Michael Snow

Former president George Bush was quoted as saying: "I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." Many atheist Americans object to this statement and the similar views held by many others in regard to an atheistic view. It's understandable when you consider that the idea is to deprive people of their rights as Americans based on their religious views, in a strong contradiction to the basic principles of the constitution. After all, the first amendment is meant to give the freedom to practice one's own religion without persecution, but also, the right to be free from government mandated religion. The drafters of the constitution wanted people to have a choice in their religious lives and to not be told by the government what they were permitted to believe and practice.

This is where it gets complicated. Separation of church and state goes both ways, and the forcing of beliefs on others is done by both the religious and the secular. If it's wrong for the church to push its dogma on people, then it is equally wrong for secular groups to attempt to force their views on society. All too often, some in the Atheist community fight to ban religious themes that offend them, and to limit the free speech of theists. If it is wrong for a school to conduct a Christian prayer, out of respect for the non-Christian, then it would be equally wrong to deprive Christian students of the right to pray as individuals.

The fact is, the founders didn't care about religion; religion is not the point. The founders of the constitution cared about freedom from oppression. To be truly free, a society must be built on tolerance. A society that robs you of your choice to believe or not to believe cannot be free. It is here where people get it wrong so often. Some people complain about the oppressive views of others but suggest replacing them with their own oppressive views. A society banning religion is just as guilty of violating the first amendment as a society endorsing religion.

The great minds that formed early America were in no way proponents of Christianity. John Adams said: "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying: "I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature." These quotes, among many others, make it clear that the founders were not supporters of the Christian faith; however, they understood that freedom was more important than their beliefs. They understood that a free nation must accept everyone regardless of their faith, and it must protect the Christian and the atheist alike. It is for this reason that America was founded on one simple principle: tolerance. Hopefully we will someday remember this principle and see that we can separate church and state but not freedom and tolerance.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2482894/atheism_christiani...