Role of Faith

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”

The Constitution’s prohibition against an establishment of religion does not imply that religion should be barred from political or civic life. The Founders, in their passionate love of freedom, promoted the freedom of all Americans to practice or not practice any religious beliefs.  The Constitution was intended to safeguard religious liberty. Unfortunately there are many, including policymakers have begun to crowd religion out of the public square.  

Religious freedom is widely regarded as the cornerstone of America’s political and civil liberties. Religious institutions play a major role in cultivating the virtues that are essential for self-government and a healthy civil society. Yet that foundation has been eroded by court decisions, congressional actions, and a general climate of intimidation in the public square. The problem is especially acute in policy debates and public schools. Religion should not be barred from the public square, and religious organizations should not be barred from participating in government programs to provide social services. Religious practice is a vital private and public good, and public policy should recognize the important civic contribution of religious institutions and individual religious practice.

There has been a renewed debate on the role of religion in American life and affirm the right of private associations and individuals to publicly uphold religious tenets. This should include further investigation by policymakers into the relationship between religious practice and the life of the nation, on the health of America’s families and the content of its culture. Religious practice can and should be factored into the planning and debate on the nation’s urgent social problems. Americans cannot build their future without drawing on the strengths that come to them from the practice of their religious beliefs.  Community and Faith-Based Organizations are making a significant and positive impact across America.  Everyday parents and guardians in America depend upon faith or community organizations to help them with issues like child care, and after school care. 

That is why it is important that government at the local, state and federal level continues to level the playing field in social service programs by reviewing procedural issues that disadvantage faith and community based organizations that wish to participate. Effective public policy should seek, as President George W. Bush has said, to “mobilize the armies of compassion.” The reach of faith-based organizations often extends beyond that of government social service programs in changing lives. Government should continue to protect the religious liberty and integrity of faith-based organizations that participate directly and indirectly in government social service programs. In addition, government should continue to resist attempts to deny religious organizations the right to use religious belief as a factor in employment decisions.

Government, as well as Faith and Community organizations are natural allies in the pursuit of civil society. Public policy should seek to honor and encourage the vast resources of family and religion, charitable choice is wise policy.  Reintegrating religious practice into American life while simultaneously protecting and respecting the rights of non-practice is one of the nation’s most important tasks. Research clearly demonstrates that regular religious practice is both an individual and social good. It is a powerful answer to many of our most significant social problems, some of which have reached catastrophic proportions. The practice of religion is good for individuals, families, states, and the nation. It improves health, learning, economic well-being, self-control, self-esteem, and empathy. It reduces the incidence of social pathologies, such as out-of-wedlock births, crime, delinquency, drug and alcohol addiction, health problems, anxieties, and prejudices.  Faith and Community Based Organizations must be held accountable for results.

Advocacy is meaningless in the absence of credible data. EPPC Global Management hopes to contribute to a more informed debate on these important issues among policymakers, stakeholders, journalists and the public. Knowledge about the relative effectiveness and capacity of faith-based and secular services in the issues involved in public funding must be evaluated and the results openly discussed.

For a list of nationally known Legal Experts Click Here

Other Commentary

• "A Place for Politics in the Pulpit," by David Klinghoffer, Jewish Forward
• "Politics from the pulpit:  free speech or partisan danger?" First Amendment Center, October 3, 2004
• "Eye for an eye," by James L. Evans, Sightings, September 16, 2004
• "IRS must not be 'speech police,'" by Jay Sekulow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 5, 2004
• "HR 235: freeing the pulpit," by Douglas Baker, Baptist Press, June 29, 2003
• "Houses of worship joining partisan political fray not a good idea," by Charles Haynes, First Amendment Center, September 29, 2002
• "Protecting religious institutions' right to political speech: Why the House of Worship Political Speech Protection Act should be enacted," by Marci Hamilton, FindLaw, August 15, 2002

Religious-liberty Groups

• American Center for Law & Justice
  "An international public interest law firm that focuses on pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty issues."
  
• Americans United for Separation of Church and State
  Watchdog group that works "to protect the constitutional principle of church-state separation, a vital cornerstone of religious liberty."
  
• Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
  "A bipartisan and ecumenical, public-interest law firm that protects the free expression of all religious traditions."
  
• Bible Literacy Project
  Nonpartisan, nonprofit effort "to encourage and facilitate the academic study of the Bible in public schools."
  
• Christian Legal Society
  Non-denominational national network of attorneys, judges, law students, professors and lay people, with local attorney chapters and law-student chapters, that "helps lawyers to integrate their faith in Christ with their professional responsibilities."
  
• Interfaith Alliance
  Nonpartisan group with a mission to "promote democratic values, defend religious liberty, challenge hatred and religious bigotry, and reinvigorate informed civic participation."
  
• Liberty Counsel
  "A nonprofit religious civil liberties education and legal defense organization dedicated to preserve religious freedom."
  
• Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
  "Seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs."
  
• ReligiousForums.com
  A forum for religious discussion and debate.
  
• Religious Freedom with Raptors
  Provides overview of issues involving federal wildlife laws that interfere with religious liberties of those who use eagle feathers in ceremonies, and efforts to change those laws.
  
• Rutherford Institute
  "An international legal and educational organization dedicated to preserving human rights and defending civil liberties."
  
• "The Working Group on Human Needs and Faith-Based and Community Initiatives"
  Coordinated by Search for Common Ground USA. Has released a new report, "Finding Common Ground." (Note: The First Amendment Center's program and report are also called Finding Common Ground.)

 Above U2 at Willow Creek Church. 

Clip of Bono at Prayer Breakfast discussing human rights and faith.

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