Letter: Religious ideas guide country

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 | 8:22 a.m.

Bernard Mesco's recent letter suggests the U.S. Supreme Court shirked its duty of protecting the U.S. Constitution by failing to eliminate "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

Well done, Supreme Court! The First Amendment simply states that Congress shall not establish religion, but cannot prohibit the free exercise thereof. It may surprise Mr. Mesco, but the Constitution came close to not being written, because the members could not reach an agreement as to the contents. It was only after Benjamin Franklin requested that the writers seek God's guidance that they succeeded in drafting the Constitution.

I often wonder if people who quote the Constitution ever took time to read it. This nation was established by Judeo-Christian precepts and has prospered under them. Mr. Mesco is entitled to his opinion, of course, but he'll just have to live with it.

WALTER E. GUNTHER

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