US Elections v religion?

In the US, 50% of adults go to a church or other place of worship atleast once a week, compared to 14% in the UK. Comparable number of people say that religion is very important to them. So naturally, religion is an influence in politics. More so because the candidates positions on various issues (abortion, stem cell research etc) are based on religious views. However, religion is certainly not the only or the most influential factor in the elections.

Yes because the majority of Americans are idiots and will vote for a President / Party based on their religious beliefs. For example Palin has brought many Christians to vote for the Republicans because she is Christian (Even though Obama is also, but most Americans think he's a muslim, another example of their stupidity). In the UK if a politician was found to believe that the universe has been arround only a few thousand years like Palin does, rather than Scientific fact, it would put a lot of people off voting for them, in the US however, NOT SO!

Also the reason the US back Isreal and are so anti-Iran is because Iran does not like Isreal and almost everyone in Isreal is Jewish and America has a lot of Jewish people. So they are trying to get the Jewish vote. Also it is because the US have pretty much just made Isreal their own even though the land belonged to Palistein.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof " from the First Amendment on separation of church and state.

That's what it says, the church and state must be separate and unbiased by religion? I always find it confusing because so much political decision making seems to be based upon religion in the USA. Or am I missing some update that reverses that?. (pardon my ignorance, I honestly don't mean to offend anybody : )