The Separation between?

I am not an irreligious person. I have a faith, but I choose to keep it as a private matter. I believe strongly in a separation between church and state, but more importantly between faith and policy. That's why I was so strongly against CNN's Compassion Forum. The constituion provides that there shall be "no religious test" to hold any elected office. Well reading through the transcript (linked above) it certainly seems like the candidates were jumping over some kind of hurdle...

BROWN: Let's talk about your faith. And we warned people the questions tonight would be pretty personal. So I want to ask you. You said in an interview last year that you believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. And you have actually felt the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions. Share some of those occasions with us. CLINTON: You know, I have, ever since I've been a little girl, felt the presence of God in my life......

And Later...

MEACHAM: Senator, we've heard about HIV/AIDS. Many people here are concerned about Darfur and a number of other humanitarian issues. Why do you think it is that a loving God allows innocent people to suffer? CLINTON: Well... (LAUGHTER) MEACHAM: And we just have 30 seconds.

But Senator Clinton wasn't the only one to put her faith out there for all of us to gawk at...

MEACHAM: Senator, do you believe that God intervenes in history and rewards or punishes people or nations in real time for their behavior? OBAMA: You know, what I believe is that God intervenes, but that his plans are a little too mysterious for me to grasp....

And Later...


BROWN: We are almost out of time. I asked the same question to Senator Clinton, though. And it's that there are a lot of Americans who believe the conversation going on here tonight is not necessarily appropriate. They believe that religion has far too much influence in public life. What do you say to that? OBAMA: Well, you know, what I've written in the past, what I've -- I actually spoke at a Sojourner's forum two years ago on this precise issue. And I think that we have fallen into a false debate....

False debate indeed. Holy Spirit? Does God allow innocents to suffer? While CNN and the rest of the cable networks clamor to fill our air time. We forget that it's precious. Candidates need not regail us with their feelings on matters of faith...they are indeed private. Why does CNN choose to fill its air time with a Compassion Forum where the candidates can compete over who has the best faith, instead of a Climate Change forum where they can compete to solve the worst problem in human history? I have no doubt Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain are people of faith, but I really don't care. I need a candidate that is going to pray in private and lead in public. We all revere President Kennedy for his speech concerning catholicism and how it would not matter in his White House, 40 years later we clamor to make sure our candidates pass false religious tests.