From a pastor-friend who wrote to the Leader of the Opposition in Australia’s Federal Parliament:

Hi all,

Mark Latham responded to the current debate on abortion by stating that he “respects” the role of churches, but that we should keep religion out of politics.

Below is my letter to him.

~~~

Dear Sir,

As a committed Christian who believes that religious belief should inform all of life AND that all ideas have a legitimate place in the forum of public discourse, I could not more strongly object to your remarks in the The Age, 14 November 2004 that you “respect” the role of churches, but that we should keep religion out of politics.

Given these comments, where exactly do you see religion playing a role, Mr. Latham?

I presume you it to remain a matter personal business. But my problem with your comments is that my political views ARE my personal business. That’s MY personal business, Mr. Latham. NOT YOURS! Nor any other politican’s. I’ll be damned if I’ll let any of you tell me my personal business – religious, political or otherwise.

Let me say that I believe your remarks demonstrate a complete ignorance of the entire point of the doctrine of the separation of church and state.

That doctrine is NOT primarily about keeping religion out of politics BUT about keeping politics out of religion (read the constitution).

It does NOT state that religious views may not inform political discourse BUT that political discourse may not dictate religious views.

The doctrine was NEVER intended to prevent free expression of religious views in the public marketplace of ideas. Rather it was intended to ensure that the public market place is open to influence from ALL points of view – even ideas that politicians like yourself might not agree with.

At the end of the day, if freedom and democracy mean anything, they mean the right of the individual to bring their personal beliefs into the sphere of public discourse REGARDLESS of the religious, philosophical, or political basis of those beliefs.

To reject that is to impose restrictions on the very religious discourse that our system of politics is supposed to defend.