Individuals Cannot Partition Their Civic and Religious Beliefs

To the editors:

It seems that Adam Goldenberg, in his “Question of Boundaries,” (Comment, Apr. 27) conceives of a rather false dichotomy between religious and civic life. The institutions are separate, but the individuals who are a part of both institutions cannot partition their lives and their actions into non-overlapping circles without being false to their religion. The inherent roles of most religions are to prescribe, in some manner, a set of behaviors that they deem moral. Human actions, even when involved in secular, civic affairs, involve morality simply due to the fact that people are expected to make ethical decisions as a part of their lives. It is fully within the right, and even the duty, of the Catholic Church to declare not only a moral opinion, but also a set of suggested moral actions; without the latter, the former is pointless. Religion isn’t some opinion to be declared and kept to oneself.

If I were a civil servant assigned to the role of executing prisoners, I would object, refusing to carry out my duties, even at the risk of being fired, because they contradict my moral code, which is defined by my religious beliefs. Even if the institution I act within is a civic institution, all of my actions are nevertheless subject to morality. I may not agree with Pope Benedict’s stance on homosexual marriage, but to say that it isn’t the Church’s business to call people to action on such a thing is completely and utterly a misunderstanding of the role of religion in people’s lives.

ERIC J. SUH ’07

April 27, 2005