Open Doors USA is asking all presidential candidates - including Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and independent - to sign a Presidential Pledge for Religious Freedom.

I generally refrain from commenting on religious and moral issues. This document, however, crosses over into U.S. foreign policy. That I do comment on.

Item 3 of the pledge: "THIRD, that I will make religious freedom promotion a foreign policy priority of my administration. This will include ensuring the U.S. State Department performs its statutory duty of advancing international religious freedom; ...."

I would urge all candidates not to sign this or any similar petition. The religious freedoms, or lack thereof, of other sovereign nations has no place in U.S. foreign policy. If an Islamic nation chooses to adopt the Koran as its governing document and implement Sharia law, which places followers of religions other than Islam in a servile role, that's their business as long as it's kept within their borders. If the people of that nation have a problem with Islam and Sharia law, then it is up to them to changed it, leave or live with it.

November, 2011