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Religion is, and always has been, woven into the fabric of American political life.
Indeed, it played a major role in the very founding of the nation by offering a moral sanction for the revolt against the British. Many of the nation's most gifted leaders have been deeply religious people who called on their faith in times of trouble and asked their fellow citizens to do the same. And many an electoral coalition has been built and sustained on the strength of shared religious beliefs. Today's climate is one of greater religiosity among politicians, but many Americans find it disturbing to hear an increasing number of candidates and officials air their personal faith in public places with apparent political intent. Leaders have always claimed that their faith informs their decisions, but equally religious people, even in the same U.S. Congress, can come to opposite conclusions.