Symposium
Report Sections
Introduction
Dr. Marty's Speech
Socratic Dialogue
Morning Session
mprQuestions
Afternoon Session
mprBusiness Group
mprEducation Group
mprPros and Cons
mprEffects
The Should Statements
Symposium Participants
Symposium and Report Credits
About the Public Religion Project
Religion in
Everyday Life
Civic Journalism Initiative
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Effects
Potential Positive Effects
Potential Negative Effects
The Potential Positive Effects
of Religion in Public Life
In an age of moral uncertainty, religion can provide direction.
Expanding the role of religion in public life would make it easier for
people to integrate their spiritual lives with their work lives.
It would promote tolerance.
It might affirm the fact that there is a shared human destiny.
It would promote a broader, more inclusive dialogue, allowing
all voices to be heard.
Public discussion might be more open and integrated if people
were more open about the role of faith.
It would be harder to label people, and easier to identify and
listen to the content of what they were saying.
If religious people did not try to convince others of their
ideology but merely gave their perspective, it would be
more conducive to dialogue and agreement.
It would raise the standard of ethical discourse.
Religion can provide a framework for moral decision-making,
a value base from which to act as decision-makers.
Religion can promote a sense of selflessness in the face of
a higher power.
Religion can impart a sense of will, fortitude, and persistence.
By making public debate explicit, underlying values
will be identified.
Expanding the role of religion in public life will build community.
It would teach unconditional love.
It would teach compassion for both communities and individuals.
It would promote charity.
Religion helps people to overcome or simply deal
with hardship and loss.
Religion gives people perspective; this view of ultimate concerns
has behavioral correlates.
Religion, and by extension the organized church, can be a
positive force for social change.
It provides structure and community that influence
individual behavior.
Religion teaches redemption and the ability to forgive.
Religion provides a means to overcome fear.
Broadening the role of religion in public life can help people
understand where morals and values come from.
It would give people a common vocabulary.
It would give people hope and provide framework for
individuals to find meaning in their lives.
It might transform religion itself in a healing way.
It would move religion away from sectarian beliefs
to what is human and good.
It would bring optimism and resources to the ability to change.
Religion reminds us that we are responsible for
our decisions and actions.
It can inform one's vision of justice.
The Potential Negative Effects
of Religion in Public Life
The contentiousness that is in religious communities now would become a
greater part of public life.
Expanding the role of religion in public life would
foster the labeling of others.
It would promote intolerance and self-righteousness.
It would cause pain and suffering (to, for example,
homosexuals who are labeled as sinners).
It might relegate some people to the margins and
completely exclude others, for example, nonbelievers.
Some people might feel alienated.
Our society's devotion to majority rule could lead to a
religious state.
Religious people could try to use the authority of God to
overwhelm other voices - they can say "because God
told me that."
Expanding the role of religion in public life
would promote divisiveness.
It would promote a sound bite or
bumper sticker mentality.
It would encourage people to be unreflective -
to grasp for easy answers.
It would demonize the enemy.
It would lead to censorship and promote ignorance.
It would lead to more polarization on important issues.
Public endorsement of religion limits individual freedoms.
Religion might be used to justify human rights abuses.
Expanding the role of religion in public life might
impede dialogue and limit intellectual discourse.
Religion would be another basis on which to fear others.
Expanding the role of religion in public life
might mask other agendas.
It might distort negative values.
Faith-based ideology might drive policy decisions.
Expanding the role of religion in public life might
lead to lawsuits.
Religion can destroy one's vision of justice.
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