Do you think it's right to mix religion and politics?

[DreBob]

Thats a really tough one!!!It, um, depends on the situation and issue. You have to be pragmatic. People (including politicians) cannot really be separated from their religious beliefs. Certain political parties cater to conservative religious ideas, others to liberal humanistic principles. It is part of democracy.But, in any case, politicians should not interfere with religious freedoms. Although they can make laws influenced by their religious morality, they should, at the same time, not impose their own belief systems on others. Its a very fine line to draw! And on some issues, they must accept, that their brand of morality must remain a matter of individual choice, rather than something which is imposed on all.

[Dr Melissa]

Mixing religion and politics is just as dangerous as your avator.

[dove]

No, I don't think it's right to mix religion and politics. The minute religion gets its hooks into religion, then it's only a matter of time before we have a full-blown theocracy on our hands.Check out your history books if you don't believe me.It's not right to mix because of all those differences people have when it comes to religion. Not only do we have a bunch of different religions, but we'll have sects within those religions. Then within those sects, we have individual people who have different ideas about the "right" way to believe.I don't know if somebody's moral standards are based on religion and whether or not they have to justify their political stance religiously. Some might feel that our modern laws came from religious texts/teachings and thusly, must justify their political stance so that it meshes with their religious beliefs, but not everybody feels this way.I certainly don't. As an agnostic, my moral standards come not from any religious text, but from whether or not one action or another harms anyone in any way and whether or not I would want that action done to me. So when I look into politics(and what a mess that can be), I look to how folks treat each other and whether or not they cause each other harm in some way. Do they do whatever they must to win, or are they gracious in their campaigns?Yes, I understand, it almost makes it pointless for me to even try voting since nobody does this perfectly. I don't expect them to do it "perfectly", like some religious folks expect their candidate to live "perfectly" according to their religious beliefs.That's why, as nasty as politics can get, I still vote, because I understand folks are human and imperfect, and while nobody goes "perfect" with what I believe, I can at least live with the choices I do make instead of constantly whining after elections about how my candidate doesn't do the job I voted them for.