Abortion Quote by Barack Obama
“Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns in to universal, rather than religion-specific, values... it requires that their proposals be subject to argument and amenable to reason. Now I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take one example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Religion and Democracy, United States Senate, 2009
Democracy requires religious arguments to be framed in universal, secular terms so all citizens can evaluate them by reason.
In simple terms: Religious views must be expressed in secular, logical language.
Key Takeaway
Translate faith‑based concerns into shared principles.
Themes
democracy
religion
reason
law
pluralism
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- legislative debates
- public policy discussions
- interfaith dialogues
- court cases
Key Concepts
secularism
public discourse
ethical justification
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we respect faith while ensuring laws are universally justified?
- What shared principles can bridge religious and secular viewpoints?
A Different Perspective
Religious convictions may be deeply personal and hard to translate into secular terms.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
