You might think religion and public life don’t mix. Recent events show that to be a God delusion.

A junk anti-Islam film from the US has sparked worldwide protests — people have died. More violence is expected after a French magazine published cartoons of Muhammad.

Julia Gillard was supposed to speak at an Australian Christian Lobby conference (although she cancelled over comments on homos-xuality). The ACL meanwhile thanked federal MPs for voting down gay marriage.

Church attendance in Australia may be down, but religion still has a significant impact on public life. Religious leaders are influencing the debate on everything from gay marriage to euthanasia, while many of us will spend time in a religious-backed hospital, aged care home or school.

The Power Index has this month been delving into who’s putting religion into our lives. Look for the story on Jewish leader Peter Wertheim in today’s edition, who’s working with pollies behind the scenes to drive reform of discrimination laws.

It’s not clear who has God on their side. But the people who think they do affect the lives of everyone.