When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong - faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's to late.
Jaime Escalante: You only see the turn, you don't see the road ahead.
The quest to infuse politics with religion tempts the pious. Looking at the depravity of power displayed within the gears of government disheartens even a sanguine citizen; graft and deception flourish in nearly every system and the repairs seem distant and difficult. Revising a structure that debases elected officials and deprives their constituents of life and liberty would seem an obligatory task, but one that eludes even the most diligent seekers of reform. In an attempt to rectify such a situation, many are drawn to the conclusion that adopting a religious basis for the state is both just and expedient. The problem with such a solution is that it combines the power of religion- eternal, divine, and unlimited- with the temporal, terrestrial and finite powers of politics- to the detriment of both.
The art of communal accommodation that government seeks to embody often offends some religious mindsets. There can be no compromise when virtue and vice are concerned; thus political opponents morph into demons, vile creatures that must be destroyed. In the pursuit of a truly good system, power becomes paramount; and laws become commandments. Objections and reflective considerations challenge not earthy participants, but God. In the rush toward directing the nation, those assuming control blind themselves to possible detrimental destinations, trusting that celestial guidance will protect the faithful.
In the end, the bus is driven by desire, and the end is often terminal.
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