Argumenty religijne w procesie ustawodawczym w Sejmie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej VIII kadencji
Religious arguments in the legislative process in the Polish Sejm of the 8th term. A theoretical and empirical study

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the issue of using religious arguments by deputies while considering bills at the sitting of the Sejm. The author critically assesses the socalled doctrine of exclusivism, which postulates a total exclusion of religious arguments from political discourse. Next, he justifies the thesis that appealing to religious reasons by deputies in the course of parliamentary work is not contrary to the constitutional principle of worldview impartiality of public authorities. Finally, based on the empirical study, he presents quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the operationalization of religious rhetoric in the legislative process in the Sejm of the 8th term. It turns out that MPs of all political groups appeal to religious arguments and they do it rather seldom. The state of affairs in which members of liberal and leftist parties themselves – identifying themselves with postulates of the exclusivist doctrine and even regarding them as a legal requirement – use religious argumentation, testifies to their political opportunism and ideological interpretation of the constitutional principle of religious impartiality of public authorities. The author postulates the avoidance of instrumental treatment of religion in the political debate.

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