The State of Chuch and State
No, what I hate about politics is that it is antithetical to the personal: to the local arena of human compassion and action that has actual transformative power. In massing humans, politics reduces their humanity and transforms them into expressions of ideologies and systems. It takes what is real and makes it facile, reductive, and subordinate.
The full post will show you why I love reading Mills’ writing. He unabashedly speaks from the heart and give you his no holds barred opinion. While there are many sections that I might have liked better than this quote, this one reminds me of a conversation I had tonight with my family.
We were discussing the difference in Biden and Palin’s approach to their politics in regard to their Christian, pro-life beliefs. Both believe that life begins at conceptions and that abortion for any reason other that the safety of the mother is inherently murder. One thing I want to adress is how much it speaks for Obama’s reasons for picking a VP candidate. Obviously, those beliefs will turn off some of the more liberal democrats, but Obama has said before that he was looking for someone who could help him lead, not someone who could just help him win. McCain on the other hand, is doing the exact opposite. He successfully fired up Republicans and stole a lot of press from the DNC. His VP choice may very well win him the presidency. That doesn’t mean it will make him a better president. In fact, if he had gone with one of his original picks, it may not have inspired the same publicity, but it would have shown America that McCain has his priorities straight.
What we ended up discussing was that while Palin has stated that she would help overturn Roe v. Wade and work to get abortion criminalized in all cases, including incest and rape, Biden has voted against anti-abortion laws and does not want to impose his religious beliefs upon the American people. He says “for me to impose that judgement on everyone else…seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society. I voted against telling everyone else in the country that they have to accept my religiously-based view [that it’s the moment of conception].” He admittedly does not support public funding (because that seems to be forcing a belief on him) or unneeded abortions, but he considers it a private matter.
I couldn’t agree more with Biden. As an orthodox Jew, my faith tells me life begins at conception (or possibly 40 days after) and that in most cases abortion is prohibited by G-d and is considered murder. However, politically I am pro-choice (and this happens to be my first time saying that) because I realize the importance of options for pregnant women. There are women who the victims of rape, or faulty birth control, or poor sex education, that simply cannot raise a child. There are women who are teetering on the brink of suicide because of an unwanted pregnancy. There are teenagers and younger who are winding up in situations there are not mature enough to handle. Why should my religious belief stop them from living life the way they choose. You may ask “but if you think its murder, then how can you say that?” Because even though it is a decision I would not choose, I have to respect the right for that choice to exist. My views are not the same as someone else’s. The only reason I consider it murder is based on my faith. That kind of reasoning simply can’t be used to political purpose.
I said earlier that I believe everyone is shaped by there faith (or lack thereof) and politicians should look to their faith and morals to guide them. I don’t mind McCain extolling his religiousness because I think it is an integral part of him just as I believe Obama’s faith and church has instilled morals in him. However, I believe in the separation of Church and State. When one considers it their duty to bring these religious judgements and write them into the constitution is when I have to take a step back and rethink whether their faith is just a part of them, or all there is to them.
