Reply #21: It's bad.

[LWolf]

I support a deep, wide division between church and state.

While there are several accurate ways to define "evangelical," one characteristic is the enthusiastic determination to convert the world. In other words, it's a competition for souls, and they want to "win." They want a "Christian nation," according to their definition of "Christian."

To me, that is highly disrespectful of each individual's right to determine their own path, and their own faith. In the United States, evangelicals are political forces behind the efforts to deny reproductive rights and to deny equal rights to glbt citizens, just to begin.

FWIW, I support the right of every individual to practice their own faith. I believe that right ends at the end of the nose...it does not spread beyond the personal into the sphere of others.

Faith does not belong in government.

When evangelicals can agree to keep their faiths personal, and keep faith out of government, then their presence within any party would be benign.