In a recent opinion piece (“Commentary: Maine must stop trying to bypass Supreme Court decision on schools,” April 4), Courtney Jones asserts that Maine and the Bangor School Department engaged in religious discrimination by resisting tuition payments to a Christian school.

I have to argue (as do better scholars than I) that the U.S. Constitution itself discriminates against religion. It’s called the “establishment clause,” which is fundamental to the principle of “separation of church and state.” Specifically, government cannot participate in the establishment of any religion. Sustaining a religious school with taxpayer funds amounts to promoting a religious establishment.

I am, personally, a committed Christian. I believe that Christian religious denominations have been able to thrive under our Constitution. That clause also prevents government from interfering with the free expression of religious beliefs. And we shouldn’t forget that places of worship are not taxed.

Many of our ancestors came to America to flee violent religious warfare. The U.S. has been able to avoid such wars because of the foresight of our Founders, who separated church and state in our Constitution. Within Christianity, there are many viewpoints. I fear that certain conservative Christians, with narrow views on social issues, have drawn us into a religious war by using the courts and legislatures to blur that line between church and state.

Paul Bartlett
South Portland

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