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"We live in a culture where people have bought into the moral laziness of live and let live," Carter said. Much of this laziness, Carter explained, stems from two national trends: the promotion of the belief that religion can easily be changed, and the idea that religion needs to be tailored to peoples comfort zones.

To eliminate religious belief from law and politics in the name of separation of church and state, Carter insisted, is to take away a traditionally critical part of the American democratic process. "Public debates about God's will have been the lifeblood of our democracy," Carter said. He pointed out that religious voices can be found at the forefront of almost every social movement in America, including the labor, suffragette, abolitionist and civil rights movements.

Carter said one of his biggest fears is that America will lose its ability to move forward. "If the government insists that everyone is the same, then we will lose our differences and with them our ability to argue and our ability to progress," Carter said.

Carter - called "one of America's leading public intellectuals" by The New York Times - is a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He is widely known for his books on politics, integrity, religion and race. Both "Civility," published in 1998, and "The Culture of Disbelief," published in 1993, have received favorable reviews in The New York Times.

Carter, an African-American, established himself as a spokesperson on co ntemporary issues in 1991 with his first book, "Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby." He has since been interviewed at length on "The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour" and has been the subject of debate for many political columnists. Carter has also published "The Confirmation Mess," "Integrity," and most recently "The Dissent of the Governed: A Meditation on Law, Religion and Loyalty."

Students listen while Carter answers questions during teh Union Forum.

Designed to be a forum for lively conversation with the nation's leaders and thinkers, the Union Forum will host two speakers each spring. Former professional soccer player Kyle Rote Jr. will be this spring's second speaker. The Rote luncheon will be April 23, at 12 p.m. in Union's Coburn Dining Room.

To register for the Rote luncheon, contact Kent Freeman, associate vice president for institutional advancement, at (901) 661-5454 or kfreeman@uu.edu. For more information about the event, contact Nedra Kanavel at (901) 661-5215 or news@uu.edu.