62,979,636 Americans lie.

Politicians who profess to be followers of Christ are NOT true follwers. Look at how they vote and view the least amongst them?

Base opposition to social issues based on the legal and Constitutionality rather than Biblical law. Christ preached that the very rich had a duty to aid the poor, the hungry, the sick, the naked, the imprisoned, the old, not blame them for the conditions that are/were beyond their control.

The Founding Fathers were adamant that Religion and Politics remain separate entities. That Religion would not influence laws, and that the Government would not interfere with the practice of religion.

county boards, state offices and all national offices.

One practice that should be done away with immediately would be taking the oath of office on any religious symbol.

of most countries - usually not to good ends. In Europe the Church was essentially another agency of government, often with powers equal to or even greater than monarchies. In many modern-day Middle Eastern countries the principles of Islam are incorporated into those countries' laws and are sometimes carried out by religious leaders. The ayatollahs in Iran are at least as powerful as the elected government.

The United States was supposed to have been the exception: The Constitution specifically states that "no religious test" shall be required of any government official, and the First Amendment makes it clear that there can be no established or government-supported church and there can be no government restrictions on a person's religious observances. The writers of the Constitution were very well aware of the wars and general upheaval (the 30 Years War in Germany, the Spanish Inquisition, Henry VIII's schism, and the English civil war, to name a few examples) that had occurred throughout the centuries in Europe and particularly in England as the result of the power of the church within governments.

The problem now in the U.S. is that so many people in government have forgotten this history and are ignoring the Constitution. Just as in the past, there are those who believe not only that their religion is the only correct one, but that everyone must accept it and that the government has a duty to promote it. It is ironic that most governments in Europe are now resolutely secular and the U.S. government, formed as an explicitly secular government, has come under the influence of religious wackos. I don't know what to do about it.

Religions should have a place on the tax rolls.

History- our own and throughout the world - clearly shows that a secular democracy is the best choice for government.

religious people inject their reasoning.

The WCTU, not a great thing. But if you look at the anti-slavery movement, you find religion prominently displayed.

Religion is the expression that morals often take. If you say, "Religion cannot be part of government," you've just privileged one kind of morality over another, not because it's better, more popular, or more firmly rooted in some sort of legal framework, but because one set of morals says "I believe _____________ because God said so" and the other simply says "I believe ________________"--or hedges and substitutes "think" for "believe."

Even here next to those saying "keep religion out of government" there are those saying, "We need government to help the poor, because as ye do unto the least of these little ones ...." For every militant atheist, you have a liberation theologian.

The fact is, as long as people are the bearers of morality, some decked out in religious garb and some in secular garb, you will have people's morality influencing politics. It influences (D) politics. The distinction between secular and religions was significant when organizations like the Catholic Church or Mormon Church exerted a lot of influence over the politicians. Why, it was just as bad when *secular* organizations like the Masons did so, as well. It created the same paranoia. But those days are gone. The church organizations, like the Masonic fraternities, are weakened.

earlier in our history. The abolitionists were a moral force and religion played a major role in their movement, but government was secular and there was no effort, as there is now, to change that.

99% of the people were Christian and went to church. It didn't matter that the government was officially secular, because the people running it were all Christian. It's only now that there are so many non-Christians that they know they are losing their grip so they need to fight for control.

Truly well done!

The constitution clearly indicates a separation of church and state except on issues where we're in agreement.

Bone up on your constitutional law, maybe.

Never.

Madison even argued that ministers shouldn't be government officials because it would blur the line since they would be getting a salary from the government.