Letter: Argument for praying at county board meetings holds no water

Letter to the Daily Herald editor

In her March 22 letter, Diane Hatchett-Cohen of Lombard says she is distressed by the DuPage County Board's decision to eliminate religious invocations at board meetings because America was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, which include prayer and biblical references, and the county board members need a religious blessing to help them govern wisely, fairly and peacefully.

I must disagree.

First, America was not founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. If we look at our Treaty of Peace with Tripoli, which was negotiated in the last year of President George Washington's administration in 1796, Article XI reads, "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."

This treaty was then unanimously ratified by the United States Senate in 1797, and the Certificate of Ratification was signed by President John Adams. What better proof can there be that we were NOT founded as a Christian nation than this unanimous ratification by the Senate of a treaty that says we were not.

Second, I cannot agree with Ms. Hatchett-Cohen that our county board members need a religious blessing to help them govern wisely. I elected them because of their talents, qualifications and credentials to administer our county government, and I have full confidence in them.

May they pray privately in their homes and their churches, but may they please adhere to the First Amendment of our Constitution, and keep religion and government separate.

Theodore M. Utchen

Wheaton