A spin off from "Im a Catholic AND an American so what?"
I have heard many things about seperation of Church and State and so on.
I full agree with that, we do NOT need a Theocracy however I feel that a political leader should never "side-line" his or her faith because of the office they occupy.
For me there is no Religion vs. Politics issue. I feel that religion is a very important aspect of politics. It helps you have a better understanding of the person and thier particular views. Politicians should NEVER use thier faith or religion as a weapon or a defense for proposing an idea or a peice of legestation.
At the same time, however, I do feel that they should make known what they believe in and that they will do their best to avoid voting for or passing anything that violates thier values or beliefs. This goes for all religions and faiths.
If a particular community does not want an official with a specific value system they simply need not vote for that person. An elected official is supposed to represent the people.
If you feel that a Catholic official has the right values and beliefs then vote for them. Same goes for a Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Agnostic and even an Atheist offical. I don't feel that an elected offical should simply discard something simply because on the surface it does not mesh with thier beliefs. In fact, an official should never do that and should vote on an article based upon what the people of their respective districts or regions want. That is the whole point of an elected official. Not to vote on what "they" want, but to vote on the peoples behalf and upon thier wishes.
If the people want to vote for something that goes against an officials values or belifes they should vote for it anyway. If it were to come to pass it would relive the official of thier moral obligation to uphold thier values. ( or, if it were that bad, they could simply resign.) But voting for the people is their JOB. But if they were elected by the people who know and agree with their values I dont see it becoming a problem very often.
Why feel threatened by a "religious" candidate? If they are honest and mature thier faith is what makes them a more rounded person and like it or not, the vast majority of Americans adhere to one version of faith or the other. Don't cast aside an important aspect and likewise don't make it the focus of attention. Listen to what they wish to acomplish and if you like and agree with it vote, if not, vote for someone else. Simply there is no problem.