Christian nation was never intended

I take issue with Mr. Wayne Oras Sr.'s statement in the Dec. 25 Fence Post in which he states that since 80 percent of Americans are Christians, “we are considered a Christian nation.” He also states that religious beliefs were an integral part of the Declaration of Independence.

He conveniently ignores the fact that the Declaration of Independence is not the law of the land and further ignores the fact that the Constitution, as the law of the land, does not anywhere mention God or contain any reference to Christianity or any religion. This omission of God or religion in the Constitution did not come out of forgetfulness, but rather out of the Founding Fathers' purposeful intention to keep government (which derives from the people, not God) separate from religion.

The Treaty of Tripoli (written in the late 1700s) between the United States and the Bey and the Subjects of Tripoli, of Barbary, states in Article 11 that “the government of the United States of America is not, in any case, founded on the Christian religion.” Iran, Saudi Arabia and others are Muslim countries and theocratic dictatorships. Does Mr. Oras really believe that the United States of America is a Christian theocracy?

Michael D. Lee

Wheeling