Religion and politics. In years past, we were told those were two subjects that were not good for pleasant conversation. In the church, many of us grew up hearing that religion and politics should be kept strictly apart - "separation of church and state," after all. But in 2004, we are being treated to regular helpings of both from every point on the partisan spectrum. There are regular references to personal faith by candidates on the right and left.

The press has taken note of the phenomenon and has written extensively on the subject. TIME magazine did a cover story on "The Faith Factor"(1) and asked "Just how devout do Americans want their president to be? The answer is proving to be a major reason why the 2004 campaign is so divisive." A recent poll indicates that 59 percent of those …