James Sanoski’s statement on Jan. 7 that “the U.S.A. is a Christian nation” is disturbing to those of us who believe in the separation of church and state. It’s important to recognize that the fundamentalist evangelical religions are constantly working to make our country a theocracy.
In the Republican state of Texas, for instance, the state Board of Education voted along party lines 10-5 to approve 89 new social studies textbooks that overstate the influence of Mosaic laws (Moses) on the Founding Fathers, cast doubt on the constitutionality of separation of church and state, and skew discussions of existing legal precedent on prayer in schools. These books, published in Texas, will find their way into schools in our country to be used for the next decade.
The term “America is a ‘Christian Nation’” belongs to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. It is their belief that all laws should be based on “God’s law” and the Bible. To certain extremists it also means a country in which Christians — evangelicals in particular — have dominion over all institutions of civic and political life, a theocratic government.
Freedom of religious choice and the rights of individuals are best protected by our Constitution’s Separation of Church and State. The Supreme Court with its 5-4 decisions in recent cases has weakened that protection. And those 5 majority votes were cast by Roman Catholic men, all Republican appointees.
Is the Separation of Church and State in jeopardy?
Gene Proctor
West Bath
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