As religion can lead to some rather disadvantageous results (Bush's first veto was used on a stem cell research bill well past his re-election). Now most stem cell research is in Korea or UK or wherever there isn't such a connection between religious views and policies.

Also what one does that doesn't affect others around them should not have any legislation against them (abortion, gay rights, etc.). I know that if i knock up some girl I'd keep the baby for sure, but if someone else out there wants to abort it, well good for them I don't give a damn. What I see with religion is people forcing their views on others. Therefore religion should stay as far away as possible from any sort of power that control's people's lives.

Simple fact of the matter is religion at the level of an individual is cute, religion at the level of a group is ignorant and intolerant, religion at the level of rule and governing is pure poison.

 pretty much on the dot.  morality from religion is fine as long as its backed up by reality.  no one has any right to say someone cant hold a view because of their religion.  they can contest whether they have itonly because they are told too.

example: the right wing, or "religious right," claims that abortion is bad because its killing, yet we have caused many more deaths than would have happened had we not gone into iraq.  The left wing wants abortion because they believe women have the right to it, but that the iraq war is wrong because we are invading a non aggressive country and causing civilian deaths.  the right's views conflict, while the left's does not.  because they say life is sacred in the bible yet only apply it where they want, it is now hypocracy and not religious views.

 What questions have you asked that I haven't answered?

Ok, then disagree with this, abortion is a right of privacy according to the court, The fetus before the third trimester is not viable, adnd therefore not a living being so that's the reason why it should remain legal, at least prior to the third trimester, now go ahead and tell me why it shouldn't, without using faith/religion

 Except its not viable by the 2nd trimester, since it can't survive outside the uterus, even around six months it will probably need artificial means to keep it alive

 Difference is faith is not provable, unless you can prove it, I hesitate to give it the same weight as something which is based on scientific evidence, we know that the fetus is not viable in the second trimester, we do not know if there is a god or a soul, so you're  trying to base your opinions on something that cannot be proven to exist

 Except that its not alive, so you aren't killing it, since it can't survive independently at that point.

See the problem is you're trying to use faith to override what we know in science and what is legal under the constitution, and that is where the problem arises.

you're justifying abortion, the deaths of those who are completely innocent, those who have never even had the CHANCE to commit a crime or harm anyone or endanger society, by saying "well, we're already killing people over here" so this should be okay too!

So because you're unable to recognize teh obvious differences between these entirely different cases, you're saying all of it's okay! As long as someone else is doing something wrong, that's a good enough excuse to do something wrong to those people too!

I'm not even going to get into the neccesity for preventetive measures against a foe that uses guerilla tactics instead of typical rules of engagement in warfare.

And legally, if a pregnant woman is killed, it's double murder, so an unborn child IS apparently considered to be a life. There is also no real constitutional grounds that a woman's "right to privacy" allows her to supercede her child's right to life. It's because i believe in god as an overriding authority of what is right and wrong that I can recognize that just because a law has been passed does NOT make it correct.

Personally i think religion should be left out of politics.

First of all, its in the US constitution to have a seperation of church and state, and that no religious test is to be made to hold office (even though we fuckin hear this shit everyday with people wanting to know how religious candidates are, ridiculous.)

Second, countries like Saudia Arabia are what you get when they become religious states. If you havent heard why it sucks to live there, especially if your a woman, look it up.

The big problem with religion in goverment and politics is while, yes, they can put up a standard of morality, its a subjective standard of morality. In the end persons who do not believe in that faith end up becoming discriminated against and having a religion and faith they dont believe in forced upon them.