This is a response to a recent letter, talking about the first amendment and a statement made about separation of church and state. Both are so often taken out of context.

America was founded as a Christian nation. Let’s look at the facts. Fifty-one of the 55 men that attended the constitutional convention were Christians.

Elias Boudinot and John Jay became the leaders of the American Bible Society.

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were diests, but they also endorsed a spiritual foundation for America.

These two men proposed seals for our nation, Moses and the Pillar of Fire. It was Benjamin Franklin who came up with the idea of opening every session of the constitutional convention with prayer.

We have to look at the mindset of our founding fathers.

The first amendment was put in place to guarantee that our government wouldn’t take away our freedom to practice our religion.

Separation of church and state is nowhere to be found in our constitution. So what does it mean?

Nine years after the first amendment was ratified (1801), some states still had churches that were supported by taxes.

The Danbury Baptist Church at that time filed a petition to redirect some of the tax money to their church.

This turmoil was solved by President Jefferson on Jan. 1, 1802, when he sent a letter to the Danbury Baptist Church that read: I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make a law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall between church and state. Jefferson was quoting the establishment clause of the first amendment.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free enterprise thereof.”

Jefferson was saying that no Christian denomination is to be elevated over another.

This same mistake is often made with our Holy Bible when people point out a passage in scripture and form an opinion without any further study.

In the process, people are often misled and our Lord is misrepresented.

Rick Jones

Mahoning Valley