by Kayme Moon

Created on: February 02, 2009

In a country like the United States of America (which I'm basing this article on for the sake of readability), it's often difficult to differentiate between religion and politics, the line between church and state sometimes hazy, if it's present at all. While America professes a love for different cultures and religions (and lack of the latter), most people tend to think of America as a Christian nation, and subsequently many people look at possible candidates for office by their faiths as well as their politics - and sometimes the deciding factor is the faith itself.

For a nation that so generously speaks about their freedoms of religion, there isn't much of it when it comes to interacting with society. Legislation is affected by faith. Elections are affected by faith. For most people the separation of church and state isn't visible at all. One of the most prominent examples is the recent election of Barack Obama as president. Many people were convinced he was a Muslim, or simply that he wasn't question. I wondered, who cares? Does it really matter that much? It turns out it did. People loved to spread stories about Obama's lack of Christianity, and others who believed it decided he wasn't fit for the vote. My message to both parties - shame on you.

Voter should focus solely on the candidate's politics and plans for the country as a whole. Granted, many people vote according to faith because they think that, if elected, that person will help their religious cause. The point is not to vote for the candidate based on their religious beliefs, but their political ones. After all, religions affect certain people here and there, but the issues of the country affect anyone and everyone living in it, and it is those issues that are by far the most important.

Voting according to faith brings forth the possibility to turn away from a candidate that may be perfect for the country just because of what their personal beliefs are. A candidate may have the best policies, ones that would benefit everyone in positive ways, but there are those who would vote against him or her because they didn't have personal beliefs in accordance with their own. Faith is a touchy subject, and it should not even be considered when voting. A candidate is elected to serve everyone equally, and that should be remembered when voting someone in to office. Religion is for the people and they are free to celebrate or practice how they wish, but many politicians keep their beliefs out of politics - and so should voters.

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