About Our Beliefs in the Public Arena

I have been saving this cutout for a couple of weeks now, until I could get back here and unburden myself. Generally I do not invest in newspapers, but I have been purchasing Sunday papers for their want ads, and a couple of weeks ago I ran into a column by Cokie and Steve Roberts. They were writing about the role faith should play in our politics.

What we believe (whatever it might be for any individual) should form the basis for our lives - our relationships with one another, our sense of responsibility to society, our treatment of the environment, etc. Isn't that what beliefs are for, after all?

If we get involved in politics at any level - local, state, national, or even international - our beliefs and values are going to influence our decisions. That is obvious. If there is any place where you would want your values to influence anything, it surely would be in politics.

So what is the beef with the conservative Right?

It wasn't until I read Cokie and Steve's column that I saw the distinction expressed in clear language. It is one thing to do your political work according to your values and beliefs; it is proper for them to be your guide. It is another thing entirely to use them as a blueprint for public policy which imposes your values on others who don't agree with you.

And that is what scares me (and I doubt that I am alone) about the conservative Right. They are doing just that. And while I hear that they are in the minority, they seem to be positioning themselves to make their beliefs the law of the land. That will be worse than sad, if it actually happens. I hope that we will wake up before it goes that far.