"Governments have been able to capitulate, give in to panic, forget honour, and launch its citizens into servitude" wrote French President, General Charles de Gaulle. But, to whom have they capitulated? God, Religion and the Church. For centuries, cowardly governments have resorted to faith based arguments in order to create a sense of righteousness and attach it to their questionable policies. Religion and Governmental issues only hinder and cheapen each other.

Above all, what should people look for in a government? The French revolutionaries said it best, "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity." It is impossible to expect true religious freedom under a religious regime. Charles de Montesquieu wrote at the time; "The love of democracy is that of equality." If a government favours one particular religion, other religions become dissidents. Furthermore, if the government is not neutral between religion and irreligion but rather favours a religion, then atheists, agnostics, humanists, existentialists, and all people without a religion are necessarily second-class citizens!

The heart of Democracy relies on compromise and debate of parties seeking the best interest of the nation. When religion and government collide, the issues become defined not as fair or just, but as good and evil. Hence compromise with those outside the group in power usually is not an option as they are not good or as good as the ones with religion. In essence, it is wrong to compromise with evil.

For example, allowing homosexuals to marry and claim legal rights. It sounds fine if you take the view that marriage is just a contract honoured by the government. However apply the religious view of marriage and suddenly this is unacceptable. To those religions that find homosexuality offensive, this is not a topic that can even be discussed.

Even today, the world is still affected by state religion. Iraq has been launched into a religious civil war. In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fuels his career on fundamentalism and has caused nothing short of a political typhoon. In Africa, the global War on AIDS is not being won because measures to prevent its spread are skewed by religious pressures. The Islamist group that currently rules most of Somalia recently declared a holy-war against their neighbour, the largely Christian-ruled Ethiopia. Danish Embassies were set on fire as a result of religious cartoons and in Portugal, the Church wants to change what are already the strongest laws on abortion in Europe. Of course, there is one example we must not forget, quite literally the elephant in the room the Bush Administration.

History has taught us that whenever the church gets too close to government, the church loses its prophetic voice, and the government gains one. Considering the influence of Christian Conservatism, it seems shocking to think that the very First Amendment of the United States constitution is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Religion is pure, clear and cleansing, like water. Politics is dark, dirty and slippery, like oil. It's a matter of simple chemistry, you cannot mix water and oil together. Religion needs to stay in the heart and at the home. So, Ladies and gentlemen, in the words of the Irish Comedian, Dave Allen; let me say "Thank you, Goodnight, and May your God go with you."

Learn more about this author, Hadleigh Roberts.
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