Amelia+S.++-+REL+-+SP12

Churches and politicians should stay in their own lanes, say Americans By Stephanie Simon, Reuters / March 22, 2012


 * Summary: ** With the election coming up all eyes are on the candidates and politics in general. In the recent years Americans have become increasingly uneasy with the mingling of religion and politics. It seems that it is becoming more common for politicians to promote their religious views. Back in 2001 only 12 percent of Americans felt that politicians talked too much about religion. Now 38 percent have this feeling, including 24 percent of Republicans, who are the more conservative. More Americans, about 54 percent, now believe that church should be completely separate and kept out of politics. Most recently the topic of birth control has been debated within politics and the line that divides religion and politics has been blurred. Religious leaders feel that the idea of making contraception free is state and federal authorities trying to directly attack religion. This notion is reflected in Catholics, as 25 percent believe that the Obama administration is unfriendly to religion, which is up from 15 percent in 2009. The majority of people who see religion being threatened are Republicans, senior citizens, and evangelicals.


 * Relevance: ** It seems that it has only been in the last several years that people are beginning to think that religion is being discussed too much in politics. The reason may be that complete devotion to religion is not as common as it used to be. “The modern industrialized world has plenty of distractions and not many intelligent educated people are interested in traditional religion anymore” (Politics). People don’t want to hear about religion in politics because they aren’t interested in it. They don’t want someone ruling the country who talks about ideas that they don’t believe in or simply don’t care about. However the reason politicians choose to include religion in their speeches is because people are attracted to the ideas that best relate to them and their life, so they vote for the party that best represents their feelings and beliefs. Even if they aren’t particularly religious they might still lean towards a religious candidate than a non-religious candidate, just because of their morals. There are also certain controversial topics, such as abortion and homosexuality that people have strong beliefs about even if they aren’t religious. It is very easy for politicians to promote their opinions on these topics and win extra votes (Politics). In addition some people feel that religion is very important to our country and shouldn’t be let go. As echoed in Rick Santorum’s statement, “The idea of a strict or absolute separation of church and state is not and never was the American model” (Rick Santorum). However, many people do not agree with this sentiment. It all depends on personal preference, but the majority of Americans are starting to shift to disagreement. The thought is that in America, everyone has the freedom to practice their own religion, so it doesn’t make sense to talk about one specific religion, even if it is the majority. Religion pertains to the individual or small church communities, and politics pertain to a much wider community that is very diverse. Some matters just don’t belong in such a vast atmosphere that deals with many different kinds of people (Should Religion).


 * Evaluation: ** This topic is very much based on personal opinion. There is no right or wrong, it’s simply what you prefer in a politician. I think, as is stated in the Politics and Religion article, that less people are involved in religion and people that are involved aren’t as committed. It’s no surprise that the world, especially the U.S. has become less conservative over the years. Just take a look at the media and you can see how times have changed drastically from even 50 years ago. That being said, there are still millions of people who have a great interest in religion. Religion isn’t going to be completely removed from politics, because it will always exist. There are issues, such as abortion and contraception use that will be included in politician speeches, because they are controversial topics. People have very strong opinions and religion plays a big role in those opinions. I think it makes sense to say that more and more people will feel uncomfortable hearing about religion in politics, judging on the poll results over the past decade or so. People don’t like to have ideas shoved in their face when they don’t agree with them. However, some people do appreciate these ideas being brought to the table. There is always going to be a difference in opinion, which is why we have elections, so people can vote on which candidate they like the best. Religious preference does not strictly define which candidate will get chosen, but it does greatly affect some people’s votes, because they vote on which candidate best relates to them. I think this trend will certainly continue, but religion will still have a place in politics.

1. Will religion eventually be completely removed from politics? 2. If interest in religion continues to decrease in politics, will there be more democratic presidents in the future? 3. How much does religious preference affect a voter’s decision? 4. Has the increase of technology contributed to the decreased interest in religion? 5. What impact will free contraception have on America? 6. Will there be any negative impacts to having a less conservative nation?
 * Questions: **

**Works Cited ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Churches and Politicians Should Stay in Their Own Lanes, Say Americans." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/From-the-Wires/2012/0322/Churches-and-politicians-should-stay-in-their-own-lanes-say-Americans>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Politics and Religion." History of the Relationship between. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.evolutionary-metaphysics.net/politics_and_religion.html>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Rick Santorum Gets It Wrong On The Role Of Religion In Politics." Outside The Beltway. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/rick-santorum-gets-it-wrong-on-the-role-of-religion-in-politics/>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Should Religion Play a Role in Politics?" Opinionator. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/should-religion-play-a-role-in-politics/>.