My intent wasn't to start a flame-war on religion but to point out that certain belief systems are conducive to truly irrational decision making. I can be a little passionate about this. I am truly sorry if my post went a little too far.

Those who govern us have the power to do great good or great evil. It is my contention that a deep belief in anything supernatural should automatically disqualify someone from political office at almost any level. I did say "deep belief". The main reason I think that this is important is that those who are religious extremists are so invested in their belief system that they come to office with an agenda. And this agenda is not based on a reality, no matter how many people think otherwise.

I did say "religious extremists". My parents would describe themselves as believers. They'll never hurt anyone with or for their beliefs. They simply grew up at a time when that's what you did and that's what you believed. They just happened to be born somewhere where the local "team" believed in Christianity, they would have believed just as strongly in any other religion had they been born somewhere else.

A typical example of religious exremism is the extension of religious judgement onto the gay community. I'm not gay but have absolutely no problem with that community at all. Why? Because if I had a problem with that I'd have to have a problem with my kids having brown hair or long fingers. Why? Because it is a genetic mutation (not a pejorative, just fact) just like being born with blue eyes. Virtually nobody decides to be gay, they are born that way. They could have been born with green eyes just as well. Yet, the religious extremists will judge these people harshly and reject the evolutionary basis of the phenotypes they dislike. They'll pick something with no evidence of any kind against something that has mountains (literally) of evidence all around us. One of my favorite demonstrations of evolution is that my kids don't all look that same: mutation at work.

The Santorum doctrine is deeply rooted on religious beliefs. He is a religious extremist. Virtually nothing comes out of his mouth that does not have a foundation on his faith. That's why I think he is a dangerous man and sincerely hope he does not win the nomination.

This latest attack on porn is just an extension of that. I don't like porn. I think its demeaning and portrays an image of women that is simply grotesque. Few things change your mind more than having a daughter, of course. Having said that, I can't be on the side of restricting anyone's right to create or consume porn. That's their business and neither I nor government has any place in what they do with their private lives. Like it or not.

I do think it is OK to have community-based rules. I don't want the stuff on TV for my kids to see. They can't comprehend it and are not mentally prepared to deal with it. I'm not saying that the Federal Government ought to set these standards. It could be a States issue. That said, I'd rather keep government entirely out of it. The market can decide these kinds of things very efficiently. For example, if porn was available without any kind of access restrictions on my satellite service, I would cancel it. So would others. Very soon, if that satellite company wanted my business they'd implement a sensible way for me to decide what I want my family to be exposed to. That's the way it should work. I don't want Santorum or anyone to tell us what we can and cannot do based on his deep-rooted belief in the supernatural.

My courtroom example exposes an aspect of this country that is troublesome: If you don't profess belief in the same supernatural stories the religious majority pushes you can and are excluded from political life. I wonder how many Senators, Representatives and, in general, politicians are atheists who begrudgingly place their hand on the bible when they are sworn-in because, well, they have to.

Think about it. Views and stances like Santorums are no different than those of the extremist religion-based governments in the middle east we hear about every day. We don't want that here. If that means accepting others' freedom to make and use porn, so be it.