7/19/02

By Jerry Eicher

Dear Editor,

The editorial on atheists and their attempt to have the phrase “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance was brilliance in its insight. Atheism is the establishment of a religion, or a non-religion, which has the same result.

It is a self evident and easily observable truth that any attempt by secular government to establish a state religion, such as the state churches from which the founding fathers of America came, and as present day Islam is in many of the predominantly Muslim countries, has an adverse and damaging effect with persecution for the people and a stifling of the culture. What has an equal or perhaps worse effect is the attempt by secular government to establish a non-religion such as the former Soviet Union. This is also a religious position although at first glance it may not appear to be.

The portion of the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America relating to religion reads simply, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

That statement from the first amendment is a true secular expression of religious freedom. Freedom from religion as some are claiming freedom of religion to be, is not freedom at all, but just as restrictive, if not more so, as the establishment of a State Church. The first amendment is a purely secular stand taken from a secular point of view in which all, including elected officials are allowed to publicly and privately practice and reference the religion of their choice.

There are some Christian believers, who abstain from secular office holding or secular life such as voting and the armed forces, but these positions of abstention are held for religious not secular reasons. We do not count such a position as less religious but more religious. There is no secular reason for withholding the expression of religion in public life, only religion ones. So it holds true that it is not possible to find the statement, “under God” offensive for secular reasons, only for religious ones. That means atheists are not secular for with drawing religion from public life, nor do they become less religious for so doing. They become more religious, and should not be given sole preference anymore than a State Church. Removing the reference of God from public life and of the schools is not moving towards a more secular society but a more religious one. That is not only unconstitutional in America, but hopefully as more people are becoming aware, an undesirable state of affairs.