As a Christian-in-progress and a political animal, I have a lot of trouble with the concept of the separation of church and state. Contrary to popular belief, the United States was not founded as a Christian state. Most of the Founding Fathers were deists and the only mention of religion in our highest documents is one clause of the First Amendment, which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It seems simple enough on its face, but everyone draws a different interpretation from those 16 words.
On the one hand, my beliefs guide my decisions, so I don't have a problem with applying that to my actions in the public sphere. On the other hand, religion can be a tool of oppression and my understanding of Constitutional law tells me it needs to remain far removed from government. How do I reconcile that?
Some of the current presidential contenders have made remarks about tearing down the wall between the Church and the Capitol. They believe strong Christian values can turn this nation around, but I'm not so sure that's how it works.
For one, I worry about religious oppression. In the last decade, we have proven ourselves to be extraordinarily intolerant of other faiths. Christians think they're superior to everyone else and it's easy to see why other traditions are marginalized — Christians dominate the political stage, especially on a national level. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that of the 535 members of Congress, 304 are Protestant. An additional 156 are Catholic. There are just 3 Buddhists and 2 Muslims in the 112th Congress (and none of them are senators). What results is nothing less than mob rule, where the 86% who self-identify as Christian believe they have a monopoly on morality.
I just don't know what to think. Christians don't have a terribly good track record when it comes to governance (ie. the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Nazi Germany), but I can't shake the feeling that I could be on the wrong side of the argument. And so, I am left right back where I started, pondering the question: What role should faith play in the affairs of state?
