It is an election year and many Americans (still, too few) are engaged in the political process. Not enough Americans can name who the top two Democratic contenders (Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) are and the Republican nominee (John McCain). Fewer still have actually taken the time to understand what each candidate professes to believe and what one can expect from them were they to be president.

So...what to make of an Associated Press article  that says Evangelicals say faith is now too political. Several Christian leaders have released a statement called "An Evangelical Manifesto" which condemns Christians on the left and right of the political spectrum for expressing political views as Christians without regard to the truth of the Bible. The Manifesto describes some Christians as "useful idiots" for one political party or the other.

It is an interesting perspective and I would love to hear what you all think. I, for one, am not sure (and I have not read the Manifesto) how anyone can completely separate  their faith from how they feel politically. But if what I am reading in the Associated Press article is correct, that is not what the Manifesto is suggesting. Rather, it is suggesting thatusing faith to express political viewpoints, without some basis for those views in the Bible, waters down the Christian faith.

What do you all think? If your faith influences how you vote, do you try and find substantiation in the Bible for what you are feeling is important? Do you look to specific Scripture for guidance?