THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Wednesday, January 22, 1997 TAG: 9701220007 SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL TYPE: Letter LENGTH: 39 lines
Eric C. Schroeder asked in his Jan. 6 letter, ``How can any nation be founded on Christianity when the founder of Christianity opposed public display of worship.'' He quoted Ulysses S. Grant, James Madison, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin of 1890 and Jesus Christ to make his point.
I'll gladly explain it to him. First, most Americans do not consider the opinion of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, during 1890, as the definitive voice for our country's founding fathers' intent, nor was Ulysses S. Grant instrumental in founding our government or its ideals.
Most Americans do consider George Washington and Thomas Jefferson founding fathers, and they both evidently disagreed with James Madison.
Washington said in his farewell address: ``And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of particular structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. . . .''
Jefferson spoke likewise in his inaugural address: ``And let us reflect that, having banished from our land that religious intolerance under which mankind so long bled and suffered. . . .''
Also, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . .''
Fortunately, none of these condones ``the separation of church and state.''
I believe Jesus Christ addressed the issue of spreading the gospel in the 28th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew:
``Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.''
BRADLEY C. REEL
Portsmouth, Jan. 7, 1997