Last week was a busy one for the world’s religious population, marking the beginning of Passover and ending with Easter Sund y. In light of these celebrations, Internet public radio station KCRW held a discussion regarding whether religion is “wrecking or saving” politics on the station’s program, Left, Right & Center.
Those featured on the program agreed that the United States is a “Judeo-Christian founded nation” and thus, is very much influenced by such beliefs, morals and ethical values. However, Ed Kilgore ― managing editor of online forum The Democratic Strategist ― brought up an interesting point rarely considered these days.
“I’m more concerned that politics is ruining religion than the other way around,” Kilgore said.
Remember that before politics began to play an equally strong role as religion, religious establishments were what managed societies. In essence, religion is the tree trunk and politics is a mere branch.
Journalist Robert Sheer made a point that religious beliefs were present before our nation’s government was established. However, our founder’s quest to the “new land” was conducted in part due to religious discouragement.
“Judeo-Christian tradition was there [in our founding], but of course their greatest concern was what the Church had done and what organized religion had done,” Sheer said. “You cannot read Jefferson, or even Washington and Franklin certainly, without recognizing that this nation was founded by people who feared religious charlatans and feared the power of organized religion and the intimidating effect of selective quotations from scripture.”
While religion has brought about a ground for faith and moral beliefs, politics infuses dividedness to the long-established tradition. The two cannot be directly related.
The U.S. exercises freedom of religion as a result of our founders’ experience with the corruption brought about by religion when partnered with politics. So, since the U.S. has no “confirmed” religious practice, issues shouldn’t be discussed under religious terms.
So for those of you who believe religion has a negative impact on politics, consider it being the other way around. The two institutions may seem alike, but in reality, they contrast one another greatly.
Sonia Guillen is a junior journalism major and opinions editor for the Daily 49er.
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