Issues involving religion have emerged full force in the public square in recent times, never mind that of late, the pope and the president of the United States have been at odds regarding just war theory and the role of the pontiff in world affairs.

Questions abound as ever they have. We know that the juxtaposition of church (religion) and state seems to have caused disagreement and conflict in human affairs since time eternal. Moses had issues with the pharaoh. Jesus confronted the governmental leaders of his time and paid the eternal price (read that statement as you may) for his defiance. The Crusades in the Middle Ages revealed a titanic religious clash which has left a residue of philosophical and political misunderstanding and conflict that seems to have no end.

As I think back over post-World War II America, the example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. springs to mind. In the 1950s, my parish minister was regularly in the local news for his faithful crusade against laws that supported prejudice and discrimination in our city in Massachusetts. His efforts were a function of a belief that we are all God's creatures, and that loving our neighbor is a paramount principle of human existence.

Recently a federal judge declared that the Ten Commandments may not be displayed on schoolhouse walls in Arkansas, because to do so has the force of proselytizing students and potentially coercing religious compliance. I admit to agreeing with the court's finding as I've wondered how........

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