Politics and Religion

For my Junior Theme I am writing about the church and state kerfuffle.  One of the books that I am reading is entitled, Why Politics Needs Religion by Brendan Sweetman.

Sweetman Argues that religion is merely a worldview in the same way that secularism is a world view.  Essentially, the idea that one should be free to do anything so long as it only hurts you is the same as the idea that homosexuals shouldn't be married in that they both are based on worldviews.

A worldview comes from a balance of fact-based observations and things taken on faith.  He says that the more of a worldview is taken on fact-based observations, the more rational.  Then he says that religion and secularism (ie the idea of evolution and science-based meaning of life) are equally equally rational.  I am not sure about that, but other than that, he presents an interesting argument.

I'll admit, I have a problem with politicians quoting scripture when justifying a certain piece of legislature.  Maybe I should learn to accept a differing worldview and ask myself if I am merely quoting secular scripture.

What do you think?  Do you think that religion should be given the same weight in public debates as logic?