Reaping the Whirlwind: Liberal Democracy and the Religious AxisAs early as the sixteenth century the liberal democratic state has been forced to confront the question of religion in politics. The result has been a tense and uncomfortable balancing act. Today, in the public square of liberal democracy, a number of religious confessions and beliefs compete for attention. In the American experience, some sense of religious pluralism and relative social harmony has been maintained. However, for this relationship to prevail, a tension must continue to exist—one that balances the political and social pursuits of self-interest with meeting the objectives of the common good. In Reaping the Whirlwind, John R. Pottenger shows how this process began in the modern world, and how societies attempt to manage this ongoing conflict. The first part of the book lays the groundwork of his analysis by using examples from history to demonstrate the genesis of political and religious "whirlwinds." It goes on to explore contemporary case studies, such as conflicts between Mormons and Evangelicals in the United States, liberation theology in Latin America, Islam and the state in Uzbekistan, and radical Christian reconstructionism. Pottenger believes that the formal institutions of liberal democracy should maintain this turbulence, even as religious activism threatens to upset the balance. He concludes by advocating religious liberty and recognizing the individual and social need for expression. At the same time, he maintains that the survival of liberal democracy requires that these religious traditions not dominate the public sphere. |
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... federal courts , are biased against religion in the public square . They recite case after case in which court decisions have restricted religious expression , especially the public acknowledgment of God . One of the more prominent ...
... federal court ruled that Moore's public display of the monument in a gov- ernment building was tantamount to state support of religion , and thus violated both previous U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and the ...
... for statewide political office on the theme of defending the public display of the Ten Commandments and restoring the acknowledgment of God to the public square. Accusing the federal and state 16 RELIGION AND POLITICS.
... federal and state judiciaries of complicity in the decline of public morality during the past four decades as a result of their removal of God from public life, Moore's appeal to voters was straightforward: The removal of God from our ...
... federal district court judge Myron Thompson ruled in November in favor of the plaintiffs, and ordered Chief Justice Moore to remove the monument. Judge Thompson then issued a stay of the injunction, pending Moore's appeal to the U.S. ...
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Reaping the Whirlwind: Liberal Democracy and the Religious Axis John R. Pottenger No preview available - 2007 |