"Why christians think they know what is best for everyone is not only egotistical but also unacceptable."

And I would argue it's unchristian too. Aren't any of these "Christians" listening to Christ?

The increasing influence of christianity in today's society is very worrisome to most of us who believe in the separation between church and state. Those of us who are not christian are especially worried because of their influence in public schools where I know my child will not and should not receive a christian based education. It is also especially worrisome that christian based legislation continues to permeate our society that is not completely christian. Why christians think they know what is best for everyone is not only egotistical but also unacceptable.

This separation is fundamental to democracy in America and is placed in our constitution for a reason, freedom of choice. When freedom of choice is negated we fall into the hands of a dictatorship, we are slowly heading in that direction with a republican executive branch, a republican supreme court, a republican senate, and a republican house. The current party dictatorship of America is the first step towards religious fascism. The Taliban is a good example of a national religion with too much power. America is heading this way and once the christians eradicates all non-christians who is next? Single mothers? Jews? Muslims? Mexicans? There is no difference between fundamentalists like Jerry Falwell and Osama bin Laden, they both preach intolerance, they both preach hate. What separates them from each other?

Religion has more blood on it's hands than all drug crimes and wars put together. This should say something about the danger of excesive power in the hands of those not appointed by the people. Think about it.

The seperation of church and state is the single most important idea that this country was founded on....end of discussion. The greater the seperation the better.

Before America, kings, allegedly appointed by god, ruled Europe. Each country (i.e. king) had a slightly different view of what god wanted. And often when kings changed so did the fundemental principles of a country's religion. The citizens, or worse the clergy, that refused to change with the times were often persecuted. And so many of these conservative (i.e., not wanting to change) "christian" religions fled to America to escape the persecution from other "christian" religions.

It was with this understanding in mind, that our founding fathers created something unique--a government by the PEOPLE for the PEOPLE. Not, as was previously the case, a government by god for god. To drive home this point the first amendment bans the establishment of a national religion. The first amendment also protects the individiuals freedom to worship as he or she pleases.

Lost in the current debate is that these two distinct clauses--banning a national religion and individual freedom to worship--must go hand in hand. If there is a national relgion, even a christian based one, then individual freedom to worship is lost.

And it is not just lost for non-christians. Other than sharing a belief in christ, its not clear that any two of the 100s of different christian sects agree on anything. Some christian churches support guy marriage and woman priests. Others do not. Some christian churches allow priests to marry. Others do not. Some take the bible literally. Others do not. Some love they neighbor. Others do not.

We are and should remain a nation ruled by people for the people. We the people will worry about if, how, and who we choose to worship (or not worship).

While historical perspectives on the role of religion in government are essential to a well-rounded grasp of the issue, at the end of the day, they shouldn't determine how policy is made now.

Those who founded this nation couldn't possibly foresee the complexity of issues like abortion, cloning, death-with-dignity, gay marriage, etc. Nor were they exposed to the broad range of religious philosophies that U.S. citizens currently hold.

So, by all means, respect the general wisdom of their arguments. But don't let someone who has been dead for 200 years make specific rules for those of us living in 2005. (Much less 2000 years...)

America is a Christian nation only in the sense that most of its citizens happen to be Christians.

That's it.

Some Christians in this country believe that they are persecuted for their beliefs, when in fact Christians are the majority in this country and are more than free to practice their religion.

However, they are not free to establish their religious principles as the laws of the land--and some (hopefully, not most) think that this amounts to persecution. In fact, of course, this separation of church and state is what prevents religious persecution in our free country.

I am a patriotic American who is not a Christian. I want everybody to be free to practice Christianity, or any other religion, or no religion. I do not want the laws of my country to be based upon Christianity, or any other religion, including my own. It is outrageous that this is even in question.

There is no doubting Christian heritage played a major role throughout the history of the US. Manifest Destiny is a perfect example of how Christianity influenced the developement of our nation. Granted, many of the values passed on by our founding fathers and mothers are of Judeo-Christian-Islamic origin, but that in no way defines our nation as "Christian", "Jewish", or "Muslim."

My freedom of being able to practice whichever religion or lack of religion I like is one also defined by this country's founders. US citizens' rights would be somewhat limited if we defined the nation's religion as X or Y. May people of all beliefs live, interact, and thrive in a country of freedom.

The original immigrants (our founding fathers) came here for various reasons, including economic needs, religious freedom, and fear of prosecution for crimes, to mention a few major ones.
Then our nation came in to being because the immigrant peoples of that time did not want to be told how to run their lives by the government that was the power over them at the time.
The christian god did not create this country. If he had, he would have been as guilty of land-grabbing and attempted genocide as the immigrants were. The so-called "Christian beliefs" that were in vogue at that time included the right to hold another human in slavery for life, murder of the native peoples if owned anything of value that the immigrants wanted, and the right to murder someone if they were "suspected" of witchcraft. I definately do not want to return to the beliefs and behaviors of my "forefathers". In fact, I am pretty darned ashamed of their behavior and don't want to repeat or praise it. I think that the "freedom" that we tout and wish to export to the rest of the world should provide us all with the "freedom" to decide for ourselves who or what we believe or don't believe.

I think this country is hopefully where people feel they can be "free" - and that means free from labels and free from being like everyone else. Those who are "Christian" like to tell the story of the founding of this nation by religous people but not all those who came were "Christians" and many were fleeing religious prosecution and looking for a place to believe in a more individual way of "beliefs".
I'm afraid that the current administration is trying to make this country into a "my way or the highway" mentality and although they say they are for "freedom", it is only freedom to believe and perceive as they do. There are many signs all over of the very narrow view and close to zero tolerance that the religious right has.
No, I think this country was founded by more than religious zealots and our inheritance is far, far wider than that. (Let's hope anyway!)