But he maintains that this concession to pluralism is better than a public square completely stripped of faith.
“Should we not have a prayer service after this event, even though it has to be multi-faith? I think that's a pretty sectarian, insulated kind of view. We play our most important role in the Church, but we also have a role to play in American civil society as Christians.”
“We shouldn't forget about that, nor should we accept this rigidly secular model of American public life.”
Kidd also said that some notable believers, who are accepted even by the secular world as “saints,” could get away with discussing doctrines such as the Incarnation or the Trinity, in circumstances where the ordinary faithful might not.
“Mother Theresa did do it, at times – to some controversy. But at the same time, she could sort of do whatever she wanted!”
Ultimately, Kidd said Christians should recognize both the importance and the limits of public, non-sectarian religious ceremonies.
And these forms of religious expression, while significant in their own right, should never be considered more important than the worship that takes place within churches.
“All Christians should have a certain check within them – to realize that if New York City, or the U.S., is looking to exclude faith from the public sphere, there's a certain core of our Christian identity that this in no way touches.”
“I think it's historically inappropriate, and speaks to someone like Mayor Bloomberg having a tin ear to the role of religion in American society. But for me, as a Christian, there's a fundamental level at which this doesn't mess anything up, for me or my faith – because my faith is, at its root, a church-oriented faith rather than a nation-oriented faith. It transcends national boundaries and American history.”
“If America, as a nation, turns against that legacy, it doesn't mean I can't live as a Christian. But I think it's a bad idea, in a civil sense, for the nation to become hostile to the role of religion.”