A Letter to the Editor

[Chimera]

Just thought I'd share this "gem" I found in Friday's newspaper from my hometown. I hope to write a scathing but witty rebuttal soon, but I'd like input from anyone on this forum before I do so!

We are a Christian nation, period!
Ms. Tarbox, Ms. Buckley, Mr. Shroll (Letters, June 10), were you all sleeping during grade school history? Separation of church and state means that our forefathers did not like being forced by King James I to attend his nationalized church.
The separatists believed that the church of England was not being true to the Bible. Our founders were defining that the new American government not form a nationalized church (1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion). It does NOT mean that our government should not be involved in Christianity!
We were founded by Christian leaders who wrote our Constitution! Each and every state constitution refers to our God almighty, as well. Patrick Henry wrote, “this great nation was founded… on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Thomas Jefferson said, “The Bible is the source of liberty.” George Washington stated, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Even Newsweek (Dec. 27, 1982) admitted that “historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document.”
I tell my children: our house, our rules. If you three don’t like our country’s heritage, move.

Heidi Jo Pearse
Post Falls

[rlrose328]

There is steam coming out of my ears right now.   :drool

[Sophus]

I really don't think there's anything you can say to change these peoples' minds. But if you insist on writing something just explain that the founding fathers were Deists and make reference to Act 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, which is considered to have brought an end to the whole Christian Nation Controversy.

[Kylyssa]

I tell my children: our house, our rules. If you three don’t like our country’s heritage, move.

Heidi Jo Pearse
Post Falls

How loving.

[Will]

I'd probably respond with something like this:

We are a secular nation made of of people with many faiths. Period.
Perhaps Heidi Jo Pearse was sleeping during grade school history, as she has vastly misunderstood the history of the United States. Separation of church and state was a philosophy that resulted from having religious persecution from the government. In order to prevent such an atrocity from occurring in the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution included the right of freedom of religion to all people, guaranteeing that as a citizen of the United States one can choose to believe in whatever and whomever they choose, or even choose not to, and your government could not force a religion on you. If we had a Christian government, how would that be for our Muslim Americans? Our Jewish Americans? Our Atheist Americans? It would be an imposition of religion, of course, a violation of one of our most sacred rights.

Most of the men that wrote the Constitution were deists who could not possibly be called Christian. Indeed, an honest review of historical documents from the period confirm that many of our founding fathers could not have been Christian by any stretch.

While state constitutions may refer to god, our US Constitution does not include "God" once. If we were a Christian nation, this would be a glaring oversight on the part of its authors.

Thomas Jefferson did not believe Jesus performed miracles, rose from the dead, or was the son of god. Jefferson believed simply that Jesus was a great philosopher who's story had been embellished over the generations. You may be able to find a copy of the Jefferson Bible at your local library. I challenge you to read it. Thomas Jefferson edited the Bible, removing all miracles and supernatural phenomena, boiling down Christianity to it's core values and principles only.

You should teach your children about our guiding principles: life, liberty, equality, and peace. Don't teach them the lie that a democracy can be theocratic. It absolutely cannot (see Iran). And before you kick your children out of the house for proving your stance on the history of our government wrong, you may want to learn about it.

[McQ]

I'd probably respond with something like this:

We are a secular nation made of of people with many faiths. Period.
Perhaps Heidi Jo Pearse was sleeping during grade school history, as she has vastly misunderstood the history of the United States. Separation of church and state was a philosophy that resulted from having religious persecution from the government. In order to prevent such an atrocity from occurring in the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution included the right of freedom of religion to all people, guaranteeing that as a citizen of the United States one can choose to believe in whatever and whomever they choose, or even choose not to, and your government could not force a religion on you. If we had a Christian government, how would that be for our Muslim Americans? Our Jewish Americans? Our Atheist Americans? It would be an imposition of religion, of course, a violation of one of our most sacred rights.

Most of the men that wrote the Constitution were deists who could not possibly be called Christian. Indeed, an honest review of historical documents from the period confirm that many of our founding fathers could not have been Christian by any stretch.

While state constitutions may refer to god, our US Constitution does not include "God" once. If we were a Christian nation, this would be a glaring oversight on the part of its authors.

Thomas Jefferson did not believe Jesus performed miracles, rose from the dead, or was the son of god. Jefferson believed simply that Jesus was a great philosopher who's story had been embellished over the generations. You may be able to find a copy of the Jefferson Bible at your local library. I challenge you to read it. Thomas Jefferson edited the Bible, removing all miracles and supernatural phenomena, boiling down Christianity to it's core values and principles only.

You should teach your children about our guiding principles: life, liberty, equality, and peace. Don't teach them the lie that a democracy can be theocratic. It absolutely cannot (see Iran). And before you kick your children out of the house for proving your stance on the history of our government wrong, you may want to learn about it.

 :hail:    to Will. That is just beautiful!

