Religion provides the instruction manual for society. Constructing a moral framework for how individuals live, it establishes the principles that govern political choices. Its moral laws lay down the benchmarks for the temporal laws passed by parliaments. Since religion is timeless, its teachings are treated as sources of wisdom and ethical guidelines about how to act. It promotes civic values, builds social capital, and creates national character. Its normative influence binds people together. It is society’s cultural glue. Melanie Phillips