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December 7, 2009

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Letter: Founders right to exclude religion

Friday, June 10, 2005 | 9:23 a.m.

People from the evangelical, religious-right movement have been quoting Founding Fathers about Christianity. These quotes have been attributed to such individuals as John Adams, James Madison and John Jay. Trying to establish a Christian nation through these quotes, however, ignores an important fact: These individuals were expressing personal beliefs.

The Constitution is a collective collaboration, not a document drafted to individual beliefs. The writers chose to ignore Christianity. Religion is mentioned twice and both times in the negative.

Article VI; Paragraph 3 reads in part: " ...but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification for any Office or public Trust under the United States." The First Amendment reads in part: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

It's illogical to think these men, so accomplished in their individual fields, did anything other than intentionally exclude Christianity from the Constitution. They chose to create a country that valued freedom much more than any religious-oriented nation could afford.

As a result, we live in a secular republic.

TERRY E PEELE

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