The right amount of reverence

As I was watching the unending coverage all weekend of the Terri Schiavo case it struck me how much reverence some politicians have for the government of the United States. Namely, not that much.
To me, when people talk about separation of church and state, its really a discussion of being able separate what you might consider wrong--morally, ethically, hell...mathmatically--from what is not wrong according to the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Americans. This touches on every 'values' issue now facing America. Whether it be abortion, Terri Schiavo, gay marriage, etc.
I have respect for people's values--even if I don't agree with them. What I dont have respect for is when people try to take their values and shove them down other people's throats. Politicians must have the same respect for the United States as they have for whatever religion they are a practicing member of. I have no problem if your religion has given you the basis of your morals and values, but if you can't separate the two, then you should not be in public service. End of story.
If you can't separate the fact that you believe that gay marriage--or homosexuality in general--is wrong, from the fact that denying an institution to a group of people is discriminatory, then I can't understand why you would ever be in public service.
If you can't separate the fact that for some people, a six week pregnancy is nothing but a bunch of cells and not a soul, you should not be in charge of crafting the laws of the United States.
Of course there are gray areas to these issues and I'm not saying they don't warrant discussion, activism and a healthy debate in the public arena. What I'm saying is that if someone can't distinguish between what might not be allowed by their God and what should be allowed under our guaranteed freedoms, then they should not be in public service.
Why--for some politicians, does the United States take a back seat to their religion. I am not saying that we should elevate our goverment to the status of God, what I am saying is that if you can't separate the two, and have at least the same amount of respect for each, then you don't belong in public service. Try changing the world in a different aspect. Try changing the culture of the United States through other means. By denying people rights, freedoms or frankly the freedom to do nothing, you are only creating a country where freedom is limited to what a majority of people deem morally correct, and that was not the ideals of the founding fathers.