Feb 17, 2008
Last week, during Super Tuesday, my son came home from first grade asking questions about the difference between Democrats and Republicans. At first I was pleased to see that my son was beginning to take an interest in American public life. I began by asking what he knew. He explained that he had learned from his friend that, “Democrats don’t believe in the Bible.? Initially, I smiled and thought it was a cute story about some first graders and their interpretation of American politics and religion. Then, it came to me that this is what a lot of adults actually think too. When any religion becomes identified with a particular political party, that religion compromises its purpose, weakens its witness and becomes idolatrous. In this protracted primary season it can do us some good to think about the role of religion in American public life.