by Jeremy Stewart

Created on: June 15, 2009   Last Updated: June 20, 2009

There are so many religious organizations that have deeply impacted the freedom and rights of others throughout history. The most important thing to realize is that organizations are led by individuals and individuals are influenced by their religious beliefs.

Many people want to bring up the fact that the American Civil War ended slavery. It is a very American sense to attribute all great social reform to the United States. The fact that William Wilberforce was the main proponent in the British parliament to abolish the slave trade is a great example of "religious" involvement and how it contributed greatly to the reform in the government of a nation.

One can even look to the country of India where the caste system has enslaved millions. Mahatma Gandhi was extremely against the caste system and desired to have a form of democracy. His form of democracy was simplified down to the individual level. His ideals were revolutionary in changing the landscape of Indian government. His religious beliefs were a great influence on him and motivated him to bring about civil rights in India.

A more modern civil rights and social reformer was Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a Christian reverend who brought about great reform in the United States.

Stepping back further into history we come to Martin Luther. He sought to bring about reform in the Roman Catholic Church. He is famous for his 95 Theses, but what most do not realize, is that he was one of the major proponents of change that began within Christianity. Rome had made Christianity into a money making business by selling indulgences, preaching to people that they could save themselves and their relatives from hell if they paid money to the church.

There is so much more history that could be used to establish the importance of religion. If religious organizations are taken out of involvement in politics, then where do politics draw their moral influence from? All must agree that within politics there must be some sort of moral system that guides the politicians, without it there is great corruption.

Since the removal of God from public and government places has occurred, the morality of the United States has been on the decline. The growth of violence in our society is a great indicator that there is a moral deficit. If we want to see the complete failure of a nation we will remove the religious involvement in politics. That country will follow in the paths of so many before it, the Soviet Union (Stalin and Lenin), Germany (Hitler), Kosovo (Slobodan Milosevic), North Korea (Kim Jong-il), etc.

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