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In a truly worrying development earlier today, President Barack Obama revealed that he prayed each morning and that the challenges facing the United States meant he had a duty to 'listen to God."

He also said that after attending a prayer meeting with evangelical pastor Billy Graham, "I have fallen on my knees with great regularity since that moment - asking God for guidance not just in my personal life and my Christian walk, but in the life of this nation and in the values that hold us together and keep us strong."

It's not that he prays each day that's worthy of comment. It's that he feels the need to tell us about it.

And the idea of Obama asking for God's help in formulating policy decisions is just laughable. In what way does this differ from the theocratic nutcases running extremist Islamic regimes around the world. Or al-Qaeda for that matter?

What does that say about the capacity of the United States government to think for itself? Are we seriously to believe that the leader of the free world has to resort to asking sky pixies for advice?

Obama deserves nothing but mockery for this ludicrous outburst.

There are three possibilities: Either he's telling the truth about asking for God's help, in which case the United States ought to find a replacement from the reality-based community.

Or he has an eye on the fact that two-thirds of Americans said in a recent poll, that they expected the president to have a strong religious faith. In which case he's a charlatan who's prepared to exploit deeply-held beliefs for political gain.

Or, by declaring his Christian faith so openly, he's trying to prevent a repeat of 2008 when he was accused by the swivel-eyed right of being a Muslim. In which case he's a coward, afraid to declare that there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, and anyone who thinks otherwise can (excuse the pun) go to hell.

Faith is personal. If anyone asked Obama, or Mitt Romney, or Newt Gingrich, or anyone else, about their religious beliefs, the response should be: "None of your business."

Americans should be free to hold religious views, privately.

But the writings of a centuries-old religious text ought to have no connection whatsoever with the challenges facing a 21st century superpower, because like all religious books, the Bible is a schizophrenic mish-mash of soaring, inspirational prose, nonsense and contradiction.

Politicians should not 'do' God. Voters should not expect them to. The country needs to grow up.

Secular enlightenment is the only game in town. Obama should grow a pair, get off his knees and let reason rule the day.

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