Not even Notre Dame can escape the Republican National Convention following famed football coach Lou Holtz’s speech last week. There has been some coverage from The Observer about students’ reactions, but I want to focus on a particular aspect of the speech. The most controversial part of Holtz’s time on the virtual stage was when he called former Vice President Joe Biden a “Catholic in name only.” This is a peculiar comment, considering that the United States is meant to be characterized by separation of church and state. Why would Biden’s religious beliefs matter? Holtz was likely attempting to sway Catholic voters towards President Trump, but his words raise questions regarding the role of religion in our secular government. How do we balance freedom of religion in a non-religious government? How much should our religion influence our political beliefs and political systems? My hope is that this column delves into these questions by presenting a brief history of the separation of church and state, followed by an analysis of how religious beliefs should influence lawmaking. Let’s start with a brief history of the relationship between religion and government in the U.S. The only mention of religion is in the […]
