SOUTH BEND, Ind., Oct. 24 — Returning to one of his most cherished and provocative themes, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman called today for a greater role for religion in public discourse, as a source of shared moral principles and an antidote to “the vacuum of values” in American culture.p. Lamenting that it has become unacceptable in many circles to discuss religion, Mr. Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president, said in a speech at the University of Notre Dame that “we have gone a long way toward dislodging our values from their natural source in moral truth.”p. “Without the connection to a higher law,” he said, “it becomes more and more difficult for people to answer the important day-to-day questions that test us: Why is it wrong to lie or cheat or steal? Why is it wrong to settle conflicts with violence? Why is it wrong to be unfaithful to one’s spouse, or to exploit children, or to despoil the environment, or defraud a customer, or demean an employee?”p. Mr. Lieberman, the first Jew on a major party’s national ticket, spoke before 600 students and faculty members inside the Roman Catholic university’s Washington Hall, making the same points he has for years, most recently in August in a speech that was the talk of the nation.p. Mr. Lieberman has said that no particular political positions arise out of his faith, but lately, he has said that belief in God should give rise to a belief in protecting the environment, and caring for children and the elderly. Today, he said that religion provides a common ground for values — nonviolence, respect for others — that few would find objectionable.p. p. Wednesday, October 25, 2000
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