Is it common to connect religion and politics?

Question

To be honest the thought hadn't crossed my mind before I started frequenting the internet. What I would like to know is whether or not the average person believes politics are mostly or entirely hinged on religion. Though I am aware the average internet-person thinks a little differently.(more radically?)

Answer 1

Only in a theocratic nation. Which we are not. Boundaries that shouldn't be are being crossed

Answer 2

Morals for the foundations of laws sometimes have christian roots, but the government, and religion are indeed separate.

Answer 3

It is for the social conservative Republicans; they want nothing less than to make the US a christian theocracy.

Answer 4

definately.

repugs still say obama is a half muslim... if being muslim was a race.

which also shows them for the racist pigs they are, saying that aparently muslims are all terrorists and unfit to be americans.

Answer 5

It should be, if we want God on our side.

The U.S. government was founded on Christian

principles...look at all the scripture and sayings

about God carved into all the government

buildings in D.C. Read what the founding fathers

had to say about God and former presidents

who prayed regularly to God. Look at our

National Song and it's relation to God. It all

started with God and God blessed the U.S.

and that's how we became the most moral

and greatest country in the world. John Adams

wrote: "It is religion and morality alone which

can establish the Principles upon which freedom

can surely stand.  (21 June 1776)

Answer 6

Unfortunately yes. While it is normal for one's religious outlook to be part of their world view some feel it is necessary to obligate the rest of us to follow their view as well. (Bush and Palin for example)

Others, though they may have strong religious views, realize that others have different and do not impose one particular belief for  a whole country. (Obama)

Just one more reason to vote Obama.

Answer 7

Religion and nationalism are, historically, the two most common appeals made by ruling elites seeking support.

Back in 1095 Pope Urban II unsurprisingly began the crusades with appeals to God and territorial claims on the holy land. Queen Elizabeth I of England, in 1588, combined nationalistic rhetoric with religion in her war against Spain, "...we shall shortly have a famous victory over the enemies of my God, of my kingdom and of my people." Yes the enemies of England are also the enemies of God, goes without saying.

It's a rhetoric that has been repeated endlessly, especially in the attempt to motivate ordinary people to fight wars from which their only hope is to return alive. Here's Hitler doing the same thing as Liz I:

"The German people is no warlike nation. It is a soldierly one which means it does not want a war but does not fear it. It loves peace, but it also loves its honour and freedom ... I now pray to God that he will bless in the years to come our work, our deeds, our foresight, our resolve; that the almighty may protect us from both arrogance and cowardly servility, that he may help us find the right way which he has laid down for the German people and that he may always give us courage to do the right thing and never to falter or weaken before any power or any danger."

Yep, God had a special plan for the German people - but with friends like that ...

The modern US rhetoric follows the same pattern as I'm sure you're aware. Here is Bush preparing us for battle: "Today, people from all walks of life gave thanks for the heroes; they mourn the dead; they ask for God’s good graces on the families who mourn, and tomorrow the good people of America go back to their shops, their fields, American factories, and go back to work. [. . .] This is a new kind of – a new kind of evil. And we understand. And the American people are beginning to understand. This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."

Palin's Alaska church speech, declaring the Iraq war God's will is just following protocol. God's always willing wars according to the powerful. And today He's kind enough to put America right in the centre of two, possibly three. Tens of thousands killed? Hallelujah brother, God bless America, and on and on.