The proper relationship of religion to political life in a pluralistic society according to John Rawls

Abstract

The proper relationship of religion and political life in a pluralistic society has always been a very thorny question. And a very delicate and complicated one. Michael Perry puts it in this way "the proper role of religious arguments in politics is the subject of intense controversy in the U.S." It is a question that many who are interested in this field ask but never able to reach a consensus on. We must ask ourselves whether, in a pluralistic society, it is appropriate for citizens to argue on religious grounds for the political positions they favour. Are such grounds for argument compatible with a liberal democratic tradition? Why should citizens who are members of a religious group be required to set their faith aside when entering the political arena? Certainly, they should respect the freedom and integrity of conscience of those who are not their co-religionists. But is not their own freedom and integrity violated if they think their faith is of import for political life and they are prevented from acting on that conviction? One of the basic premises of democracy is that the political process ought to reflect the views of all citizens. Why should the political process not reflect religiously based political views as well as political views formed on nonreligious grounds? Might such reliance, despite the dangers inherent in it, be necessary to the maintenance and development of liberal democratic values? What position, should we take with regard to religious political discourse? If some religious discourse in the political sphere is both appropriate and necessary, where are we to draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate religious discourse? The matter of religion and politics is complex , not simple, though it may sometimes appear simple to the simple-minded. You find some who argue that there should be a role of religion in political life and others who state the opposite while others are not clear. The Catholic Church argues in favour. She holds that religion does have a role to play in political life. The Catholic Church has always recognized the importance of politics, not only in praxis but also in its teachings. Politics is considered, by the Church, as an intrinsic dimension of human experience, of ''the world" in which the Church is immersed. Gaudium et Spes states that ''the political community and public authority are based on human nature and therefore they need belong to an order established by God." In Octagesima Adveniens, Paul VI speaks of the need to take politics seriously at its different levels - local, regional, national and world-wide -thus affirming the duty of every man to seek to bring about both ''the good of the city and of the nation and of mankind."