I think our candidates need to keep their religious feelings private & off limits from the media

and not a part of any future debates.

If they happen to get filmed going to their place of worship, fine, but enough with the flaunting of their religious beliefs for purpose of political gain.

My experience with people who push religion all the time...and I'm talking about personal aquaintances...is that they're quite often some of the most corrupt and dishonest individuals I've ever met. If you do a little digging, you usually find out that these religion pushers are often using religion to cover up for some act of their own from years past that they're ashamed of. "Well, I'm very religious, so that means I'm innocent and honest." or "Well I had 6 abortions when I was a teenager, so now if I make like I'm the most evangelical neocon on earth, then nobody will ever suspect me."

Now, I'm not talking about people who are sincere about religion and those who keep their religious feelings private. I'm talking about the ones who love to let everyone else know how religious they are and try to ram it down others' throats for purposes of covering up their own past skeletons. Whenever that happens, red flags should be popping up all over. It's kind of the same thing when pseudo-rich people try to give all their friends the impression how rich they are, which often means they are one payment short of bankruptcy. If you're sincerely religious or filthy rich, you usually don't have to flaunt it unless you're so insecure that there is no other alternative but to pad your own ego with delusions of grandeur.

I guess my point is that our Democratic candidates need to be careful about pushing the religious thing just to cop the conservative religious vote. If they push it too much, they'll only come off as being insincere. The next time some asshole like Russert or Matthews asks them about their religious beliefs, they should just tell them to STFU and mind their own business. Religious beliefs should be kept between the believer and what he or she believes in and not have anything to do with one's ability to run this country....or something to that effect.

AFAIC, religion shouldn't even be part of the equation when it comes to choosing a president. I don't think that religious questions of our candidates should even be acknowledged by them.

I knew something didn't sound quite right about that phrase. thanks :)

"My experience with people who push religion all the time...and I'm talking about personal aquaintances...is that they're quite often some of the most corrupt and dishonest individuals I've ever met. If you do a little digging, you usually find out that these religion pushers are often using religion to cover up for some act of their own from years past that they're ashamed of. "Well, I'm very religious, so that means I'm innocent and honest." or "Well I had 6 abortions when I was a teenager, so now if I make like I'm the most evangelical neocon on earth, then nobody will ever suspect me." "

Do you think any of the dems are have had 6 abortions? Which one? Which dem is using religion to cover up wrongdoing?

"I guess my point is that our Democratic candidates need to be careful about pushing the religious thing just to cop the conservative religious vote. "

I do agree with your point. There is a need to be careful, and not just because a candidate may seem insincere. I also think we shouldn't let religion become the centerpiece of a campaigns. IOW, if you're saying "They should be careful", I agree. If you're saying "They're using religion to cover for something" then all you're doing is stereotyping the candidates based on what other people (who are religious) have done. That's unfair

"so now if I make like I'm the most evangelical neocon on earth" to distinguish who I was talking about in that instance. Sorry, I thought that was clear.

I just don't understand what the pushy religious types have to do with it. I'm not attacking you. Just wondering about the somewhat misleading (unintentional) equivalency.

I think part of the problem is that some people (not you personally) do equate any mention of religion a "pushing" religion. I've even seen some complain about religious bumper stickers like the Jesus fish. If we talk as if all these are the same, then there's no reason for a candidate to not push religion. After all, if they're gonna get grief for mentioning religion they might as well go all the way (that is, if going all the way and pushing religion will help their campaign)