Most Christians want to go to church to worship and serve, not hear political dogma. Often, however, their attempts to worship are frustrated by religious leaders and/or members who feel that it is important to use the church as a political platform.We are accustomed to hearing news about the Separation of Church and State which is established by the first amendment of our constitution, but we seldom hear anything about ‘Separation of Church and Politics,’ which is unregulated. This is about the freedom to attend worship without being bombarded with single-minded political persuasion. Worshipers should not have to commit to a political party as a requirement of participation in a Christian organization.The first amendment of the US Constitutional mandates that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof… ” What that means has been debated in courts and Congress for over two centuries. More recently it has come to mean that freedom to pray or express religious ideas is restricted in public places out of respect for those who ascribe to different beliefs. At the same time as freedom of expression of faith is increasingly being restricted, the Conservative led government has increasingly worked to legislate morality as it is interpreted by a limited group of religious leaders.Some people who believe that they know the political mind of God tend to talk in Christian gatherings as if their opinion is the only one. Those that do not agree tend to feel alienated by the more vocal religious leaders, and as a result many are moving away from the church altogether. According to PEW Foundation the number of people who report hearing politics in their place of worship is decreasing, however there are still many people displaced by the rhetoric.Currently more and more people are saying that they are spiritual but not religious. According to the Pew Foundation, “the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling.” http://www.pewforum.org/Topics/Religious-Affiliation/Unaffiliated/If you find yourself avoiding your church because of the political rhetoric, I recommend that you continue attending some place of worship. You may want to call potential churches before visiting and just ask, “Does your church support a particular political agenda?” And, “Do your pastor or Bible teachers discuss politics from the pulpit or in Bible study?” There are many grace-centered churches, grounded in the Bible, who respect every member’s right to think for themselves.