I participated in a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, May 11, at Oxford University in the Oxford Union in England. The topic was about mixing politics with religion. See
https://oxford-union.org/event/interfaith-panel/
Here were my opening remarks,
Mixing politics with religion is fraught with danger. We all know theocracies, where leaders govern by the will of an infallible god. Openly defying the “correct” faith is called blasphemy and leads to harsh punishments, even death. I thinkeveryone should have the right to practice any religion or none, as long as they don’t force their beliefs on others. I appreciate people whose religion inspires them to work on important social justice issues. In countries that are not theocratic, politics might still be infused with religion. My country, the United States, has a secular government with a problem of religion immersed in politics.
https://oxford-union.org/event/interfaith-panel/
Here were my opening remarks,
Mixing politics with religion is fraught with danger. We all know theocracies, where leaders govern by the will of an infallible god. Openly defying the “correct” faith is called blasphemy and leads to harsh punishments, even death. I thinkeveryone should have the right to practice any religion or none, as long as they don’t force their beliefs on others. I appreciate people whose religion inspires them to work on important social justice issues. In countries that are not theocratic, politics might still be infused with religion. My country, the United States, has a secular government with a problem of religion immersed in politics.