| | Hi Retta:
Michael Novak, in his recent (2004) book, The Universal Hunger for Liberty, says that is is possible to build bridges among people who adhere to widely different creeds. He thinks that people of all faiths will be able to be civil and respectful when they speak to each other. Of course, he does make sure that the reader understands that Christianity is the religion most supportive of democracy. However, he believes that the institutions of free society will be able to take root even in Islamic lands.
Novak advocates a basically American form of constitutional government. Unfortunately, what he advocates falls short of the type of minimal state endorsed by Younkins and advocated for many years by thinkers such as Tibor Machan, Douglas Rasmussen, Douglas Den Uyl, and others. They call for a political order based on a metanormative principle (of natural rights) to permit self-determination and allow for the possibility of personal flourishing. Of course, such a political order would be secular and there would be a total separation of state from morality and religion.
Thanks for your excellent essay!
:)
Karen
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