LETTER: Public office, religion and morality

I take exception to the Alex Berk’s Saturday letter “Religious views.” Mr. Berk expresses concern that the new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, will use his Christianity and the Bible to guide him in his leadership role. He goes on to say that no one who holds public office should be making decisions based on their religious views. This could not be more wrong.

Our country was founded on God-given rights and morals. All of the Founding Fathers believed in some form of deity. The Constitution, and most of the laws coming from it, are based on basic Christian principles. Everyone who holds public office should make their decisions based on the morals held in most religions. Religious extremism is just that, extremist. It is not part of mainstream religion.

This concept of separation between church and state is the most misunderstood of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause says that the government cannot force you into a specific religion, and the Free-Exercise Clause says it cannot prevent you from following any specific religion. There is nothing about using religious principles as guidance in government. Those religious principles are moral principles and our government was created to be morally based.

That is one thing sorely lacking in our leaders today: morally based, decision-making.