Democracy
demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific values. What do I mean by this? It requires that their proposals be subject
to argument and amenable to reason. I
may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take on example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the
practice, I cannot simply point to the
teachings of my church or evoke God’s
will. I have to explain why abortion
violates some principle that is accessible to people of ll faiths, including those with no faith at all.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546298,00.html, Book Excerpt: Barack Obama, October 15, 2006