[Squid]

Letters to the editor can be quite entertaining.  I actually used to have an entire thread for just those from my local newspaper (well local for the rest of the week, moving this weekend).  Case in point (I had to go all the way back to April 29th to find one, that's a while for this paper!):

* Originally published April 29, 2009 at 5:18 p.m., updated April 29, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

Editor, the Advocate:

Just a brief response to the "Evolution and faith-based belief can co-exist" by Joseph De Solis of Placedo.

I was under the impression that evolution was still a theory, not a fact. However, I have no quarrel with those who wish to believe it a fact. I uphold their right to believe as they wish. One statement was of particular interest where Solis states that he believes in the teachings of Christ. I commend him for his belief and encourage him to follow those teachings.

Christ taught that He was and is the Son of God, and, therefore, not just one member of the evolutionary trail of mankind.

If we believe this teaching (that He is the Son of God), then we have "based our belief" on "something" rather than on just "anything," that "something" being the reality of the Biblical record, and that keeps me from being driven insane. I'll take my chances with Jesus. Others can take their chances without Him, but I wish they wouldn't. If I'm wrong, what else can we lose except physical life? If I'm right, those without Jesus have everything to lose. No quarrel, just concern.

Marcos V. Gohlke

Port O'Connor

You should have read the lunacy in response to the guest article I wrote about Intelligent Design....it was a virtual concert of religion-driven ignorance.

[Chimera]

I'd probably respond with something like this:

We are a secular nation made of of people with many faiths. Period.
Perhaps Heidi Jo Pearse was sleeping during grade school history, as she has vastly misunderstood the history of the United States. Separation of church and state was a philosophy that resulted from having religious persecution from the government. In order to prevent such an atrocity from occurring in the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution included the right of freedom of religion to all people, guaranteeing that as a citizen of the United States one can choose to believe in whatever and whomever they choose, or even choose not to, and your government could not force a religion on you. If we had a Christian government, how would that be for our Muslim Americans? Our Jewish Americans? Our Atheist Americans? It would be an imposition of religion, of course, a violation of one of our most sacred rights.

Most of the men that wrote the Constitution were deists who could not possibly be called Christian. Indeed, an honest review of historical documents from the period confirm that many of our founding fathers could not have been Christian by any stretch.

While state constitutions may refer to god, our US Constitution does not include "God" once. If we were a Christian nation, this would be a glaring oversight on the part of its authors.

Thomas Jefferson did not believe Jesus performed miracles, rose from the dead, or was the son of god. Jefferson believed simply that Jesus was a great philosopher who's story had been embellished over the generations. You may be able to find a copy of the Jefferson Bible at your local library. I challenge you to read it. Thomas Jefferson edited the Bible, removing all miracles and supernatural phenomena, boiling down Christianity to it's core values and principles only.

You should teach your children about our guiding principles: life, liberty, equality, and peace. Don't teach them the lie that a democracy can be theocratic. It absolutely cannot (see Iran). And before you kick your children out of the house for proving your stance on the history of our government wrong, you may want to learn about it.

Will, I think I love you.  

I don't suppose I'd be able to...um...use this? (Plagiarize is such a harsh word.)

[thiolsulfate]

The saddest part is: their vote counts as much as ours

[Will]

Feel welcome to use that. I'm flattered!

[Chimera]

Now I know I love you. LOL

[mirandaceleste]

Just thought I'd share this "gem" I found in Friday's newspaper from my hometown. I hope to write a scathing but witty rebuttal soon, but I'd like input from anyone on this forum before I do so!

We are a Christian nation, period!
Ms. Tarbox, Ms. Buckley, Mr. Shroll (Letters, June 10), were you all sleeping during grade school history? Separation of church and state means that our forefathers did not like being forced by King James I to attend his nationalized church.
The separatists believed that the church of England was not being true to the Bible. Our founders were defining that the new American government not form a nationalized church (1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion). It does NOT mean that our government should not be involved in Christianity!
We were founded by Christian leaders who wrote our Constitution! Each and every state constitution refers to our God almighty, as well. Patrick Henry wrote, “this great nation was founded… on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Thomas Jefferson said, “The Bible is the source of liberty.” George Washington stated, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Even Newsweek (Dec. 27, 1982) admitted that “historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our founding document.”
I tell my children: our house, our rules. If you three don’t like our country’s heritage, move.

Heidi Jo Pearse
Post Falls

Hi! I'm from Spokane, too, and was totally horrified by that letter when I saw it. I wrote one of the letters of response that was published in Sunday's paper (you can see them all here) and I was very pleased to see that there were so many responses to her ignorant and dishonest assertions. Plus, it's quite fun to see her "arguments" rightfully and deservedly shredded in letter after letter  

[Chimera]

OMG, another Spokanite! Hooray!!!

[thiolsulfate]

Heidi Jo Pearse

We are not a Christian Nation, period!

vs.

John Adams

the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion

Thomas Jefferson

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.

ruh roh

[Sophus]

Heidi Jo Pearse

We are not a Christian Nation, period!

vs.

John Adams

the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion

Thomas Jefferson

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.

ruh roh

They seem to be in agreement.