Is Religion a factor in your political life?
552891
Religion plays a part in the choices you make in voting, just as every other part of who you are plays a part in every decision you make about anything.\n\nEverything we learn, experience, and believe in molds our decision making.
850201
The modern politician has a number of gods depending on what he deems necessary at any given time:\n\n-the god of votes!\n-the god of money wars\n-the god of populism \n-the god of mass delusions\n-the god of political power\n\nand so on...\n\nI doubt politicians have rarely anything to do with religion per se.
871025
I do, but it is hard to find in politics.  I do look for Christians, but just because they say they are Christians, it doesn't necessarily mean they are.  So I try to see if they ACT like Christians.  It is one thing to talk the talk, but they also have to walk the walk, publicly and privately.
796651
You are kind of right. Our beliefs and personality are determined in where are we raised, what kind of parents we have, the political climate of our region. The culture and religion has shape the way we feel and think about social issues. This leads to action which therefore determines how our life will be like. I was raised in a pretty nothern blue state. My parens are Democrats and I grew up in a hispanic neighborhood so there was a lot of Democratic support. I also think that being Hispanic and Catholic has shaped the way I look at life which may determined how I act. So in an indirect way, our family and region determines our actions which will lead to how we control our lives.
1022891
Interesting question. The problem you have and has been noted by the other answers is that even with a strict separation the only thing accomplished is that the church itself does not directly control the government. The reality is that if I as a religious person of The Church (meant to be vague) were to be elected to a government position of influence I can, and likely will, influence government in ways that reflect my religion.\n\nNothing can be done to stop that. And nothing can be done to stop The Church from organizing candidates to run for office with a common goal/theme.\n\nSo to answer the original question - I feel there should be a strict seperation so that freedom of religious choice is not compromised, though I recognize that religion will always influence politics
731489
if it's a religion it will have politics.\nyou need to concentrate on your faith. every christian faith is focused on love and compassion of Jesus. it is the religions that are built around the faiths that create all the dissonance.\n\nJesus would never have comanded the crusades of the middle ages. \n\nJesus would never have ordered a golden chalace to drink from. \n\nJesus would never have asked for a cathedral to be built in his honour in fact he would probably condem it. \n\nJesus would never have profited from his teachings.\n\nBut there are thousands of church's around the planet with golden candlesticks and huge expensive stained glass windows.\n\nOur faith would be so much stronger if we gathered for prayer in a park or by a river or on a mountain enveloped by Gods grace and beauty.
38556
Religion can have a huge impact on a person's political and "social issue" views.  As a VERY general rule conservatives tend to be active Christians or inactive Christians who still "believe" to a degree.  Liberals tend to reject religion or place much less emphasis on it.  If you watch debates on issues like abortion, prayer in school, the theory of evolution VS Intelligent Design, etc., you'll generally find (but certainly not always) that liberals tend to favor the the view taken by people who are not religious.  Hence they will favor abortion, keeping prayer out of school. the theory of evolution etc.
921115
I don't go to church, though I am a Christian.  I am a republican, but left my church because it preached the republican agenda from the pulpit.  Politics has no place in the church
1141047
I am an active supporter of many democratic party candidates, and I am a christian.  I have been upset with the Republican party in previous years for claiming to be the religious party or "the party of god".  I believe in seperation of church and state and I know there are others out there like me.
348489
ALL religion should be kept out of politics. PERIOD. its just bad news. plus, how is it fair that christian holidays are federal holidays, but buddihst, muslim, jewish, pagan, wiccan, ect ARENT? politics+religion= bad news. just look at all the countries that are ruled by religion. religion has no place in politics, in my opinion
898853
of course. Religion is based on morality, and how much you show your love for god, not on what you wear.
624001
False, I think, on the hypocrisy count.  Religion has certainly contributed to a lot of rotten sorts of abuses by groups of people.  Anytime someone thinks they are carrying around "truth" in their front pocket, abuse and hypocrisy are absolutely certain to occur.\n\nHowever, I don't think that's all religions contribute to the human experience.  After all, believing anything about anything creates hypocrites.  (Republicans believe in minimal government, but create more of it.  Democrats believe in helping poor people but regularly increase sales taxes in localities.  Any belief makes hypocrisy apparent and maybe necessary).\n\nReligion, though, is important.  It mobilizes people to act altruistically, for instance.  If you go to a homeless shelter, most of the people working their (and likely running the place) are people of faith.  Furthermore, religions create consistent opportunities for people to think about the part of them that isn't just matter and (even if you don't believe in souls) to think about matters above and beyond mere survival.\n\nSo, even though I would wish for people, and by extension religion, to behave better, I do think religion offers society more than just hypocrisy.
1139063
I think religion. In Christianity you can get people to give you one tenth of their income plus more by pointing out some old pages from Malachi and threatening them with hellfire. In Islam, the going rate is 2 and a half percent plus whatever else you can give. In Hinduism there is a going rate and I would imagine it is enough to keep the priests in good health. With politics you can be voted out of office. With religion you are always in office.
1132640
I am an independent and I like Romney a lot. He's on my short list of hopefuls along with a couple of Democrats and another Republican, all of whom, surprisingly enough, have very similar views.\n\nReligion has little to do with my decision on who to vote for, because a lot of politicians use religion as a tool to get votes and don't practice the compassion or tolerance that their religion teaches. I am a Christian, but I'd vote for an atheist if I believed that he would do a good job and he was a good person. Too many "Christian" politicians need to learn to "practice what they preach", or, to be more precise, what He preached.
252488
My first concern is always my relationship with God.  Second and thirdly is my family and myself.  Politics however follows after those and often intertwines with the others.
524620
the only thhing we can do is be a good influence ourselves, and we can have an effect on politics, by voting, running, politicing, etc. but i agree as far as faith / beliefs go, it is such an individual journey no one can tell you your truth...
969125
I don't care what religion, or lack thereof, an individual has.  Do they have good morals?  Do they care about their constituents.  Do they understand the issues?\n\nI don't care what name they call god, nor do I care if they believe in god.  My ex wife considers herself to be deeply religious, however, she was constantly breaking our wedding vows  She was also very judgmental.  You don't have to be a Christian to have Christian Values, nor does being a Christian mean you have them.\n\nI am a liberal, and have had so many conservative friends I've lost count.  Each one of them considers me one of the best people they know.  It is just a shame that those values have all too often disappeared these days.