We live in a secular country. Regardless of what some fundamentalists would like to believe, the Founding Fathers intentionally created this nation to be ruled by a secular government, based on a written constitution, and guaranteeing all people the right to believe (or not believe) in the religion of their choice. One of the most important things in guaranteeing this secular government with freedom of (or from) religion is a secular public education system.Our great leaders of the past knew it was important that no religion or sect become the official religion of government or take over that government or its schools. Once that happens, then freedom of religion is dead -- and with it, our democracy. But there are those fundamentalists among us today who do not believe in our constitution. They would replace it with a Bible, and teach their religion in our public schools -- replacing our democracy with a theocracy.
Whatever your religious belief (or non-belief), we must not let this happen. Separation of religion and government (church and state) is not just a good idea. It is a prerequisite to maintaining our freedoms, our democracy, and our way of life. Secular government and schools are not anti-religious. They are the very heart and soul of religious freedom. We simply cannot let the fundamentalist theocrats win. Too much is at stake.
