Nasty Little Man

Removing religion from the public square....

...is an overused and twisted phrase but completely appropriate for Thursday's column by Stu Bykofsky from the Philadelphia Daily News. Stu suggests that faith remove itself from public policy debates:

The separation of church and state protects the church from intrusion by the state. It should also shield the state from intrusion by the church, whether the issue be stem-cell research, abortion, Terri Schiavo or the death penalty.

And he completely mangles Jesus' teachings:

He certainly wasn't talking about Jesus' admonition to "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Jesus meant the Romans had the right to tax the Jews and to impose Roman law.

To suggest that Jesus would teach his followers to simply stand-by while the government commits unjust acts is just wrong. He said that if a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two, which would break the etiquette of what soldiers could and could not do to citizens.

You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

If you turn the other cheek, your attacker would have to hit you overhand, which would be a sign of equality. It was more shameful to see someone naked than it was to be seen naked, and hence the suggestion to "let him have your cloak as well." Jesus taught people non-violent civil disobedience.

"Render unto Caesar" is not a blank check for the government to do whatever it wants.

Faith has played a role in the great movements for progress and against injustice throughout this country's history- the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, women's suffrage, the abolitionists. Stu's suggestion that faith and faith leaders play no role in public policy infringes on basic American freedoms of religion and political expression.

For many Americans, faith and spirituality give us a compass for direction on social justice. It's impossible to disconnect it from public policy.

posted by Kinder Gentler Little Man @ 9:27 PM