On public faith

By lex, on May 18th, 2008

This being Sunday, something said in comments recently set me to thinking about the secular/religious divide in our public square:

I have particular and personal issues with some in the evangelical movement. I just think that religion has no place in politics. For example, there are plenty of priests who will tell me about sex and abortion and their invocations will have no effect on my vote. Does not mean they should stop trying to persuade me-they just need to do it during the homily not via campaign events.

Nearly everyone has some notion of personal and public morality. Most of these notions may be broadly shared within a culture, but by no means universally so. In our private character we distinguish between those who act within the letter of the law but contrary to the good of others by labeling them unkind or even unethical. They may not be breaking any actual law – but they are not “nice people” and polite society will shun them.