Tolle Lege

Much like last week’s Tolle Lege writer Anna Lynn, I attended the Wheelock Conference three weeks ago, and like her I was particularly interested in the Government and Law panel. My greatest interest in the panel did not involve the relationship between Christian faith and the legal profession, but rather the association between religious faith and government itself.

America’s Constitution enshrines freedom of religion, and the general separation of church and state is largely taken for granted today. Most people agree that this is a good thing, since oppression is deplorable and it’s impossible to compel genuine belief anyway. At the same time, though, the separation of church and state has created accompanying questions on the matter of faith itself and the state. If we don’t want an outright theocracy, what is the correct way for Christians to incorporate their faith into their positions on law and government? The question is especially important for elected public officials, since they represent not just themselves but the interests of all people who voted for them.

Daniel Webster debates in the Senate

For a great many Christians, the answer is to seek the same kind of separation that prevails between church and state. Interpreting Jesus’ call to “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s,” they endeavor to leave faith out of their approach to civic matters. One example of this attitude is on the ever-divisive issue of abortion, where one is used to hearing Catholic politicians declare that while they are personally opposed to abortion and would never want somebody to have one, they do not want to impose their “personal beliefs” on others. The more red-hot the issue, the more likely one is to see individuals advocating the importance of not letting faith “interfere” with public life.

I believe that this is a misguided viewpoint, simply because for all but the most committed libertarians government has a decidedly moral element. Laws against inhumane working conditions, discrimination, or violence against animals are all morally based more than anything else. Similarly, approaches to criminal justice are grounded in moral considerations of what punishments are just. Our public schools are expected to teach the basics of right and wrong to children. Whether one likes it or not, government has a very moral side to it.

If morality cannot actually be separated from government, then how can Christians justify leaving their faith outside the voting booth or city hall? I was quite happy when Conference panelist Stephen Smith ’88 pointed out that attempting to exclude faith from civic matters makes no more sense than trying to discount any other part of our identities. Just like race, nationality, political persuasion, and interests, religion is a fundamental part of what makes each of us who we are. To toss it aside, Smith said, is to essentially say that Christianity is an invalid source of philosophical attitudes. Obviously, a true Christian cannot hold any such belief.

Therefore, I believe it is important that Christians (and, indeed, all religious people) embrace the role religion plays in shaping their opinions on government and not be afraid of deploying these opinions in the public. Of course, this is no excuse to be intolerant, and Christians should never seek to repress the expression of alternative viewpoints. Furthermore, Christians should be willing to engage non-Christians on their own terms if necessary. One excellent idea articulated at the Government and Law panel was the idea of Christian “bilingualism” when it comes to government. A Christian may oppose torture or take some other moral stand using expressly Biblical reasoning, but should be willing and able to make non-Christian arguments for any positions they hold. In this way, Christians can improve the level of dialogue with others and avoid the impression that they simply seek to force sectarian beliefs on everybody.

Of course, the exact degree to which Christians should seek to incorporate morality into the law is up for debate. Individual beliefs certainly play a role in deciding which parts of moral life it is worthwhile for the government to intervene in. I won’t attempt to argue for a particular approach to take. However, as a general principle, Christians should never be ashamed of allowing their faith, which we believe must come before everything else, to mold their views on government and lawmaking.