I guess it comes down to the separation of church and state. It can get tricky if the church has an agenda that they want to promote politically. To allow the church to have the power to influence government means that if laws that get enacted are based on any sort of religious doctrine, then people who do not practice that particular religion would automatically be forced to abide by one or more of its principles, and that amounts to forcing someone to follow a religious belief that is not their own. Personally, I have no problem whatsoever in a group of Christians getting together and deciding who is the best candidate for them to vote for, and in encouraging other Christians to follow suit. As you say, that is fair game for all citizens. I only start to feel infringed upon when it becomes an issue of lobbying for passage of certain laws. I guess imho, such laws should be enacted up to and only to the point where your right to do what you do begins to infringe on my right NOT to do what you do. But it is a fine line, and preserving the rights for all in these cases is not always black and white.