Church, state issue has deep roots

I must respond to John Babush's March 5 letter "Separation of church, state doesn't exist."

Babush insists that separation of church and state wasn't a founding principle of our nation -- this is incorrect. In fact, two of the founders that he mentions in his letter, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, were instrumental in ensuring a separation of church and state.

Jefferson actually used the term in a letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut wherein he stated that the U.S. Congress had built "a wall of separation between Church & State."

As to Babush's claims that church-state separation is not in the U.S. Constitution, I think he'd do well to read the First Amendment Establishment Clause. It states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…"

In addition, the Constitution is a wholly secular document. I challenge Mr. Babush (or anyone else) to find a single reference anywhere in our Constitution to God, Jesus, Christianity, the Ten Commandments, or the Bible. He'll be looking for a long time, because no such references exist.

Our country is the most religiously diverse nation on Earth. We are a nation of Christians, Jews, Atheists, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Humanists, Wiccans, and many others. The freedom to worship, or not, as we see fit is guaranteed to all of us and is our decision and ours alone.

Rather than misrepresenting the U.S. Constitution, Mr. Babush should be celebrating the fact that his religious liberty is enshrined in that document. If he really wishes to live in a nation without church-state separation, he could always move to Saudi Arabia.

Matthew Lowry

President,

North Shore Chapter,

Americans United for the Separation of Church & State