Overwhelmingly, the message from all speakers was clear. Christians are called to address the most pressing issues of our day and to do so by staying determinedly active in the public arena. Call to action Christians wrestle with the temptation to disengage themselves from the government, Stanley Carlson-Thies of the Center for Public Justice, pointed out in his talk about welfare reform. Both Carlson-Thies and Jean Bethke Elshtain, of the University of Chicago Divinity School, insist the government and religious institutions cannot afford to separate themselves. Christians have a responsibility to work with the government to address issues such as welfare reform, Carlson-Thies said.
Religion draws people into the community and away from themselves.
Religion and politics cannot be separated. To separate the two compromises the Constitution's promise of freedom of religion, Elshtain contended. A private religion is no religion at all. One exception to the separation of church and state movement detailed by Elshtain is a short provision in the welfare reform law of 1996. The provision, now called the Charitable Choice section, requires the government to respect the religious character of Christian ministries and other faith-based organizations that provide counseling and other services to welfare recipients.