The Last Freedom: Religion from the Public School to the Public SquareThe presidency of George W. Bush has polarized the church-state debate as never before. The Far Right has been emboldened to use religion to govern, while the Far Left has redoubled its efforts to evict religion from public life entirely. Fewer people on the Right seem to respect the church-state separation, and fewer people on the Left seem to respect religion itself--still less its free exercise in any situation that is not absolutely private. In The Last Freedom, Joseph Viteritti argues that there is a basic tension between religion and democracy because religion often rejects compromise as a matter of principle while democracy requires compromise to thrive. In this readable, original, and provocative book, Viteritti argues that Americans must guard against debasing politics with either antireligious bigotry or religious zealotry. Drawing on politics, history, and law, he defines a new approach to the church-state question that protects the religious and the secular alike. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 63
... beliefs of the founding generation. We will review the thoughts and actions of several of the major players, beginning with Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams. We will finally take up the important work of Thomas ...
... .7 Religion evokes deep passions in people. Those who practice it de- voutly use it as a guidepost to their lives. Many of those who do not hold such fervent beliefs view it as divisive and potentially FEAR AND LOATHING 3.
... beliefs view it as divisive and potentially dangerous. I am troubled by the animosity that so many good people exhibit towards religious observers and institutions. Granted, living in New York and working in a university setting exposes ...
... belief rather than reasoned judgments.9 He repeats a claim lodged in the O'Neill memoir, that the circle of decision makers in the Oval Office was a closed one, averse to dissenting opinions. The point of the article was to show that ...
... beliefs recorded in the Koran. For Harris, the boundaries between moderation and extremism are a blur, no matter what the religion. Whether Muslims, Hindus, Chris- tians, or Jews, we are each intoxicated with our own irrational faith.
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
9780691130118_4CH3pdf | 44 |
9780691130118_5CH4pdf | 66 |
9780691130118_6CH5pdf | 87 |
9780691130118_7CH6pdf | 114 |
9780691130118_8CH7pdf | 145 |
9780691130118_9CH8pdf | 176 |
9780691130118_10CH9pdf | 208 |
9780691130118_11NOTpdf | 241 |
9780691130118_12INDpdf | 263 |
Other editions - View all
The Last Freedom: Religion from the Public School to the Public Square Joseph P. Viteritti No preview available - 2007 |