Religious leaders should have no extra influence

Q: U.S. Catholic bishops are defending their direct involvement in congressional deliberations over health-care reform, saying that church leaders have a duty to raise moral concerns on any issue, including abortion rights and health care for the poor. Do you agree? What role should religious leaders have -- or not have -- in government policymaking?

Religious leaders have always had a right, and indeed from their faith perspective an obligation, to speak out on issues of morality and social justice. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a long track record of doing do so on economic, political (for example, the Middle East) and moral (stem cell research, abortion, birth control) issues. That said, religious leaders' voices and role should have the same weight as that of other citizens' groups; they provide their perspective to the administration and Congress who are then free to take these opinions into consideration. Given the separation of church and state, they should have no greater role or influence on policymaking.

By John Esposito  |  November 20, 2009; 9:16 AM ET Save & Share:                 
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