I can tell you, if I'm elected president, it won't be on the Koran, and it won't be on the Book of Mormon.
The American people need no course in philosophy or political science of church history to know that God should not be made into a celestial party chairman.
Religion's crucial role in the lives of many people... is rejected out of hand by the political community, especially the press.
Our civilization, such as it is, was shaped by religion, and the men who aspire to public office anyplace in the free world must make obeisance to God or risk immediate opprobrium.
When we start using religion as a bludgeon in politics, when we start questioning other people's faith, we start using religion to divide, instead of bring the country together, then I think we've got a problem.
US is a very religious country. Separation of church and state is part of our credo, but that it is hard to understand since our money says "In God we trust" and every President says "God bless America".
George W. Bush is the first Catholic president of the United States.
It's funny that there was so much disturbance about having a Catholic in the White House with Kennedy, and when we finally get a religion in the White House that's causing a lot of conflicts, and concerns, and disturbances for a lot of people, it's in the Bush Administration.
The time has come to knock off this religion business in American politics. There's no end to the mischief that can occur. It is like putting nitroglycerine in a Waring blender.
Don't you think that being a person of faith has become a third rail in American politics? If you want to run for president nowadays, you'd better get out there and say you're a very faith-based person.
if any sect suffered itself to be used for political objects I would meet it by political opposition. In my view church and state should be separate, not only in form, but fact. Religion and politics should not be mingled.
There's a phrase we live by in America: "In God We Trust". It's right there where Jesus would want it: on our money.
I don't want to separate religion and state, I want to settle it.
I do not regard myself as a Christian politician. I regard myself as a politician who just happens to think religion matters. I would be appalled, absolutely appalled, to think religion drove anyone's politics in a secular democracy like ours.
The First Amendment says keep government out of religion. It doesn't say keep religion out of government.
The United States Constitutional Convention, except for three or four persons, thought prayers unnecessary.
Politicians in Canada should not put their religion on their sleeve.
I think politicians should express their faith. I have never adhered to the Blair view that we don't do God, indeed I'm not sure that Blair does.
I do not want to end up with an American style of politics, with us going out there beating our chest about our faith. Politics and religion - it is not that they do not have a lot in common, but if [religion] ends up being used in the political process, I think that is a bit unhealthy.
It's possible that the 2012 general-election race will be the least overtly religious one since 1972, the last campaign before Roe v. Wade and the rise of Jimmy Carter brought evangelicalism into the political mainstream. That's because faith remains a complicated issue for Obama, who is still wrongly thought to be a Muslim in some quarters.
I think the world looks down on Republicans for their socially conservative views, which includes religion in government.
Our government should be led by religious men …. Religion is with politics and politics is with religion. They are as one.
Secular progressivism, which attempts to remove God from the public square, is not consistent with the principles that established the USA.
As a politician who cherishes religious conviction in his personal sphere, but regards politics as a domain belonging outside religion, I believe that this view is seriously flawed.
Religion looms as large as an elephant in the United States, to the point that being nonreligious is about the biggest handicap a politician running for office can have, bigger than being gay, unmarried, thrice married, or black.
