|
"Political leaders should separate themselves from their religious beliefs when making policy statements or decisions."
|
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
>
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total # of Responses: 531 - 2/5/04 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35% |
|
7% |
|
6% |
|
7% |
|
40% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Richard, WV
|
|
... force your religion
... 
January 27,2004
|
THE USA was founded on the "Christian" religion. The Constitution must be adhered to as written regarding this and limited to this as it stands
Members of various religions should adhere to their religion's doctrine and beliefs without imposing them on others, including the government!
To talk about your religion is fine, but to force your religion on others is something else.
Too many religions proport that "their religion" is the true religion, and that is what gets us into trouble.
No religion or member of that religion should encourage government to follow their doctrine. The government shouldn't get involved with promoting any particular religious belief or doctrine.
Doing so causes devisivness in our culture, especially when it comes to such things as marriage or abortion. Individual's beliefs should not be controlled by government but controlled by that individual's religious doctrine.
|
|
Lanaya, NE
|
|
|
... infringe on their beliefs
...
January 27,2004
|
Political leaders need only to do or to decide unto and for others as they would have others to do or to decide for them. If they, political leaders, would not let someone infringe on their beliefs, they should take that into considerations when making decisions for others.
|
|
Lanaya, NE
|
|
|
... making decisions
...
January 27,2004
|
Political leaders need only to do or to deside unto and for others as they would have others to do or to decide for them. If they, political leaders, would not let someone infringe on their beliefs, they should take that into considerations when making decisions for others.
|
|
Wardell, OH
|
|
|
... elected political leaders
...
January 27,2004
|
Political Leaders are elected on the basis of their religious beliefs by the people. We have faith that their influence in policy statements and decisions will reflect our own while they represent us in the political arena. Otherwise, they would not be our elected political leaders.
|
|
Richard, WV
|
|
|
... religion is fine
...
January 27,2004
|
THE USA was founded on the "Christian" religion. The Constitution must be adhered to as written regarding this and limited to this as it stands
Members of various religions should adhere to their religion's doctrine and beliefs without imposing them on others, including the government!
To talk about your religion is fine, but to force your religion on others is something else.
Too many religions proport that "their religion" is the true religion, and that is what gets us into trouble.
No religion or member of that religion should encourage government to follow their doctrine. The government shouldn't get involved with promoting any particular religious belief or doctrine.
Doing so causes devisivness in our culture, especially when it comes to such things as marriage or abortion. Individual's beliefs should not be controlled by government but controlled by that individual's religious doctrine.
|
|
Robert, OH
|
|
|
... same right to express
...
January 27,2004
|
This is not at all the same question posed in your teaser. I will try to speak to both points.
To ask whether an elected representative should vote his conscience is very different from asking whether he should vote his religious belief. A politician has the same right to express his/her beliefs as anyone else, but he does have a strict duty to make clear those beliefs are his own--and to act that way.
It is chilling that so many people think that ethics cannot exist without religion. It is even more chilling that many people assume that the more one proclaims one's faith, the more ethical one must be. Barbara has conflated virtue with religiosity.
|
|
Blake Lewi, CT
|
|
|
... outside help
...
January 27,2004
|
Given the natural state of human beings apart from their Creator (God), making good choices and life decisions requires a great deal of outside help. It is absolutely essential, therefore, that all leaders (as well as aspiring ones) use their faith or religion as a basis for building a solid foundation for good decision making and practicing policy.
|
|
Catherine, OH
|
|
|
... I think we need God everywhere.
...
January 27,2004
|
I think we need God everywhere.
|
|
Woman Of G, NY
|
|
|
... root of all success
...
January 27,2004
|
Religious belief in God and His laws is the root of all success.
|
|
Dan, NJ
|
|
|
... serve all constituants
...
January 27,2004
|
The politician has to serve all constituants whose religious beliefs may conflict with his/her own religious beliefs - i.e. if a politician believes that only believers of his religion will be saved or non believers are infidels...
|
|
Virginia, TN
|
|
|
... no one left
...
