Keeping Religion Out of Politics? Gerhard Forde

One ought indeed to keep religion out of politics. But that means more than merely separating church and state. It means that all religious and mythological ideas and ideologies, all those fantasies and dreams we use to cover our greed and presumption must be exposed and thrown out of politics. It means that all our prejudices, all our self-serving vanities- all of this must be seen for what it is and discarded....

It means that we shall have to learn to make our political decisions without prejudice strictly according to love and justice, according to what is best for taking care of human beings. That is what it means ultimately to keep "religion" out of politics. Keeping religion out of politics is not accomplished by shutting up the voice of the church and prophetic criticism. Indeed that is only to let all kinds of religion in- all those pet religions of the devil that so easily seduce us.

- Gerhard Forde, Where God Meets Man