Constitutional principles
This letter is in response to Anna Attig ("Speak of God in Schools," August 22). Ms. Attig asserts, "How come we dare not talk about [God] in our schools?" Normally I choose to ignore such religious fanaticism, but this is just one instance where I can not. Ms. Attig, we do not discuss God in America's public schools because our nation has the Constitutional principles of freedom of religion and separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson himself declared in an 1814 letter, "Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." The U.S. Constitution begins "We the people" and contains no mention whatsoever of God, Jesus Christ, or the Bible. If America was established as a "Christian nation," why does our governing document fail to mention this?
Because we do not promote God in the public schools, Ms. Attig claims that we are guilty of atheism. Nonsense! Promoting atheism in the schools would involve advocating the viewpoint that God and gods/goddesses definitively do not exist. Christian fundamentalism is, sadly, all too common in York County. This fanatical mentality is what led to the 2004-05 Dover school board saga that made York County a national embarrassment.
Justin Garcia
Lancaster
Brenda Cook · August 27, 2008 3:45 PM
"We the people" are so inundated with what is right and wrong. We loss track that "We the people" should be helping each other. I am disgusted that people have nothing better to do that gripe and groan whether prayer or "God" is mentioned in schools. What about weapons in the schools is that not a tad more important.
Daryl · August 28, 2008 4:25 PM
This is the best argument I've read stating "The spearation of church and state" set by the framers of our Constitution. It is a shame that every politician must invoke some "christian" alliance or cannot be taken seriously. The United States of America is a place where " no one can be persecuted" for their religious beliefs. I am a Christian, but government ammendments and law should not be dictated by religion.