January 27,2004
|
I truly believe there is an aggressive effort afoot to de-value God and all moral foundations in this country so that unholy, immoral attitudes and actions are free to take place with no one left in the population to say "NO".
|
|
Jeanne M. , OH
|
|
|
... he lives in the light
...
January 27,2004
|
Our political leaders have always used religious references in addressing the American public because they recognized its importance. But few ever lived it out. President Bush is different. He has a relationship with his God and he lives in the light of that relationship.
|
|
Roberto De, TX
|
|
|
... elected "as is
...
January 27,2004
|
when the poeple elects a political leader to a public position, he is elected "as is ", and if we do not like what he is, lets elect someone else
|
|
Tony, FL
|
|
|
... winner take all
...
January 27,2004
|
How can anyone of another faith feel safe that our political leaders are looking out for them when they feel the need to evangelize from the podium. While the majority of their constituency may have the same beliefs, those who did not vote for them have a right to feel equally protected, and be heard - otherwise, it's just the cruelty of the majority. Unfortunately, our system is one of winner take all, and the rest be damned.
|
|
Julie, MI
|
|
|
... freedom to follow
...
January 27,2004
|
I believe that the political decision-making process should be entirely secular and free of divisive religious dogma. If our political leaders base their decisions and actions upon their own religious beliefs, they are essentially requiring me, via the laws of the land they enact and enforce, to obey the tenets of a religion I do not share. This violates my freedom of religion, which as an atheist, is the freedom to follow no religion at all.
|
|
Patty, VA
|
|
|
... Everybody's got a conscience
...
January 27,2004
|
(I'm a 10th grader, just in case you wanted to know where my view was coming from.) Anyone who tries to deny a God is only fooling themselves. They are acting so self-centered and selfish as to think there is no higher being than themselves and that they don't need help from someone higher than themselves-and I'm not talking about a president as that higher being. I'm talking about a God who's in charge and the only reason why he makes laws for you to follow is so that you can be a happier person. Why do you think there's a law telling you to wear your seatbelt while driving? Duh! It's so that in case you get into an accident, you won't get hurt as much! Everybody's got a conscience, and that conscience follows what's called Natural Law. Natural Law dictates to man, among many other things, the fact that there is a supreme being, a.k.a. God, who's in charge and created the universe, including ourselves. Why should it bother anyone if someone speaks of something so natural to every human being in public? This fact's funny to me: the very people who get angry at politicians and people in authority when they speak of God as if He exists, for the angry ones are nonbelievers or "fallen-aways"; those very people turn around and say "Oh my God!", or "Heaven help me!", and so on. There must be a God if you're invoking His help, right?. To me, that's insanely hypocritical. I don't BELIEVE that political leaders really can make decisions without religion playing a part, whether or not they consciously acknowlegde that force. After all, those who don't want politicians to include God in counrty BELEIVE that that's not constitutional. The founding fathers couldn't help but "include"
God in counrty, saying "In God We Trust", so why shouldn't people today be able to say "One Nation, Under God"? Oh well, I probably haven't won you over yet, but yes, I DO strongly DISagree with the above statement. *God bless America, land that I love!!=:)*
|
|
Bill, FL
|
|
|
... served them well
...
January 27,2004
|
God & His laws better be the moral compass for our leaders - it was the case for our founders, and it served them well. If flawed humanity is all a leader has to draw on for inspiration and direction, we're in a mess of hurt.
|
|
Rebecca Ni, MI
|
|
|
... cannot be in conflict
...
January 27,2004
|
I believe that it would be wrong to limit people from their beliefs. In all statements and decisions made they must adhear to the fact that we are a christian nation. That is what this country is, was, and will be. You don't have to have the same beliefs and this can effect decisions, but these cannot be in conflict with our nations foundation.
|
|
John, SC
|
|
|
... reflection of his private
...
January 27,2004
|
in our founding fathers time, the public life of an elected official was the reflection of his private life.
|
|
Michael, NJ
|
|
|
... common traits
...
January 27,2004
|
Political leaders should not forget that they represent all faiths and not just the faith they profess. This is one of the common traits of some of great presidents.
|
|
|
|
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
>
|
