Christianity Politically Useless?

In Chapter 1 of his book, Hart states a thesis: “My argument is that the basic teachings of Christianity are virtually useless for resolving America’s political disputes.” (p. 11) Christianity “is an essentially otherworldly faith.” (p. 16) The teachings of Christianity, however, are quite germane to resolving the issue that has roiled American politics more than any other issue over the past 33 years, abortion. Here is Christianity’s teaching: murder is immoral because it unjustly destroys a person made in God’s image. (Gn 9:6) Furthermore, it is the state’s God-given responsibility to restrain evil men who kill children before they are born and to use force to do so. (Romans 13) Christianity’s contribution to this American political issue is to tell the civil authorities to do their God-given job and enforce God’s law against murder. We can say this in many different ways, but that is the heart of our contribution to this political debate. It is therefore incorrect that the basic teachings of Christianity are virtually useless for our nation’s deciding of political issues, when it most decidedly has clear use for a very central issue, abortion.
Unless, that is, Christianity, as an “otherworldly religion,” is redefined to include only doctrine about man, God, salvation, and the life to come, with at most a private ethics. WSC Q.2, however, correctly teaches that the Bible’s teaching has two main thrusts, not just one: what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. Therefore, the Catechism expounds the sixth commandment. It requires all lawful efforts to preserve the life of others and forbids taking away the life of our neighbor unjustly. How? Not by vigilante action, but by the lawful justice of the state. Any account of Christianity that slights ethics or puts ethics in only a private sphere is seriously at odds with how the Church has understood its faith throughout its history.