBS program was far from balanced.
Our schools never teach what Jefferson, Madison or Adams had to say about religion and therefore Bryon Gumble was way off on his views about our founding fathers. He should read these web sites. What the president said about religion should have been taught him in public school.
1 President James Madison-- His Writings. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pobrien48/madison_his_writings.htm
2 President Thomas Jefferson's -- letters to friends http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pobrien48/jefferson_Letters.htm
3 President John Adams-- His Writings. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pobrien48/john_adams.htm
I agree with our founding fathers on religion; that it does great harm.
Ralph E. Reed Jr. Head of the Christian Coalition Writes Apart from Israel, America is the most religious nation in the history of the world.
Studies show he is right and yet we have the highest rate of Murder, robbery, rape, children having children out of wedlock and people in prison per 100,000. There are ways to solve these problems but the biggest obstacle is beliefs in Gods, be it Christian, Islamic, Jewish or what have you. All Terrorist are religious.
I would like to be on Flash point and give the atheist view.
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Larry, MI
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... protecting individual
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January 27,2004
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Leaders need to do what is right for the country while at the same time protecting individual rights.
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Larry, MI
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... what is right for the country
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January 27,2004
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Leaders need to do what is right for the country while at the same time protecting individual rights.
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Patricia, VA
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... not "Godless"--but neutral
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January 27,2004
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I agree that political leaders should not allow their beliefs to influence public policy. Remember that the words "religion" and "God" are generic terms and mean very different things to different people. For example, some groups define "God" automatically to include the identity of Jesus, while others do not, and some groups insist that "God" has to have a particular gender, race, and age; a theory that I personally find to be theologically ludicrous, prefering along with many others to believe in an all-powerful Creator whose nature cannot be discerned. Each religion, and division thereof, defines itself as believing in a very specific set of beliefs, and most of the world's major religions are split among themselves according to their viewpoints on various issues. If such a specific set of beliefs would become the law of the land if a certain candidate were elected, each voter would be forced to vote in an openly "prejudiced" manner in order to avoid being governed by the beliefs of a religion that she or he has not chosen. I value highly my right as an American to walk through any religious door I choose, and I want that right guaranteed for all others as well as for myself. The United States provides more opportunity and accommodation for religious beliefs than does just about any other country in the world, but even this exceptional amount of freedom doesn't satisfy some people because they don't actually want religious freedom, they want to destroy every one else's and force every person into their own faith. For all our sakes, leave the public square--not "Godless"--but neutral.
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Lynda, MI
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... Separate a person from their beliefs...how
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January 27,2004
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Separate a person from their beliefs...how?
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Frank, NY
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... based on their conscience
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January 27,2004
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Religious people should not deny their beliefs. Everyone should make decisions based on their conscience. The problem is with believers thinking that non-believers have no conscience.
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Michael, KS
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... represent all the people
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January 27,2004
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Elected officials represent all the people--even those who didn't vote for them and who do not share their religious views. To me there is not much difference between a Saddam-led theocracy in Iraq and a Bush-led theocracy in America except that we really do have WMD. Keep religion out of government!
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Kyle, MI
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... I feel uneasy ...
January 27,2004
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I feel it is moraly wrong to use the belifes of own personal religion to affect public policies. I feel uneasy when I hear bush talk of "his" god and the ways he wants to push "his" god on me and my childeren through law.
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Al, MT
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... no room for religion in the government ...
January 27,2004
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there is no room for religion in the government. The running of A government is not a religious issue. "In god we trust" should not be on my money "under god"
should have never been allowed into the beautiful sentiment of the pledge. The christians of this country have ignored and demeened the basic foundation
of this country. a place where people can be free to believe what they want and supposedly do what they want to be happy .
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Emerson, CT
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... are in place to protect the rights
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January 27,2004
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Political leaders are in place to protect the rights of the people.
Religious leaders are in place to teach faith.
Perhaps some politicians need to change careers
Try Monster.com
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