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22 May 2008 03:26 pm
Free Votes Or Culture War?
William Saletan looks at how the British House Of Commons voted on various child-related measures. There's the usual and vital sense of moral engagement as the US - but nowhere near as much polarization. Same with gay issues. And the death penalty. A key aspect is what the Brits call "free votes" in Parliament. On central moral issues, where religion and conscience play a role, the parliamentary parties remove any obligation to follow a party line. There is no cost to violating the party leadership's position. In this pragmatic way, the British have always avoided the danger of Christianism - the conflation of religion and politics and especially the conflation of religion and partisan politics. It's a more civilized way of dealing with these issues. Which us why uncivilized people like Karl Rove don't care for it.
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