We have pussy-footed around this topic for much too long. We are in a serious constitutional crisis in this country. It is long past time that those of us who treasure freedom and democracy must stand up and be counted. Also, when we speak out on this issue, it is important that we let people know where we stand on faith matters.

I am an ardent follower of Jesus of Nazareth. I take his teachings seriously. He was willing to go to the cross rather than violate his beliefs. Can I do any less? I also believe in a God. Like all of you, my knowledge of that being is bereft of any detail. I know that God is far more than the God we tend to create in our own minds.

Having said all that, I do not believe in the inerrancy of the written scriptures. I believe that the scriptures paint a picture of our attempt to find God and even give us a hint of God's attempt to find us. Since they are written by man, I believe that they are as full of error as all the things we write.

The United States of America is not a Christian nation. The constitution specifically forbids the espousal of any religious faith by those who make the laws of this country. That is what most of us are talking about when we use the term Separation of Church and State. Why do I believe so strongly in this separation? My ancestors were Anabaptists who came out of Switzerland and later out of the German provinces. During the 16th century, these regions were ruled by the church. There was no line of distinction between the state and the church.

Those who did not follow the rules of the particular church in charge were persecuted, had their possessions taken from them, were often thrown in prison, and even executed at the hands of the church/state. There was no state ruled by the Anabaptists, hence they had no place to turn, and eventually came to this country and accepted the religious freedom offered by William Penn's Noble Experiment in the colony of Pennsylvania.

The religious differences in Europe led to the Thirty Years War in which half of the population of Germany was killed. This was all done in the name of following Jesus. How he must have suffered, seeing his name used in this horrible display of power grabbing by the various branches of the Christian Church.

Today, we are seeing this same terrible influence rearing its ugly head in a country that has always protected religious freedom. Unfortunately this freedom is now under attack by the so-called Christian Right. Since Communism is no longer a viable enemy, they have adopted some new strategies. Homosexuality, abortion, atheism, non-Christian religions, as well as moderate and liberal Christianity are all under attack.

It is interesting to me, how they use dishonest statements and even out-right lies to put forward their agenda. For example, they claim that "The Ten Commandments" must be displayed because they are the basis of modern law. We all know that is not the reason. They want to break down the wall between church and state. They want to establish a theocracy.

When they speak about those who would preserve a woman's right to choose, they call them pro-abortionist. That term is usually way off the mark. In their attack on Science, they have not been able to get Creationism past the constitution, so they call it something else. They now refer to it as "Intelligent Design." When speaking about homosexuality, they always refer to it as a chosen life-style. I have never spoken to a homosexual who claims to have chosen that life style. As a matter of fact, the pain that they experience from society because of their homosexuality would almost certainly eliminate it as a choice.

Now the attack is on the Federal Judiciary. The Christian Right now has both houses of Congress and the Presidency in its pocket. But that is not enough. The real prize is the Supreme Court of the United States. If they succeed in putting enough justices in their pocket, they will be able to overthrow Roe vs. Wade, make same-sex marriage illegal, bring prayer and bible-reading back into the classroom, and eliminate the teaching of Darwinism. Then those who differ will be persecuted by the new Church/State, and we will be back in the sixteenth century. Do you really want that? I sure don't.

This is serious stuff. The very future of our Republic is at stake. Time is running out. We better begin to take this threat to Democracy seriously and stand up and be counted.