What's the place of personal faith in congressional service?
That was the question guiding a day-long conference for elected officials this week in Washington, D.C. With the help of Union Theological Seminary professors and panelists drawn from a variety of faith-based organizations, participants explored how government leaders can obey the legal separation of church and state while remaining true to their own faith convictions.
"The separation of church and state is a bedrock American value. Just as importantly, so is the connection of faith, values and public policy. … We know that you can't separate faith values and politics and expect our country to thrive," said Union President Serene Jones in an announcement about the event.
Titled the "Congressional Orientation on Faith and Governing," the event was billed as nonpartisan, although the featured speakers from the Senate and House were all Democrats.
As a result of the predominately liberal crowd, one of the takeaways of the event was that Democratic members of Congress should be more comfortable addressing their beliefs — a practice linked, especially in the media, to Republicans.
"I think it's important for elected leaders to work from their faith traditions and for those of us who are progressive or who are Democrats … to not be hesitant about speaking about how our faith experience leads us to act," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, to The Huffington Post. The article noted he attended Yale Divinity School before his time in Congress.
Another panel member, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, R-Texas, "criticized the claim that the Republican Party is the only party inclined to act on faith in Congress," The Christian Post reported. She and others shared how their belief in biblical teachings like feeding the needy informed their advocacy for welfare programs.
Last fall, Pew Research Center released a study on religion's perceived influence on public life, reporting that "a growing share of the American public wants religion to play a role in U.S. politics." However, the data focused on American attitudes toward churches hosting political events or publicly supporting candidates, rather than on personal expressions of faith from government leaders.
The Huffington Post reported that several faith-related issues are on the docket for this year, including immigration reform, environmental protection initiatives and health care. The 114th Congress, elected in November, is 92 percent Christian, according to a separate Pew study released earlier this month.
A video of the conference's one public session, called "Faith and Values Matter in Congress," is available online.
Email: kdallas@deseretnews.com Twitter: @kelsey_dallas