Many can argue the exact date of when it started, but I like to say it began in the 2012 campaign. It was a political battle that, in my mind, wasn't really a battle at all. Obama was bound to capture a re-election and that he did: 51 percent to Romney's 47 percent. Though I never really thought Romney ever had much of a chance of winning, I did find one piece of his campaign particularly surprising: he was a Mormon. Looking back, many people thought that Romney did a good job with making his religion a non-issue on the trail, as told by the Washington Post: "Faith has been a constant in Mitt Romney's life, yet when he ran for President, he was extremely cautious about discussing his Mormon religion. He rarely spoke of God on the campaign trail."

I disagree with the Washington Post. The fact that they even had to mention that Romney was religious, suggested that, in fact, his religion was an issue on the campaign trail. And it shouldn't be. When the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, they stuck one of the most important phrases right up at the top in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Now, many of you may argue that this statement does not explicitly call for a separation between the two. However, the implicit meaning of the text suggests that government should not be involved with any religious affairs, thus making a joining of church and state pretty impossible.

With all the religious fervor happening across the country right now, from judges denying same-sex couples to the Tea Party candidates, one should return to the original intention, the Fathers wanted religion to play, on government affairs. The answer is: none. The Fathers didn't want religion in the political sphere, and here's why: it's a personal thing.

Religion is a choice, made or not made by people all across the country. You can decide for yourself what religion you wish to be. You can encourage others to pursue your religion, but that's your choice, not the government's. Furthermore, just as your religion is your own, someone else's religion is theirs.

All this being said, I believe no candidate needs to disclose his or her religion. Of course, some do, and that is perfectly fine. However, there's no need to judge a candidate based on their religious beliefs. I conceded that religion plays a part in everyone's moral compass, which in turn shape some of their political opinions. That is all the more reason to vote for candidates based on what they actually should be voted on for: their policy.

Though religion is important in many ways, it's not when it comes to a political election. An election should be just what it's called: political.