Religion and politics

While religion and politics have mixed quite liberally this presidential campaign, a new survey out today suggests that a slight majority of Americans want to keep them separate.

The survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, all generally agree on this score.

"Four years ago, just 30% of conservatives believed that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Today, 50% of conservatives express this view," Pew said. "The new survey finds that conservatives’ views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared.

"There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are – from 40% to 46%," Pew added.

John McCain and Barack Obama made their first joint appearance of the general election a forum on faith on Saturday at the Saddleback Church in California with the Rev. Rick Warren.

Both have also had to jettison religious figures from their camps -- McCain the Rev. John Hagee for anti-Semitic and other objectionable statements, and Obama the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., for anti-government rhetoric from the pulpit.