From the Right: Religion and Politics

Dan Harders

Dan Harders

The place that religion has in politics today is that it can provide guidance to those that are making decisions; be it in law making, or voting. Organized religion does have the ability to provide clear standards on what is acceptable in life and what is deemed immoral. Or put more simply what is not sin and what is sin.

This year we have had various topics on the ballot ranging from abortion to gay marriage. Religion has the ability to tell us if these issues are morally acceptable, and that is how South Dakotans need to judge these issues. Morality some say should not become codified law, but this question raises the other question of what law is not based on morality.

This past week Rev. Ted Haggard who has been highly involved in Colorado’s Same Sex Marriage Amendment has resigned his position as Pastor of his Church after admitting to “sexual immorality.”

Many in the news media have commented that because of his immoral actions, the chances of this amendment passing would suffer. He most likely still believes that what he has done is sinful, and that homosexual relations and marriage are inherently sinful. The Devil attacks those that will most help his cause; this is just one more example of this occurring. Thus, man will commit sin and will not be perfect, this case proves that.

Religion has and will affect politics due to the fact that we are religious in nature. People from both parties will use their understanding of religion to advance their agenda, if they know it or not. Some will do it more openly then others.

Elected officials will advance laws to determine what is morally acceptable in America; we have the opportunity to vote and back their decisions or not.