US Rep. Katherine Harris has been drumming up controversy during her campaign in Tampa with these remarks

Separation of church and state is “a lie we have been told,” Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is “wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers.”

“If you’re not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin,” Harris said.

Sin, of course meaning abortion and gay marriage. Jews, Muslims, Buddhists be damned. Your religion, God (or gods), and beliefs are incorrect next to the mighty God of Harris’ belief system (herself, so it seems).

She chose to defend her remarks by saying that she had been

“speaking to a Christian audience, addressing a common misperception that people of faith should not be actively involved in government.”

She’s certainly not the first politician to cater her beliefs to the crowd she’s talking to. Still, it makes me sad that politics chooses to turn its focus from governing and world issues to taking rights away from people.

Abortion is legal. Gay marriage is legal in Mass. If you don’t want to utilize either of those rights, no one is forcing you to. But other people do, and should be allowed to exercise their legal right to do so.

If you don’t like it, there are a number of theocracies out there to choose from. Good luck finding one that caters to your exact interpretation of scripture, the Bible, perception of God, or other religious dogma of your choosing.