There is a very real reason that politics & religion can and will never be separate (although, in the perfect world--I would have them be for sanity's sake). The reason that they will not be separate is precisely what was said in the above post. Faith in a leader. Human beings put an inordinate amount of wishful type dreams/aspirations in whoever they deem to be in charge. Whether that person in charge is the president or god. They look to leaders to take up from where their frailties/inadequacies leave off. We do not like being limited (as a species), so we make up a greater power if need be (and this is my opinion on where religion came from). So, with this in mind...this is the "god shaped hole" that we talk about occasionally.

Why do you think that for as long as their have been humans, their have been magical gods that have been written about?  This directly correlates with the system of governments we elect.  Every country has a person (singular) that they elect to rule over them (because they do not trust themselves enough to make the big decisions).  We elect these "gods" and expect superhuman abilities from them (ex., world peace, elimination of poverty, wealth distribution, etc). For instance, Korea...it is demanded that they WORSHIP the leader and his son.  Hello...what about this does not SCREAM religion???

Then, where those leaders are inadequate we look to invisible fairy tale creatures.

See, we have absolutely no proof of a higher power (with the exception of things in nature science can not YET explain--and absence of proof is not proof despite what Kirk Cameron and his banana friend says). Gods have "powers" that we as humans wish we had...inordinate compassion, ability to cure illness, rich, purity, ability to forgive sins, superiority, vengence, etc. All of these qualities are those that we want/lack/need, but do not have...so we have made up something that possesses them so that we do not feel inadequate and hopeless.

As much as I would like to have the separation of church & state...it will never happen...they are one and the same on a very basic level.  This country was founded on the NEED for their to be separation, but it never happened.  Well, it was their very briefly...when the colonists first sailed to this country.  After civilization flourished...churches sprang up...the catholic church regained its hold...and here we are...basically living in a theocracy again.  The very thing we fled from when leaving Great Britain.  Because you can't get away from it...because it's a flaw in human nature...not a singular person...or a single religion.  As wonderful as it would be for me to point my finger at fundies and say that it is THERE fault...it is not.  They are a result (the extreme end) of our fallacies.

And as much as I would love for religion to just GO AWAY, it will not.  As long as their are humans who feel inadequate and have a need to fill those needs with "magical solutions" (mainly out of laziness)...their will be bibles, korans, torahs....religions.  It is the sad truth.

So, back to the original thought...

Religion & politics (government) will never be seperate because they are essentially the same thing when you get to the root of it. We look to leaders to "save us"...from taxes, famine, war, etc etc etc. We base the worth of a "good" president on his/her ability to keep up from economic recession, famine, war, etc etc. It's the same thing really...

Why do you think elections like the presidential one gets so heated and nasty? We are talking about electing the "god" of the United States...and the U.S. is the leader of the world in many things...so we are in effect talking about electing the "leader/god" of the world. Of COURSE, it is going to get nasty and people are going to get emotional and illogical, etc.

I do not mean for this entry to be negative.  I'm usually very positive (except when I'm ranting or venting)...lol.

I wish their was some way we could eliminate our need for religion and magical thinking...but unless the ignorant are eventually selected out (natural selection--survival of the fittest)...we will always battle this.

However, I do think that mass education of science will help.  Maybe...just maybe we can get the percentage of religious people down..at very least.  Back to the Darwinian selection...let's hope that happens.