From the current issue:
Concerning the proper role of religion in politics, Mr Obama cautions against extremism of both stripes. Believers cannot abandon what they believe; but in a nation that includes Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and non-believers, “democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values.” Even if all Americans were Christian, it would not be easy to decide which passages of scripture should guide public policy. “Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is abomination?” he asks. “Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount—a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defence Department would survive its application?” His elegantly non-committal answer: “Before we get carried away, let’s read our Bibles.”
