However, if politics is to be shielded from the touchy issues of society, what’s left? Get rid of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, immigration, war, peace, marriage and any other high-profile concern. Politics becomes pointless. Nothing to debate or decide.
The Greeks who invented politics had a very clear vision of what it was and what it was supposed to achieve. According to Aristotle, the state is a community. Its goal is well-being. Politics is the art of achieving, protecting and defending the well-being of the community. That holds for the land of the free and the home of the brave just as much as for ancient Greece.
Politics means making sure that all the essential needs of the community are met. It’s the art of serving others. If there is a problem, if some key element is missing—or worse, ignored and trampled on—it doesn’t necessarily mean that heads have to roll. But it does mean that someone hasn’t quite mastered the art of politics yet.
Religion is one of those key elements. Attacks on religious freedom are exactly the type of thing that politics should be addressing. The type of thing that should be key to elections. That should decide elections. If such an important issue truly favors one party over the other, that’s no reason to call foul, or pigeon-hole the debate. It’s just a good indication of who to vote for.
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