The Neverending Notion

My latest letter to the editor:

I see once again a letter, Sunday, asserting that the Founding Fathers based our nation on "biblical morality" and rooted our legal system in "biblical values."  (At no point does the writer actually quote the Constitution, or even the Bible.)

The Constitution begins with the phrase "We the People" for a reason.  The Founders were setting up the first constitutional democracy in the modern world.  They drew on many sources and certainly most had knowledge of the Bible and lived among 'religious' people.  However there are no references to 'God' or to 'scripture' and the only time religion is mentioned it is in the context of providing for its independence from government, and government's independence from it.

We the people are entitled to and must responsibly govern ourselves.  Those of us who wish to look to the Bible for guidance or inspiration may do so as may anyone look to any other source.  The Founders based our government on that right and responsibility, not on any single ancient source.