Response to Thornton's letter on country's Christian foundation

Dear Editor:

Mr. Thornton's letter of April 23 states my defense of the Christian founding of America and "freedom of religion" not "freedom from religion" are the result of "proof texting" is falsely discerned.

Further, I know nothing of a video, unnamed by Thornton, that has given me "proof texting" for my positions. I decline to read Dershowitz as suggested. He is the type of lawyer who has contributed to America's moral decline.

My understanding comes rather from books written at or near America's founding such as these: "The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States" (1863, 1060 pages), by Benjamin F. Morris; "Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, 1730-1805," Vol 1 & II (1734 pages), edited by Ellis Sandoz; and "The History of the American Revolution, " Vol 1 & II (701 pages) by David Ramsey (1789), edited by Cohen; plus many biographies of Founding Fathers and many other period books.

The Declaration was a statement to the world why American reconciliation with Britain would not happen, after many failed attempts. History teaches Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act, December 1775, in response to the King George III's speech to them to remove the Colonists from his protection and treat them as foreign enemies.

Sir William Blackstone taught the duties of a king ceased when protection ceased.

Samuel Adams concurred: "The King has thrown us out of his protection" and John Adams, this "makes us independent." Jefferson referred to the Prohibitory Act in the Declaration when he said: "He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging war against us."

There is no "wall of separation between church and state" found in the Declaration and Constitution. That was sufficiently addressed in my March 18 letter. The "wall of separation" was in Jefferson's response to the Danbury Baptists assuring that the first Amendment gave them freedom to worship with no State religion.

Associate Justice Joseph Story (1779-1845), a credible witness, defends "freedom of religion" not "from religion" in the public square.

His words: "We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religious establishment to an indifference to religion in general, And especially Christianity....that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the State....The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less to advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects and to prevent any national ecclesiastical patronage of the national government."

I believe "America to Pray or Not to Pray" by David Barton reveals the results of the Supreme Court decision regarding prayer in public schools as beginning a public-school trend downward in morals and academic performance.

SAT scores began their fall downward that year. The academic performance of American school children continues to slide compared to the world at large. Schools are now a war zone with bars and guards.

Barton proves the removing of prayer and Bible reading (1963) is a key reason public schools have declined since 1962/63. Clear evidence that God must be acknowledged in our schools.

I do strongly assert that modern Humanist writers such as Dershowitz would like nothing better than to discredit the Christian mindset of many founders and the Christian influence in early America in the public square.

History of the time supports our Christian roots in all aspects of life.

Gray Clark