Dear Editor:
The Sept. 13 letters included a piece by Don Hamilton discussing Cal Thomas' "Kingdoms in Conflict." Thomas was exactly right; we are not a "Christian nation." Hamilton wished to tell us that we really, truly, are "a nation founded under Christian principles."
Hamilton's piece reeks of the smug self-satisfaction, complacency and sophomoric view of history that we see from far too many "Christians."
The Founding Fathers certainly did not establish a system of government with Christian underpinnings for these United States; they designed a government specifically intended to keep religion, in particular Christianity out of government.
They knew well the dangers of religion meddling in government, in part, because of many examples of religious oppression in our own history; some colonies limited public office holders to specific Christian sects, other colonies had officially established churches and funded these churches by taxing all citizens, members or not. Dissenters could be imprisoned, tortured or killed.
Hamilton asserts that "all men are created equal" is a "very Christian precept." Just where do you get that notion?
How about a current events example; we are now early in the presidential election cycle, some 17 or 18 Republican gentlefolk think they should be president; Mike Huckabee is likely the quintessential conservative Christian candidate.
Just what do you believe Huckabeean thought is on the rights of gay citizens to marry? Or for that matter, the thinking of Santorum, Jindal, Cruz or Paul? Sorry, Mr. Hamilton, that dog don't hunt. (By the way, as an aside, just when did women get the right to vote in this country?)
The Declaration of Independence uses the words "unalienable rights endowed by our Creator." Jefferson chose this generic language such that he felt it could resonate with all religious groups of the day, not just the Christians.
Hamilton asserts that "without God endowed equality, democracy falls like a house of cards." The Greeks showed us that is not the case. They also showed that on its own, true democracy can be quite tyrannical to minorities.
Why is all this important? Because the notion that we are a nation founded on Christian principles would feed a pernicious truth; non-Christians are secondary class citizens; for an example, see the paragraph on Huckabeean thought again.
Hamilton tries to convince us that "we are really a Christian nation, we just won't admit it."
I respectfully disagree.
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