Religion and Public Policy

The place of religion in the public square is a debateable topic. In essence, the dispute centers on the fundamental question: should religious beliefs be excluded from consideration of public policy? That is to say, if society strongly believes that the state should not adopt or implement religious positions, views or policies; to what extent should religious ideologies or concepts be used to publicly support or oppose governmental actions? Or perhaps do religious beliefs and public policy make too dangerous a mixture to even consider? In any vibrant culture, governmental decisions and actions are largely influenced by the public square. Policy-makers discuss, justify and support or oppose public issues in hopes of reaching a consensus in the enforcement of public policy. Liberal thoughts within public debates clash when placed in the same forum as democratic pluralistic societies. Religion, in theory, is a sense of individuality. Thus, to exclude religious beliefs from considerations of public policy would be close to impossible. So is it acceptable for public officials to make decisions grounded in part by religion? This paper asserts that religious beliefs should be excluded from consideration of public policy because; 1) it leads to the ignorance of many religious minorities in the face of dominating religious groups; 2) religious views jeopardize social stability; and finally, 3) it diverges the basis of political decisions from the needs of the public.

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It is understood that religious beliefs should be excluded from consideration of public policy because it leads to the ignorance of many religious minorities in the face of dominating religious groups. Most people believe that the question on whether re...

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... that simply cannot be historically verified by any one individual. This paper has been written in the hopes that readers think outside the box on the issue of religion and the public forum. I encourage readers to consider the entirety of religion and politics and not focus on what is simply written within a holy book. Readers should ask themselves the question of what they believe to be the defining problem amongst religion and public policy. They should take away with them the realization that all worldviews, more specifically religious ones, are always based on outward appeals to artefacts, texts, scriptures, authorities or traditions; that religious beliefs should in fact be excluded from considerations of public policy because those who do not think they are true should not be forced to follow them by law. This, in absolute, is the core of my position.