Religion's role in politics and public policy is in the spotlight heading toward the midterm elections.
That’s as relatively few Americans consider it crucial that a candidate be devoutly religious or share their religious beliefs, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Faith Matters is hosted by Kyle Reese, senior pastor of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, and Nancy Broner, executive director of OneJax, an institute of the University of North Florida.
Segment 1
Just 25 percent of Americans say it's very or extremely important that a candidate has strong religious beliefs, according to the AP poll. Only 19 percent consider it very or extremely important that a candidate shares their own beliefs, and nearly half say that's not very important or not important at all.
Still, most Americans see a role for religion in shaping public policy. A solid majority of Americans, 57 percent, want the influence of religion on government policy to extend beyond traditional culture war issues.
So what will be the influence of faith on the midterm elections?
Guests for this segment are:
- Dr. Matthew Corrigan, UNF Professor and Chair of the Political Science and Public Administration Department, and
- Joey McKinnon, Faith in Public Life, Florida State Manager
Segment 2
Our secular political culture feels less and less inclined toward respectful dialogue and creative political thinking. Our faith culture sometimes feels just as divisive. Many say that it is time for the faith community to come together, across political disagreements, to articulate and reaffirm the goals that we do share, even as we will argue reasonably and prayerfully for different ways of reaching them.
Guests for this segment are:
- Elder Lee Harris, Pastor of Mt Olive Primitive Baptist Church,
- Reverend Liz Teal, Interfaith Minister
- Stacey Goldring, leader of 2nd Generation Holocaust Survivors workshop
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