The importance of God is part of our history

Rosemary Colbert's letter in your July 20 edition contained several errors which I would like to correct.

First of all, Thomas Jefferson was not an atheist, he was a deist, which is someone who believes in God based on the evidence of nature and reason. I offer two of his statements which prove that he felt God is important to our country.

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Jefferson also said, "The reason that Christianity is the best friend of Government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart."

I would like to add a statement made by the Supreme Court in 1892. "Our Laws and institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teaching of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian. This is a Christian nation."

James Pioch

Geneva