I don’t often agree with President Obama when it comes to religious views. However, on June 28, 2006, then Senator Barack Obama gave a speech at the Call to Renewal conference sponsored by Sojourners.
In part of that speech, he said, “…secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square… indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.”
I could not agree more.
As Obama clearly points out, contrary to the protest from some liberals on the left, America’s founding was in large part based on the morality of Judeo-Christian principles. When the founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, they did not conceal or withhold their particular world view. No, they proclaimed it boldly, undeniably establishing that mankind is endowed by his Creator “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This document’s foundation, upon which our nation stands, is based on a Christian world view that proclaims faith in a Creator.
There is a small, but loud chorus of individuals and organizations that are against anything religious, especially Christianity. Some, who resort to vicious name calling and disparaging remarks, do not completely understand what their own beliefs really are. So they lash out at anyone with whom they disagree, in an effort to keep from having to explain their own positions. Meanwhile, they try to silence any inference that the Judeo-Christian faith has had anything to do with the founding of our Nation. But, Obama correctly recognizes the contributions of people of faith, who throughout our history have brought about significant reforms to America. Because of these people, who lived by their faith, we live in an entirely different kind of country. Indeed, we live in an entirely different world.
Those who would silence the Christian voice in the public square are hypocritical at best, because they deny that they bring their own personal bias and morality into the discussions. Excluding the voice of Christianity will not bring about more freedom. Quite the opposite will happen; ultimately it will reduce freedom for all.
Source:
http://usliberals.about.com/od/faithinpubliclife/a/ObamaReligion_2.htm
