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US A Nation Where We’re Free To Believe.


Each week several letters to the editor appear in our local newspaper, proclaiming that all the ills of society are due to our having “taken God out of our schools,” and unless we “get back to the Christian religion of the Founding Fathers” our nation is headed for disaster. But this past Sunday a letter from a Christian appeared which really seemed, at least to me, to be a summary of the religion that Jesus would have approved of. I reproduce it in full:


Many letters to LNP, and comments by candidates and others during this campaign season, have prompted me to consider the role of faith in our civic life. I am a practicing Christian, and I think it is important for Christians to consider this matter carefully, to avoid misrepresenting our faith.
The United States is not a “Christian nation.” Rather, it is a nation where I am free to be a Christian. Or a Muslim. Or a Jew, a Sikh, a Buddhist, or even a nonbeliever.
Our Founding Fathers did not come here to become Christians. They could have been Christians in Europe. They came here to practice their religion in the manner they chose, free from any interference by the government. It is this freedom to worship and believe as one wishes that made America so special and wonderful.
Christians should be less concerned about whether God is in our schools and more concerned about whether God is in our hearts. We should not worry about displaying the Ten Commandments in public places; we should worry about following them in our lives.
Prayer was never banned in schools, only forced prayer led by educators. Students are free to pray in school; teachers are not free to force them to do so. This is as it should be, although the Ayatollahs and Taliban would not agree.
As Christians, our faith should inform our political opinions, but never become a wall between us and others. I believe that our Lord, Jesus Christ, will reveal himself to every person in the time and manner of His choosing. In the meantime, he calls us to love all and judge none.
(Name withheld)


Amen.

******

My books, “There Are Only Seven Jokes” and “The Spirit Runs Through It” are available in paperback or Kindle at Amazon.

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