ABSTRACT
America is thought to be more religious than many nations but at the same time tolerant and strongly opposed to a commingling of religion with politics. Political scientists Robert Putnam and David Campbell (2010) noted that the ranks of religious conservatives have grown. With a corresponding increase in secular liberals, there appears to be a dwindling group of religious moderates. As moderation has diminished, public policy issues such as abortion, stem cell research, same sex marriage, pornography, drug use, income redistribution, and others remain inextricably tied to issues of morality. Harvard Professor Michael Sandel (2009, 251) noted that it was not possible to resolve the legal issues surrounding policies such as abortion without taking up underlying religious and moral questions.
