Abstract

This chapter presents a fictional scenario wherein a distant planet will be settled by humans in the year 2094. The deputy administrator for the settlement project invites proposals on the establishment of qualifications for the settlers and the principles of government and justice under which they will live. Five proposals are sent from various religious and political associations. A report is released thereafter stating which proposal was chosen and for what reasons. The report rejects two proposals, one from a religious group that professes enforcement of one particular religious belief. The other was from a political group that advocates strong anti-religious actions. The remaining three proposals exhibit the basic principles of liberal democracies. However, one proposal is rejected because its proponent is a religious church and the report worries about a possible preferred position for that church and for their ways of understanding social issues, in contrast to the highly diverse nature of the settlers. The two remaining proposals came from a coalition of diverse religious believers, and from a coalition composed of groups from diverse racial, political, and religious backgrounds. The report finally chose the last proposal as the proponent provides a wider spectrum of interest and social sectors.