Separate of church, state doesn't exist

Joanne Simon Hollatz asks, "Whatever happened to 'separation of church and state?' Why are politicians filling our pulpits on Sundays? Is this constitutional?" (Fence Post, Feb. 2)

Joanne, when was the last time you picked up and read an American history book? If it's been a while, please allow me to suggest you re-start your education by doing a quick search on the Internet for both Washington's Inaugural Address and his Farewell Address. Read them. Next, search out what the rest of our Founders, and a lot of others, said back then; it's well documented.

Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Jay, Franklin, Henry, et. al.; read up on them. You might be surprised to learn that the so-called "separation of church and state" as far as too many people today envision it, did not then, nor does it now, exist. It certainly is not in the Constitution, and that is very easily verified.

In my short span of years on this planet, I've noticed a very intense attack on all things religious, and Christianity in particular, both in this country and elsewhere. That is not at all in keeping with how this nation of ours was established.

For instance, do you know why public education came to be in the first place? Those "Dead White Guys" wanted to make sure that every single American could read. Why? Because they believed that a nation that read its Bibles and followed its precepts would survive any threat, whether from within or without.

Many of our oldest institutions of learning were founded with religion deeply imbedded in their founding principles. Originally called the College at Cambridge, Harvard's declared purpose was "To train a literate clergy." Read up on their Rules and Precepts from 1642. This, too, may surprise you. The Collegiate School at Saybrook, a.k.a. Yale University, stated a similar purpose when it was founded.

In this day of the Internet, you should have no problem verifying any of this. Please do so.

John Babush

Big Rock