enator Joseph Lieberman, a man of faith, has introduced his religious beliefs into the campaign in a serious and unthreatening way. His remarks this week point the way to an an approach that recognizes the importance of Judeo-Christian belief in the life of America without excluding people outside these religious traditions.
''The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion,'' he said in Detroit on Sunday. ''As a people we need to reaffirm our faith and renew the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God's purpose.'' The Anti-Defamation League, in a rebuttal, said that ''appealing to voters along religious lines is contrary to the American ideal.'' Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said, ''It's time to stop telling us what you think about Deuteronomy and the parting of the Red Sea and tell us about your positions on economic policy and prescription drugs.''
Sincerely held religious belief can be an antidote to the cynicism and amorality that often disfigure politics. Political leaders throughout US history have expressed support for religious belief without imposing sanctions against those of different traditions. Lieberman is by all accounts a sincere adherent of Orthodox Judaism, and voters need to know how his belief system shapes his public life.
Lieberman went too far, however, when he said Vice President Gore's prescription drug plan fulfilled the biblical commandment to ''Honor thy father and mother.'' And he was guilty of hyperbole when he suggested that Bill Clinton and Gore had led Americans through a metaphorical Red Sea to the land of plenty. Believers must be careful to avoid tagging specific issues or individuals with a divine imprimatur.
Lieberman is a politician, not a religious leader, and an occasional lapse can be forgiven. His words would be more threatening to pluralism if he were a rabbi, priest, or minister urging his followers to support a specific candidate or party. Religious leaders must be wary of intruding into partisan politics.
As for rededicating the nation to God, political leaders are free to do that whenever they want. The great test is whether their ethics match their rhetoric and whether they discriminate against those who do not share their beliefs.
''I think there's a difference here between respecting faith and feeling free to talk about the way it informs and benefits American life and talking about it in a way that may make people feel excluded,'' Lieberman explained after his speech.
Lieberman understands how to balance the power of his own beliefs to improve political discourse with the recognition that not everyone shares them. ''There must be a place for faith in America's public life,'' he said Sunday. The United States is big enough, diverse enough, and tolerant enough to give the faith of many of the people its due without excluding all other citizens from full participation and acceptance in American society.
