By Peter Schweitzer
PoHo contributor

You can’t mix oil and water, and you sure can’t mix politics and religion. It’s not because one is more noble than the other. It’s because their goals are at odds with each other.

Religion is based on a belief in what is true about the world and the hereafter. It necessarily presupposes an adherence to credal formulas that express a certain world view. Religion has to do with truth, albeit one’s perception of it. It has to do with how things ought to be. Religion concerns itself with how a follower believes, acts, and interacts with others. Those who practice a particular religion adhere to a certain belief system (orthodoxy) and a corresponding way of behavior (orthopraxy).

Politics is just the opposite. It’s based on the art of compromise.  It’s the practice of what can be, not necessarily what should be. This is by no means a criticism. Politics concerns itself with the possible and the practical, not the ideal.

In a pluralistic society with a diversity of religious beliefs, politics necessarily and correctly absents itself from the religious realm. Politics has to determine what is just and fair for everyone regardless of their particular religious belief system.

When politicians pander to religious groups by calling our nation a “Christian nation,” they’re doing a huge disservice to the body politic and its citizens. It’s simply not true that we’re a Christian nation. Such statements make governing a nightmare. An elected official must represent all the people regardless of their beliefs or lack thereof.

Thus far, President Barack Obama has been able to nimbly deal with this “third rail.”  Unlike his predecessor, his world view is broad enough to encompass everyone, not a particular religious constituency.

Anyway, doesn’t belief in a divinity presuppose that he/she is big enough to deal with us all?

Source: http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2009/06/13/like-oil-and-water-politics-and-religion-dont-mix/