I am not sure such separation is really totally possible, but it's an ideal to reach for.

Religion is inherently political, near as I can tell. Fundamentalists want a theocracy, ultimately, and liberals want to use their faux moral authority to push their political agendas, and the fact that I often agree with those agendas doesn't make it right for them to do that. All agendas should be based on facts and evidence, past experience, sustainability, and other rational concerns, not that it pleases god or honors a god-concept.

No group, religious or not, should seek power for its own sake. The only legitimate criteria for a policy position is the good of society balanced against the rights of the individual.

Yeppers! I think a good world religion class is good.