I, too, would want to know is position on policies and history on those issues. While religious tolerance is an ideal, it isn't always perfectly appliable.
What if he were a poligamist? scientologist? raelian?
What does his religion say about political issues and does he apply those views?
If he is an ardent follower and his religion dictated that, say, communism must prevail. I wouldn't vote for him.
If his religion said communism should prevail and he did not work toward that, then I also would not vote for him. For what other issues can we count on him to pursue if not his own faith? Some Democrats are wll known for this sort of thing. Kerry, etc.
There are a lot of Christians who were inspired to vote for Carter when he ran, so impressed were they with his outspoken "born again" Christianity. He was a deacon and a Sunday School teacher, and for a politician to be that open with his religious faith at the time was a novelty.
We've had many years since then to regret his presidency. He was not the worst president ever, but his was certainly a disappointing one, and his behavior in recent years has been obnoxious to the point of bizarre.
Reagan, on the other hand, who seldom if ever graced the inside of a church, is widely considered one of our best presidents, and we have come to see him as a very committed Christian, if not a committed church-goer.
So I think you and I are in agreement, whatever a man's stated religious convictions, I still want to know what his political philosophy is, I want to know how rooted he is in basic morality, and I want to know if he has the courage to carry out his policies under intense fire.
Polygamist wouldn't bother me, as long as it was the consenting adults kind, and not the coerced adolescents kind. The other two are deal-killers: Scientologist = deliberate member of organized crime syndicate OR certifiably insane OR both; Raelian = certifiably insane.