RELIGION: A constitutional problem

I’m not going to refer to any specific letter to the editor, rather to a common theme in many letters written to The Press. Those letters often defend political opinions based on religious beliefs or even quotes from the Bible. There are two salient problems with all or most of those opinions.

First, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that the Bible can often support both sides of an issue, thereby rendering either opinion unsupportable using that reference.

Secondly, when addressing the constitutionality of a judicial opinion or a proposed law, the words of that document, and no other words, are the basis for that decision.

The Bible has nothing to do with it. It doesn’t matter whether the founding fathers were Christian or not. It doesn’t matter what any individual thinks or has said. We can base our laws only on what the Constitution says and the Constitution does not mention the Bible nor quote from it. It is also obvious that to base a constitutional opinion on religion would directly conflict with the freedom of all other citizens with different religious beliefs.

If you believe in the freedom that is bestowed on all Americans by the Constitution, you should not believe in dictating to others based on religion. That would be unconstitutional.

MORT KRAUS

Coeur d’Alene