Constitution makes us solemnly swear to keep religion out of government

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/581946,CST-NWS-stein01.article

October 1, 2007

BY NEIL STEINBERG Sun-Times Columnist

Opening shot . . .

This is not a Christian nation. The Constitution never mentions God, nor church, nor Jesus. There is a reference to religion in the First Amendment, but it forbids the government from establishing one: "Congress shall make no law . . . "

What this is, rather, is a nation of Christians. Who, like those of any faith who find themselves manipulating the levers of a government, have a tough time resisting the temptation to make themselves as comfortable as possible while tossing a few burrs into the bedding of those reckless enough to follow other faiths.

Fortunately, the original source code has always been there -- the Constitution -- and over the years, it has been used as a lever to pry the fingers of muscular Christianity off the controls of law, whether it is permitting auto sales on Sunday, or Jewish chaplains in the Army, or excusing Christian Scientists from saying the pledge of allegiance.

Thus Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is flat-out wrong when he said "the Constitution establishes the United States as a Christian nation." And to see just how wrong he is, all one has to do is stick around, as the United States morphs into an ever more diverse, Christian-Hindu-Muslim- Atheist-Jewish-Whatever nation.

In the same interview, John McCain also claimed that he would rather vote for "someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith" over a theoretical Muslim presidential candidate. A gross and deplorable statement. How can we look back on some historic intersection of religion and politics -- those opposed to John F. Kennedy in 1960 because he was a Catholic -- and sadly shake our heads, then turn around and do the same right now? I have been voting for presidential candidates of faiths other than mine for my entire life, but I would happily cast my ballot for a vegetarian, fur-hating Muslim who respects the miracle of American government over a fellow Jew who didn't grasp what this country is all about.

[candymarl]

1. Excellent article . TKS. n/t

[Kolesar]

2. Fur-hating vegetarian on board! ... eom