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Church, State: 'Christian Nation' Provokes Debate
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In response to Douglas Hicks' letter criticizing Ross Mackenzie's comment that "like it or not, ours is a Christian nation": If he will note the Declaration of Independence, it specifically endorses "God" - not Allah, Buddha, Mohammad, etc. In addition the First Amendment also forbids "prohibiting the free exercise thereof," referring to religion. To me this means the government has no right to prevent people from saying prayers in school - or anywhere else for that matter. If, as an individual, someone doesn't want to pray, then he shouldn't. Nobody's going to make him. David G. Hutchison, Sr. Bumpass. . . . Editor, Times-Dispatch: Douglas Hicks claims in his letter that Ross Mackenzie is not familiar with the First Amendment. He states that the amendment says that "no law shall establish, or officially endorse, any particular religion." The amendment reads as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. There is no statement anywhere in the amendment that the government shall not establish a religion or endorse any particular one. It simply says that Congress is prohibited from keeping the people from the practice of whatever religion they so choose. I cannot fathom how this has been misconstrued as meaning no mention of God can be made in a pledge to our nation or as forbidding religious practice in our public institutions. There is no required so-called separation of church and state declared in the Constitution. This has simply become a mantra to many people. If one says it over and over again, then some people will start to believe it. It seems even some in our judiciary have fallen under the spell of the mantra. Philip Moore. . . . Editor, Times-Dispatch: I am ambivalent about Ross Mackenzie, but his observation
that the We were formed by Europeans of many nationalities, but a common thread was Christianity. Christian beliefs and ethics formed our country's foundations and produced a group of leaders so unique we probably never will see their like again. Whatever their individual beliefs, they recognized that religion was the glue that held a culture and society together. We are guided, even today, by the rules they left us. History has shown that while religion united a people, it also divided them - often in a brutal manner. I'm not a member of an organized religion but can see the unifying effects and the efforts toward a common good that religious beliefs support. An example of Christian teaching is found in the conversion of the Vikings. They were converted by dictate but changed from a brutal, warring society to good neighbors. Perhaps the purest of religious beliefs are those held by Native Americans. They believe that God - the Great Spirit - is manifested in all living things, but they still were inhumane to their enemies by present-day standards. We now embrace many of the world's religions and seem to be successful. But we were formed as, have been, and still are a Christian nation. I'm concerned by the varied attempts we now are seeing to demonize that part of our history. Corbin Dixon. Staunton . | |||||||
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