the problem with religion in politics - and the reason it needs to be so vigorously opposed - is not the right-wing social polices, although these are a symptom of the problem. the real problem is the broken epistemology, the insistence on faith over reason. so, removing the hate from the religion doesn't really solve anything, even if it looks a little nicer on the surface, so long as you''re still presenting a world view rooted in belief rather than in evidence.

a politician needs to be driven by the scientific method. as the role and purpose of the office of the president is largely to analyse evidence, a faith-based epistemology is fundamentally incompatible with the role of the office holder. concerns about the sillier parts of christian eschatology and theology aside, that is why this is disqualifying - it is a position that requires a very strong attention to empirical fact, not one where you should be guided by conversations you have with some schizophrenic projection of yourself, in the form of an imaginary friend.