THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 21, 1994 TAG: 9407210009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
This country was founded on religious freedom, not freedom from religion. The founding fathers were religious men who recognized the importance of religion in a free society.
There is justifiable concern that state-sponsored religion(s) could lead to religious tyranny; thus, no law respecting an establishment of religion. To honestly believe that separation of church and state can go much further than this, and create an insurmountable wall insulating the two, is hopelessly naive. Religion and politics are closely intertwined; this is unavoidable unless religious people are prohibited from holding public office.
The country historically did not, and is not now, suffering from religious intolerance. Religion once provided (and I hope will again provide) a moral force for upholding community standards. I believe that recent rejection, even denial, of our deeply religious heritage has much to do with the societal chaos we see around us.
Atheism is becoming the de facto established religion. Public-school students are forced to leave their religion at the door. This is not what the founding fathers intended, and I challenge anyone to find conclusive evidence to the contrary. Prayers and Bible reading in public schools were not declared unconstitutional until a little more than three decades ago, and look how far we've come. Instead of worrying about students being late to class or chewing gum, we now worry about them shooting each other. While it is probably impossible to prove a connection, to say outright that there is no connection is intellectually bankrupt.
The so-called ``religious right'' is justifiably concerned with the callous disregard of our religious heritage, sick and tired of moral relativism and the resultant breakdown of society, and is finally speaking out. Government acknowledgment of the importance of religion in our society existed hand in hand with religious tolerance for nearly two centuries. Those who call religious people intolerant, etc., avoid honest discussion on the merits of the issues and are perhaps intolerant themselves.
JEFFREY R. HAMANN
Norfolk, July 2, 1994 by CNB