Freedom of Religion?

As far as I know, this country was based on the desire to obtain religious freedom. We as Americans like to boast about our great freedoms in this country and those same freedoms are what so many foreigners immigrate to this county to take advantage of. So why is it that Americans can't seem to tolerate, accept or at times even see the person beyond their religious choice?

What started me thinking about this today is the focus on the current political candidates religion choices. Who is Christian? Who is not practicing a named religion? Who has, God forbid, chosen another religion besides Christianity? Why is this such a focus? Do we not have any other great issues to concentrate on?

Personally, I don't feel that a candidate's religious practices, or lack their of for that matter, should even be looked at or discussed when it comes to the position of president in this country. The point of separation of church and state can't be more critical in this situation. The president of this country should not be making choices, concluding their views, or running this country based on their religious beliefs, their congregations desires or the words of their bible, text or creed. The fact that a candidates spiritual choices or views are being sought out and exposed in this race truly bothers me and leads me to believe that people within this nation are truly forgetting why they are actually able to practice what they seek.

The President of this country should lead the people in choices and direction solely based on the desires, needs, and cries of the country as a whole. Abortion should be legal or illegal based on the desires of the nation, not the desires or beliefs of their church, for example. "Under God" does not state a Christian God, or a Muslim God, it's a generic term to be taken and applied in a personal manner. This doesn't signify that the President of this country should be Christian, not Mormon, not Pagan, not Muslim. We need to have a President who will do what is best for this country, the best for this economy, what is best for this nation to stay strong, united and protect the freedoms we have and should cherish. Regardless of the religion I practice, I do not want a President who is basing his political views or choosing what is best for me and my fellow Americans by basing it on his God and His view. To me, if any candidate is running their campaign train on their religious views is not the President for this free country. What he or she does in their free time, the God that he and their family wish to worship, the rituals and customs they incorporate into their personal lives, has nothing to do with their intelligence, with their ability, or with their effectiveness as being a great leader for this nation.

We need to ban the bible from political elections, we need to stop the religion debate, we need to focus on the values and views of the candidate when it comes to this country and it's people. When you were hired for your job, was your potential performance based on your religious view? Isn't it illegal to be treated differently or not be considered for a position due to your religious beliefs? Well, then, why is that not the same for the position of President of the United States? Whether someone attends a Sunday Mass each week will not determine their ability to run this land of the free.

Wake up America and focus on the real issue, focus on ability and leadership, before you bring into office a potential poison to the freedoms that you are currently exploiting by focusing on the one point that may turn around and bite you in the end.