Church and State Separation Good for Both

Dakota Today offers excellent commentary on the wisdom of the Founding Fathers in keeping church and state separate. Read Garry Wills for more on that theme (relevant quote: Wills argues that the separation of church and state, the only true political innovation of the US Constitution, "has allowed religion to flourish in America as it does nowhere else in the developed world").

A passage that jumps out at me from DT:

Napoli and Bruce further indicate the problems of intricately mixing religion and politics with their own assumption that they are on God's side and speaking and acting directly for him or her. It gives them and people like Joe Lieberman an unfounded feeling that they are so very, very correct because they are after all on God's side and by extension all their political opponents are obviously on the side of the Devil and going to hell [Douglas Wiken, "Who Would Jesus Slaughter?" Dakota Today, 2007.12.17].

Such sure righteousness has its merits, but it makes practical politics impossible. Given my own absolutist inclinations, it galls me to say it, but good politics involves compromise, finding the middle ground that accommodates all citizens, not just the loudest, most stubborn, or most pious. Politicians who portray themselves as instruments of the Lord's will and their opponents as minions of Satan can't compromise, can't converse, can't ever seek common ground. That attitude gets you, at best, political gridlock, and at worst, pogroms.

Politics requires open dialogue, inclusiveness, and compromise. District 35, and the rest of you, help us out: send legislators to Pierre with whom we can have a rational conversation about practical solutions