Well frog, one thing I "don't get" about democrats is their ability to overlook the religious aspects in their own party while using the "religious right" aspect of the republican party to attack all of us. Jimmy carter is "bill gray" religious, just "eat up with it", but for some reason not a peep about that and still to this day he drags his wrinkled old **** around campaigning for the democrats. Look at the church where obama sat his butt for 20 years and would still be sitting if he hadn't run for president. Democrats know very well how to use religion and they do it just as much. They will use things like this against perry, and by the way they attack the lds now we can just imagine the "firestorm" we'll see if romney is the candidate.
I wouldn't expect someone to not have beliefs, and I didn't see Carter trying to force his beliefs on everyone or trying to change laws or run a religious agenda...maybe I missed something. I liked Carter and still do, and when he talked about his faith in interviews he didn't come across to me as trying to mold America after his religious beliefs. I enjoy being around people of any faith who just live their faith and are kind and compassionate people. Why shouldn't Democrats have faith as well? It tends to be a more personal and less "I know the right way and am an amazing Christian who knows how you should live and shall make sure you do as I think you should" generally, but of course there are exceptions. When we make these generalizations it all leads to others jumping the exceptions though, and that applies to anyone in a conversation I think.
I think the problem with making judgments publicly about everyone else is that if the person makes a mistake himself there will of course be more public comments and it is seen as hypocritical. I don't think Democrats said it isn't good to have faith or beliefs, but I guess for me the difference is I never got at a podium and called out others for "sinning" and if I "sin" it is my own business. Just in general, but it is a trend I have seen