LETTERS

Questioning Istook's Amendment

I have a few questions regarding U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook's proposed Religious Freedom Amendment ("Decalogue Divide," July/August Church & State). As you know, it claims "to secure the people's right to acknowledge God...."

Would public school teachers who are Muslim be as free to invoke the name of Allah in front of their students as public school teachers who are Christian would be to invoke the name of Jesus in front of their students? I would like to know how evangelical Christians would react to their children being exposed to "not a real Christian" view from a Catholic or a Jehovah Witness or a Mormon.

Would non-Christian judges be just as free to decorate their courtrooms with religious artifacts as Christian judges would be?

Is there anything about the amendment that explicitly or implicitly defines "God" and what it means to "acknowledge" him?

If no such definitions exist, then it seems to me that at some point in the future members of minority religions will attempt to assert their right Io "acknowledge God" and inevitably someone not of that religion will object and then the courts will try to decide what it means to "acknowledge God."

Of course, the minute the government attempts to define God, it is separating citizens into two groups: those who agree with the definition and those who do not.

I cannot believe that time and time again this Istook fellow keeps bringing this up. I respect Istook's right to worship as he pleases, but it seems to me that he has no respect at all for people who are not of his faith.

I also do not understand his insistence that religious liberties are violated by government not being allowed to acknowledge God. People have a right to free exercise. They do not have a right to government approval of their faith.

Please forgive my rambling. This guy really makes me mad.

I almost hope that this amendment passes. I believe the result would be a disaster. Only then might we convince those who would seek a sectarian government that it divides far more than it unites. It creates chaos, not harmony.

Thanks for the good work that you do.

-Brian F. Seaberg

Delray Beach, FIa.

Beware The Slippery Slope

More years ago than I wish to recall, I worked closely with Glenn Archer, then executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on a number of issues, primarily blue laws and education. At that time I was executive secretary of Liberty magazine, a publication of the Seventh-day Adventists. My passion has always been separation of church and state.

In the early 1970s, New Hampshire was looking at an educational system called "dual enrollment." It meant putting public school teachers into church-related schools at taxpayers' expense. My town of Keene decided to go along with this plan and put science, math and history teachers into our local Catholic school.

I appealed to Americans United for financial help to battle this issue in court. They chose a very competent lawyer in Wilton, N.H., and together we fought and won the case in federal court.

The state of separation between church and state in this country is certainly swiftly going down a slippery slope. I commend your efforts to confront the issues in these difficult political times.

-Eleanore L. Smart

Keene, N.H.

The On-Going Debate Over Evolution

During the entire six decades of my adult life, I have listened to the debates over creation and evolution. Now the terminology has been changed to "intelligent design," which is Christian creation redefined.

My studies indicate that there have been over 3,000 religions, which all had their own creation stories. Native Americans alone had over 200 tribal religions and creations. It is racist to discuss only Christian creation, unless we also include all the other creations that exist in this world. Religious racism is rife in this world.

Many were furious when the Islamic Taliban destroyed the Buddhist statues in Afghanistan, but religions have destroyed other religions for thousands of years. The Egyptians eliminated breakaway cults before they became dominant. Christians, Jews and Muslims have each destroyed other houses of worship. Christians came to the Americas and virtually wiped out Native American religions. In Mayan and Incan lands, the Catholics destroyed temples and pyramids and built their own cathedrals on top of the ruins.

So much for alleged religious tolerance.

-Scott Hunter

Phoenix, Ariz.

Unintelligent Design?

It occurs to me that we have evolved from fighting with fists and rocks, to swords and spears, to guns and bombs and Agent Orange and finally to nuclear warfare. The latter not only kills our enemies, but also destroys our home, Planet Earth.

Since we are obviously totally unable to live in peace with each other, is it possible that we are the result of a very unintelligent design?

-Ruth M. Davis

Waynesboro, Pa.

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Copyright Americans United for Separation of Church and State Nov 2005
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