In a recent In My View piece, “Christians will live to regret their support for Barack Obama,” the writer calls America a God-fearing nation.

Fear is an interesting word choice. She didn’t say God-loving nation or a God-worshipping nation. The currently marginalized Christian-right of today make God-fear a part of their lives and politics. I can assure you that our founding fathers would have been appalled by this.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and Madison were most certainly secularists, and two of them may have been atheists.

Just a few historical quotes:

“As the government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion” — George Washington and John Adams, 1797 treaty with Tripoli.

“Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” — Thomas Jefferson.

“Light houses are more useful than churches.” — Benjamin Franklin.

The injection of fear-based religion into current politics would have sickened our founding fathers. They would find the theocrats of today’s Washington a terrifying group.

In November, we elected an intelligent and honorable man to the presidency. Obama has the strength of character to promote reason and science and put the best interests of this country above whatever personal religious beliefs he may hold. That is the duty of a public servant, not the pandering to fringe theists like the last eight years.

Robert Flanagan

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