Even in the most seemingly secular societies the issue of religious beliefs loom large in political lobbying and subsequent legislation. However, subtle differences in the greater political context of a state can have massive impacts on a religious institution’s stance on controversial issues from state to state. This phenomenon becomes abundantly clear when viewed through the lens of variations in the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion in different states. In fact, in the cases of the states of South Africa and the United States, the Catholic Church stands on opposite sides of the issue. This leads to the broader conclusion that perhaps issues of religious controversy are not actually as religious as they seem but informed by a far larger political necessity.
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