Where do I even begin, Bryan?
I could go on about the topic of your column for days, but instead, I will dissect your whole argument in one swift motion.
Here’s an excerpt from a document called the Constitution, which, unlike the document you cited in your column (the Declaration of Independence), actually has relevance in a court of law.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” the U.S. Constitution states.
No, the words “separation of church and state” are not explicitly mentioned, but the concept is implied.
That line from the Constitution guarantees the freedom to practice whatever religion you want, including the thousand belief systems that don’t coincide with the one to which you subscribe.
It also means the government is prohibited from promoting or enforcing any single religious or spiritual belief.
In other words, preferential treatment to any religious doctrine by any law in this country is forbidden by the Constitution.
And Bryan, we can all think for ourselves.
I certainly hope you don’t need the ambiguous words of a “supreme” deity to realize slavery is unethical and that discrimination is a disgusting act.
That is the beauty of a democratic society.
The power of the government is provided by the “consent of the governed.”
To speak of any divine relevance in this sense is unconstitutional.
Editor's note: This letter is referring to http://www.alligator.org/opinion/columns/article_86e73f18-b648-11df-b8af-001cc4c002e0.html