Denver, Colo., Oct 7, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The political climate in the United States has silenced the voice of religious believers, and it is high time that they reclaim it in the current public debates, said Archbishop Charles Chaput.
Two popular phrases in American political circles - "don't impose your beliefs on society" and "the separation of Church and state" - are "sound bites designed to shut down serious thought," said the archbishop of Denver Oct 6. He spoke on the topic at the Religious Institutions Law Day Conference in Colorado Springs.
These are "usually foolish, frequently dishonest and ultimately dangerous arguments that confuse our national memory and our national identity," he said in his talk, titled "Divided Hearts: Americans, Religion and National Policy."
"People who support permissive abortion laws have no qualms at all about imposing their views on society," he said. "That's their right. They're acting on their beliefs. But in a democracy, everybody - including religious believers - gets to play that game," he told conference participants.