I would like to challenge Tim Mannello’s statement about the The Constitution, the Bible and Christian nationalism.

Abraham Lincoln’s summary of this nation is a “government of the people, for the people, by the people “. And that comes from John Wycliffe, a Catholic and Christian reformer. Many of the world greatest historians (such as von Ranke, Taine, D’Augibne, and Bancroft) see John Calvin as the ideological “father of America”. It was his ideas that directed the American Revolution. The first pilgrims off of the Mayflower made a covenantal pact (thought of as America’s first written constitution) that included their purpose to settle this great land “for the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith.” And they with others (such as the Puritans) agreed “We all came into these parts of America, with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Like many, Mr. Mannello does not recognize the incredible contribution that these groups of Christians made to our governance. At the time of the revolution our founders had never heard of a republic or non deity committed nation. History would remind us that only after the French commoner revolted did any country become a non-theocratic republic. And, despite the lie secularist would have us believe, nearly all (50 out of 57) of our founding fathers were Christian. While it is true that Washington was not baptized, he prayed to God daily for direction and strength. Our founder’s ideas of a fundamental constitution based on law and of inalienable rights that were God-given came from their Bibles. And their battle cry in America’s first war was similar to a cry we heard a week ago, but with a twist that our secularist chose to delete …”No King but King Jesus!”

Later in our history, after exhaustive study our Supreme Court ruled in its Trinity Decision of 1892, : The USA is a religious people. Abraham Lincoln summarized this best when he said we must realize our dependence upon the overruling power of God . . . and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

There is indeed a vital role in our country for the separation of church and state. And as Mr. Mannello correctly states our founders did not want to see any one denomination have a state monopoly. But, despite what secularists tell us, their intent was not to take God out of our lives, decisions, and assurance of civil liberties. Rather it was that any religion (including atheism) could be practiced without legal/government prejudice.

So the next time you hear news describe poor moral behavior and wonder what is happening to our country, remember Mr. Mannello’s trying to convince us that we are not a Christian nation. And the farther we get from the reality of our Christian heritage, he will be correct!

Dr. Timothy Pagana is a surgeon who lives in Loyalsock Township.