Keep Religion Out of it!

Religion and politics: Two extremely different topics yet unfortunately related. The subject of politics and religion has always set me off since my belief is to keep religion out of politics completely which clearly has not been the case for many, many decades. When this country was founded, the constitution separated church and state for a reason. Now, I feel as though there are always religious issues interfering with politics.

Let’s start at the beginning. Separation between church and state has been around since the beginning of civilization. Ancient China, the Roman Empire, Islamic government and medieval Europe were just a few ancient civilizations that believed in this separation. Thomas Jefferson was the first president of the United States to support separation between church and state. Jefferson was a religious man himself, but argued that religion was very personal and should be kept to ourselves. Therefore, it was imperative to leave religion out of government.
Since then, the first amendment has been in force. I, much like President Jefferson, believe that religion is a very personal belief that should be completed eliminated from politics.

Issues involving religion and education are perennial topics of public debate. Members of various faith traditions often find themselves on opposite sides of conversations related to school prayer, the teaching of evolution and creationism, vouchers, the use of school space by religious groups, the recitation of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and the question of how to teach about religion. While some argue that religion has an important role to play in public education, others maintain that a strict wall of separation is needed when it comes to religion and public schools.

The problem of religion and politics defines another set of issues. Church and state deals with the relationship of institutions that are independent of each other. Religion and politics has to do with two spheres of activities in the life of the same persons. Citizens who belong to religious groups are also members of the secular society, and this dual association generates complications. Religious beliefs have moral and social implications, and it is appropriate for people of faith to express these through their activities as citizens in the political order. The fact that ethical convictions are rooted in religious faith does not disqualify them from the political realm.

Now, I realize that sometimes this is hard given that some people think certain ways about issues based on their religious beliefs which if fine. But is it really necessary to state your religious opinions when talking about politics? Not only does this create conflict, but it also is one of the reasons why our country has become so divided. Let me reiterate, religion is a personal belief and it should remain that way! There is a reason that we have freedom of religion.

Politics Online

Politics have really changed since the technological advance of the internet. Before, all of our information on candidates and issues came directly from the television, the newspapers, or from the politicians themselves. With the development of the internet, we can now get any information we want on any political issue without turning on a TV, buying a news paper, or really put much effort into it at all.
With the past election, I remember receiving at least 10 emails a day regarding either the candidates themselves or one of the major issues. Not only was I receiving emails constantly, but I could not get on the internet without all of the headlines being about the election. This has created a way for American’s to get the useful information that they need at an incredible convenience. Even if you don’t have any interest in the campaigns or elections, if you use the internet, you can’t really get away from it, which is turn, can make people a lot more informed.
The internet allows people to get a lot of information really quickly and without much effort at all. They can choose directly where they get their information from and pick and choose from thousands of sources. I think that this advance in technology has definitely helped people be willing to vote and creates a bigger voter turnout.
The internet has also been useful in polling. There are tons of political polls online that most people cannot avoid. Even if you are not looking at a political article or website, chances are, you will come across a poll that is so quick and easy to do, you just can’t resist giving your opinion. These are useful in order to gage which candidate appears to be ahead without the campaigns using much effort or money at all.
Of course, while the internet is a fabulous toll for politics, many people believe that it has led to more false news and propaganda. This is certainly true however I feel that this propaganda would happen even without the internet in place. News is news no matter how you look at it and there would still be propaganda and lies in newspapers, commercials and radio. I think you just have to realize when something could be false and only go to credible websites that have credible news and articles.
Overall, I think that the internet has helped the political realm in many ways. Voter turnout has increased, there is much more information available, and as long as people are involved, the internet will always remain a great source and a useful aid in politics.