Presidential Abortion Rhetoric

Editors

Nathan C. Walker; Edwin J. Greenlee

Document Type

Chapter

Publication Date

12-2011

Publication Title

Whose God Rules? Is the United States a Secular Democracy or a Theolegal Nation?

Publisher

Palgrave Macmillan

First page number:

123

Last page number:

136

Abstract

The United States is not a secular democracy where laws guarantee freedom from religion, nor is it a theocracy, where a single religion prescribes all laws. This book demonstrates that the United States, whether we like it or not, is a theolegal nation - a democracy that simultaneously guarantees citizens the right to free expression of belief while preventing the establishment of a state religion. This guarantees officials the right to use theology as one of many resources in making, applying, or administering law because a theolegal democracy does not prevent citizens or officials from using their religious worldview in the public arena as seen in secular nations. However, theolegal democracy also does not permit officials to use their theology to deny civil rights to those who do not meet those creedal tests as seen in theocracies.

Keywords

Abortion; Democracy; Presidents; Religion; Rhetoric; Secularism; Theocracy

Disciplines

American Politics | Political Science | Political Theory

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.


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