by Barbara J Power

Created on: March 21, 2009   Last Updated: May 13, 2010

Every individual lives under a personal moral code, meaning they follow the ethics, rules, and customs believed to best guide their business's decisions, personal lives, and spiritual health.

While the idea of moral ethics in politics may summon visions of religious fanaticism, standards of personal behavior do not rely upon religion or belief in a Higher Power. Atheisism professes there is no God or gods; however, every atheist has a personal moral code. Followers of a religion also follow a standard of moral conduct, although they may or may not adopt the moral code specified for that faith.

The mixing or not mixing of religion and government has been a source of conflict and contention in the United States for centuries. In today's climate, people become defensive and sometimes irrational if church and state are mentioned in the same context. This emotionally controversial issue easily diverts attention from other considerations, including the issue of moral standards.

The source of an individual's moral standard is protected by the First Amendment. The consequences of decisions and choices based on this moral belief system can effect the well-being of every person in the United States.

The politicians of the United States are entrusted with the care and guidance of this country. Their elected position mandates they represent the concerns and needs of the people who voted them into office. This trust must guide the decision-making process if the U.S. political and justice system is to function as designed. When this trust is abused or abandoned, the official has effectively broken his moral obligation to the people and the Constitution.

The Founding Fathers separated the  government from the church when they crafted the Constitution; however, they could not separate personal faith or moral beliefs from the individual. The decisions made regarding government were guided their belief and vision of what the United States of America should become, and most of these mean held to the basic Christian beliefs of honesty and integrity. .

In the same context, today's politicians cannot separate their ideas, beliefs, and behaviors from the moral codes that guide them. However, they can and do make decisions that contradict their advertised moral standards, thus defining the strength and conviction of their ethics, or lack thereof.

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