Authority Quote by Bruce Babbitt
“I think there has been an unfortunate tendency for a lot of different groups to forget that distinction between natural law and revealed truth and to say: Our complete agenda is to be enacted into laws governing the entire society. Many different religious groups claim that authority, not only Catholics. A lot of different Protestant groups as well are stepping forward to say: Here is our agenda, it is a moral agenda, ergo it must be enacted into law. I think that the distinction between natural law and more ultimate kinds of doctrine is being lost.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Climate Policy Discussion, Bruce Babbitt, 2010
Religious groups blur lines between natural law and doctrinal agendas, pushing moral views into law.
In simple terms: Faith groups mix natural law with political goals.
Key Takeaway
Separate moral doctrine from legal legislation.
Themes
religion
law
ethics
politics
Mood
reflective
concerned
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- public debates
- faith‑based advocacy
- education curricula
Key Concepts
Natural law
secularism
policy influence
Questions to Reflect On
- Should moral beliefs shape public law?
- How to protect pluralism in legislation?
A Different Perspective
Legal systems may resist religiously driven moral mandates.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)