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Religion and politics do not mix. As Americans, we have every right to allow our religious convictions to determine our political views and how we cast our votes. But I find something fundamentally wrong with that course of action.

First, most of us practice a certain faith because that is what we were taught. Faith in a deity is not necessarily a natural occurrence; however, man's constant search for meaning results in our need to attribute life, in all its glory, to a higher power.

Second, the faith that anyone of us practices has been handed down and interpreted over thousands of years. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the original writings, of say books like the Bible, have been, to some extent, corrupted by the personal views, opinions or innate morality of transcribers.

Third, people have varying levels of faith and can use religion as leverage. Heck, it is my understanding that Hitler believed in the Bible's God and used interpretation of religion as convenient justification for some of his atrocities. But then again, much of religion and religious faith boils down to interpretation: interpretation by the believers and interpretation by teachers of the faith.

There is no questioning that faith provides a moral compass for the lost soul known as man. But any man with a strict interpretation of a particular faith is driven to live life in a certain way and this includes the blind promulgation of whatever faith that individual believes in.

In religion, free will is subverted. Faith does not permit free will beyond the pages of Biblical guidelines. I don't want anyone voting or in charge of government that lives their lives trapped by the instructions of bound parchment. Blind veneration and human ignorance have been the source of many violent deeds throughout history. In fact, blind veneration of a particular doctrine, and, of course, oil, are why we are at war with a chameleon today.

Faith serves a role. But everyone has a different set of circumstances in their lives and lead their lives by a different set of rules as dictated by their faith. Every faith believes they are the ultimate manifestation of truth. With such diversity in lifestyle and faith, a vote based on faith rather than intelligent reasoning potentially precludes a benefit attributed to another faith that may or may not be of a different belief. Religion is concurrently altruistic and selfish.

Leaders can be faithful. But in the United States, leaders must first be independent and reasoned thinkers. A leader's obligation is the welfare of the people he leads, not dogmatic interpretation. Voters would also benefit from reasoned and intelligent decision making primarily guided by cognition. But is that kind of independent thinking possible when most humans have been *religionized* since birth.

I don't know.

Learn more about this author, Jose Astorga.
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