With the election nearing, we are getting to know more about our political candidates. Speeches are given about controversial issues such as war, the new healthcare bill and abortion every day. Each candidate has a set of opinions that shape his party’s beliefs, which will impact the direction of the country. As a nation founded on what many agree to be Christian values, the recent elections have focused less on the faith values of those representing our country.  Most would argue that due to the division of church and state it is not politically correct to inquire about a candidate’s beliefs when running for office.
However, I would have to disagree and say  asking those types of questions are completely beneficial to our interests as a whole. That being said, I’d like to take a moment to explore the faith values of our Republican and Democratic presidential nominees.
There has been constant speculation about Barack Obama’s true roots. The rumors have run from where he was originally born to reports he is a practicing Muslim. Since I haven’t actually seen his birth certificate, I can only answer the latter question based on reports I have read. 
The website presidential-candidates.org contains information on former president’s religions as well as Obama and Romney. Obama grew up in a diverse environment with a mix of Christian-Muslim-Animist religions.  In an article written by James Ball for The Washington Post, Obama claims a faith in Jesus Christ, which would by definition classify him as a Christian.
Obama has gone on record to say he does not believe it is his responsibility to prove his faith and personal belief to anyone. He says church and state should continue to stay separate.
Obama believes this mindset has served our country well in the past for those of faith and for those that do not have faith. 
Obama has also remarked  his faith is the driving factor behind the new healthcare bill. He believes this bill will most benefit those who are in great financial need and possibly cannot do for themselves.           
 Mitt Romney, the Republican Party candidate, has his own set of beliefs as well. Romney is a devout Mormon. The Mormon faith also believes Jesus is the Son of God, and salvation comes through him; however Mormons also look to The Book of Mormon along with the Holy Bible for their biblical foundation. Romney is much more lenient on the idea of separation of church and state. He thinks God should be acknowledged within our culture.
Because of religious differences within our nation, Romney believes the judiciary system may need to be involved in order to maintain religious tolerance. Both of these politicians and many before them have expressed their faith is in Jesus, yet they feel no need to involve their religious views in their political careers. I may be reading too much into those comments, but I don’t see how that’s possible.
Whether you have faith in Jesus or Allah, that requires a complete surrender of any prior ideas and total trust in whom you believe is God. If you have put full trust in someone or something, then won’t the rest of your life reflect that trustee’s characteristics? We talk a lot about the separation of church and state but isn’t that contradictory to the concept of faith?  We cannot separate something that defines us and makes us whole.
Our leadership will come from where we put our faith. If we claim to believe one thing and support another, is our faith true? The religion of our leaders is the fundamental basis to the running of our government. We can continue to push to separate church and state but no matter how many laws are passed, you cannot separate a true man of faith from the one his faith is in.