Among us are a couple of religious people---even one very religious person---and we all agree that when Jesus said "Give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar and what belongs to God to God", he was endorsing the view that mixing religion with politics just makes everyone mad.
John Cole has an excellent post on why citing God as your authority never really persuades anyone.
Here is the deal, folks. No one is saying you can not or should not
mention God, but you should be aware by now that I don’t care what your
God (or anyone else’s, for that matter) thinks, so you can keep
bringing him or her up, but I and others like me will not find it very
persuasive...Which is why, of course, when we are dealing with issues that involve
the religious right, we so often come into problems. If they would at
least make an effort to couch their arguments in logic and reason,
rather than quoting scripture or providing arguments from their God, we
might be able to better find common ground. As it is, tell me a certain
public policy should be so because your religious beliefs make anything
else a sin, and I will respond with a shrug and work to elect people to
do the opposite of what you want.
.Basically, it boils down to this- if I wanted to live in accordance to rules as set by your faith, I would join your church. Until then, until you see me sitting two pews over on Sunday morning, just assume that I really don’t care what your God thinks. I don’t want the rules of your faith imposed upon me by the government, just as I do not desire the government telling me to live under the rules of Cardinal Ratzinger, the Church of Latter Day Saints, Sharia law, Wiccan rules, Buddhist tenets, and on and on and on. Nor do I think you should have to lives under laws that force you to adhere to the religious principles of someone else. (My God is Bigger Than Your God)
.Basically, it boils down to this- if I wanted to live in accordance to rules as set by your faith, I would join your church. Until then, until you see me sitting two pews over on Sunday morning, just assume that I really don’t care what your God thinks. I don’t want the rules of your faith imposed upon me by the government, just as I do not desire the government telling me to live under the rules of Cardinal Ratzinger, the Church of Latter Day Saints, Sharia law, Wiccan rules, Buddhist tenets, and on and on and on. Nor do I think you should have to lives under laws that force you to adhere to the religious principles of someone else. (My God is Bigger Than Your God)
Heh. Indeed. (To coin a phrase).
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