I really think a lot of good points are brought up about the ridiculous nature of how religious beliefs are being observed in governmental policies that affect everyone, including the non-religious, and how the candidates are touting this fact. Hell, Santorum insisting that abortion is "legal" only because of the Supreme Court.... Ummm, isn't that what the Supreme Court does? Interpret the law and judge accordingly? This nut job would rather I stay home, work in the kitchen, and pop out as many babies as I can, regardless if I can afford it financially or PHYSICALLY. Sheesh, what has this country's voters come to?

You have the religious traditions of mutilating our children via circumcision...and I mean male or female. I'm sorry, but if 10 different countries have their medical associations do studies, and all 10 either say it isn't recommended unless demonstrated medically or that they question the practice but do not want to infringe on other's belief systems, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? What gives you the right to force YOUR belief system on a child? Let them decide for themselves what they want to believe! I understand it is impossible to completely leave a child's persona completely devoid of our own observances BUT we can foster an environment of open opinion and practice. Who am I to tell my sons that I had their foreskins chopped off because that is what everyone else was doing, or because that is part of our culture's belief system? Does that make it right? To mutilate their bodies in the name of what I personally believe? I don't think so. How about if I let a Mohel literally suck the blood off the tip of that newly forced wound? In the name of God?

The same for piercing of our daughter's ears in infancy. What if your daughter grows up and believes that such piercings are a desecration to her body? You can never make her whole again for what you did.

Here's a fun fact! Did you know that here in the United States female genital circumcision/mutilation isn't illegal? As long as the female is over 18, it can be done. Now think of all the cultures (including Christian orthodoxy), that emigrate over here with young teenage daughters who do everything they are told to do. Think of all the families that aren't immigrants, but citizens for generations, that live here, and their daughters do as they are told. Including having their most intimate of regions cut off in the name of purity?

How are we still living in this Dark Age?

I live in a secular home. Some of my children believe in God, some do not. I support either view as long as no one is being overly aggressive. Basically, the ones that believe in God are welcome to pray, attend church, share in fair debate. IF I hear any "You are going to Hell", "You aren't going to enjoy life without God", etc., I have to kindly and sometimes forcefully ask them to hit the mute button. Why? It's emotional abuse. Period. I am not walking around my house telling them they are idiotic for believing in an idol. I don't even have a comment on the subject unless we are watching the news. THAT is fair game for both sides of the table. We agree to disagree. It's not rocket science.

Right now, in the United States, we have limited abortion rights. I do not see a problem with this. Just like my views on mutilation, there is a line to be drawn as to how far as a parent we should be allowed to go in decision making, but do we need to take it overboard and make contraception hard to obtain? I find that religious/cultural beliefs blur the line between observance of life and general idol worship. I understand that many feel life is sacred in all its forms, including as just the ingredients of eggs and sperm. BUT, that's not universally accepted. That line of belief comes from cultural/religious practices and has no place in governing an entire nation that doesn't follow that same belief system. To tell me that I am not allowed to have access to contraception because YOUR beliefs dictate it is wrong to prevent conception is absurd. We are a nation of many beliefs, we can't impose them on one another federally. I say leave it to the states to decide, and they can reap the consequences of residents moving to a different state that is more ideologically appealing. It's a losing battle for the religious to take it to the state level, and I know that is why I am now being federally bullied.