Should personal religious beliefs influence government policies?
It’s not a simple question, as evidenced by current controversies over Religious Freedom Restoration Acts being considered by state legislatures.
Americans generally agree that freedom is a good thing as long as it does not cause harm to another. But what happens when both sides claim harm? Below, as part of Colonial Williamsburg’s observance of Religion Month, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson consider the intersection of personal belief and public policy.
The moderator is Cathy Lewis.
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Dear readers,
Dr. Wayne Baker of the University of Michigan has recently been covering similar issues of faith in government on his weekly blog, ourvalues.org. The Idea of America course created by Colonial Williamsburg emphasizes the centrality of tension during our nation’s most momentous times, something that is reflected in Dr. Baker’s work as well. There are many more ahead of us, and we are exploring them from all sides politically, sociologically, and ethically. We encourage you to share some of your thoughts with us (here: http://bit.ly/1JHKjmB) as we use the four tensions identified by The Idea of America to explore recent topics on our blog.