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What role should religion play in the political decision-making process?
Share Your Reflection

Extremely Time-Sensitive Program! (August 6, 2004)
Thanks to you all, and to Mr. Califano, for honestly addressing the issue that may decide the upcoming election. And, after that, the composition of the Supreme Court and of other courts. And, following that, the liberty of many Americans.

I heard Mr. Califano use the word 'pandering' to describe what George Bush and his party have been doing and I agree. I've heard the comparison made between expectations of Senator Kerry now with those of JFK — that back then, the concern was that Kennedy might take orders from the Vatican, and now, the concern is that Kerry won't. I hope that enough of us who accept the Constitutional separation of church and state turn out on Nov. 2 to win the election.

Paul Simons
Levittown, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)

Civil Obedience (July 21, 2004)
Mr. Califano's reflections reminded me of the America I knew as a child. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. I remember the spirit of the politics at the time. We were Republicans. Catholics. 15 miles northeast of the George Washington Bridge. That was post-Vatican II, northeastern Roman Catholicism. The windows were open.

The nuns stopped teaching that the natives who never heard about Jesus went to limbo. I wondered how unfair that seemed: being denied the presence of God in Heaven for something over which you had no control. I prayed a lot for native people when I was young.

The grown-ups around me in my teens spent a good amount of time making our faith relevant to people listening to The Who and with access to Broadway. Parents bought Tommy and Jesus Christ, Superstar, and we listened to them as families and talked about whatever issues came up. We knew that other families had different values, and we knew what was true for us. We learned to make our choices and take the consequences. We followed Mom and Dad's rules at home and everyone knew what was acceptable behavior in public.

Civil obedience. You followed the rules of the road, you respected other people's property, you stood when the teacher came into the classroom and a gentleman always carried a clean handkerchief and wore an undershirt. You gave blood, you voted because you were 18 the year they lowered the voting age. "Hey, if we're adult enough to go off to Viet Nam aren't we adult enough to vote?" You were involved in the community.

The fact of diversity of faith and religion (as well as race and color) was and should still be an accepted reality in a pluralistic society. The majority always seemed to have a sacred trust to listen to and care for the minority. That seems lost these days.

The adults I used to know would have been asking themselves why someone would be so angry at, and feel so helpless against us: The holders of democracy? The standard bearer of what good can be on this planet, to be so angry at us to give their lives in suicide missions against us?

I know that some Christians feel very strongly that homosexuality is sinful. I understand that some feel outraged at having to see evidence of homosexuality in public, as if any sin warranted such extreme public cruelty and legislated oppression. I fear that my private relationship with the God of my understanding is at risk of being illegal. Conservative Christian groups fail to grasp this concept of civil obedience in a pluralistic society. If their logic is followed we will become a theocracy like Iran. The issue of gay marriage is a civil issue as much as it is a religious one.

Christians are not united in their stand on homosexuality. And we as individuals have different stands on sexuality itself. Does sexuality require a religious context? If so, how can one religion dominate the dialogue without seeking out to understand the concerns of the minority on such a private issue? How can an elected representative fail to make an effort to listen to a constituent? How can safe, civil dialogue happen in communities where people's most private lives are involved?

Elder TreeWalker
Decatur, GA (WABE, 90.1 FM)

Weakened Courts? (July 19, 2004)
I would like to comment specifically on this program. I too am a Roman Catholic whose family was raised in Brooklyn/Queens, New York. I attended 8 years of Catholic grammar school, four years of Jesuit high school, and four years of Jesuit College. I thought the program was very well done but felt Mr. Califano was too "Democratic" in some of his responses and wonder if he feels our courts may be weakening the fundamental foundations of traditional religions.

Francis Lamberta
Palatine, IL (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)