Presidents of the United States are much more than the leaders of the Executive Branch of government. They should be the moral spokespersons and examples of the best of America to our nation and to the world. Yes, we want a president who does a good job, but we also want a president who is a good person.

My definition of a mentor is "someone you get to know so well that you could predict how that person would behave in a situation that he/she has never faced." It's the same for a future president. Not that we can exactly predict future behavior but that we get to know the person through the electoral process so that we have a sense of future behavior.

I'm looking for a candidate who will be wise in making decisions and persuasive in communicating those wise decisions. Someone who has demonstrated that wisdom under past pressures and in past crises. Someone who will seek counsel but have an inner compass that will be steady in uncertainty.

So, how do I try to figure out who will be like this? Full disclosure! The more I know about his/her faith, relationships and track record, the better I am equipped to project future leadership. Of course I would like that person to align with my own faith and values, but I know that exact alignment is unlikely to ever happen. So, I must adjust to the best person with the best alignment.

Presidents of the United States are much more than the leaders of the Executive Branch of government. They should be the moral spokespersons and examples of the best of America to our nation and to the world. Yes, we want a president who does a good job but we also want a president who is a good person.

My definition of a mentor is "someone you get to know so well that you could predict how that person would behave in a situation that he/she has never faced." It's the same for a future president. Not that we can exactly predict future behavior but that we get to know the person through the electoral process so that we have a sense of future behavior.

I'm looking for a candidate who will be wise in making decisions and persuasive in communicating those wise decisions. Someone who has demonstrated that wisdom under past pressures and in past crises. Someone who will seek counsel but have an inner compass that will be steady in uncertainty.

So, how do I try to figure out who will be like this? Full disclosure! The more I know about his/her faith, relationships and track record the better I am equipped to project future leadership. Of course I would like that person to align with my own faith and values but I know that exact alignment is unlikely to ever happen. So, I must adjust to the best person with the best alignment.

The best way to apply God’s standards is to amend the way we live. Our lives should line up with God’s righteousness rather than with any contemporary or traditional views. Changing our character is more important than changing our constitution.

Listen to many religious folk and they will tell you that religion has been marginalized in American society. They feel they must shout louder to be heard at all.

Now we’re told that secularists are feeling left out and must also shout to be heard.

Sounds like everybody is into shouting!

America has a free market of ideas and beliefs. With so much diversity we are all worried that we won’t be heard. The good news is that we are all free to speak. The sometimes painful truth is that we can’t always make others listen.

I think of secularism as a perspective that doesn’t present God or religion as relevant. Not that secularists don’t believe in God or don’t belong to a religion; it’s just that neither God nor religion are much considered in daily life or national policy. By contrast, people with strong faith believe that God is relevant and important in all of life, including personal life and national policy.

That makes people of faith more comprehensive in perspective. We can and do engage in the issues and ideas of others (including secularists) and, at the same time, believe in God and have our faith to guide and inform us in dealing with the issues and ideas. So, of course we are interested in the religious perspective of political candidates because we want to know who and what is guiding their thinking.

To specifically answer the question: Secular ideas are not getting short shrift. They are just facing serious competition from religious ideas in our free market of beliefs.

For political reasons it's easy to understand why Senator Obama resigned from Trinity Church. Every church-related statement has the potential of a public controversy.

What does he do now? How does he find a new church home for himself and his family? Few other Americans have to search out and select a home Church with 300 million fellow citizens looking over their shoulders.

Even if we don't overlook his past church relationship let's at least call for some privacy in choosing the next Obama congregation.