Letter to Sean Hannity, Fox Cable Channel

Dear Sean,

You are incorrect that this is a Christian country in terms of its basic principles. The truth is this country was founded on individual rights - the Bill of Rights - and anyone can believe whatever he wants to believe. It's true that many of the people in America were Christian and held Christian values at the time of the founding. The fact that the Constitution uses the word Creator could mean anything - one's parents, the wonder of the creation of a new life or the metaphysical identity of a human being as a distinct entity of all that exists - it is whatever you say it is. It specifically does not reference Christianity.

One of the primary concerns of Jefferson was to separate the church from the state. Thus the state has no authority to establish or require anything about religion - any religion.

The thing that concerns me in Obama's statement is that he singled out Christianity. Why didn't he hold up the ideal of religious freedom which is exactly the ideal that will support a peaceful world and it would be a mark of leadership to stand for that principle.

My concern is that his making the statement the way he did is for the purpose of linking the Tea Parties with riled up conservatives screaming about Christianity. Now is the time that this issue gets clear, otherwise the conservatives are going to be unable to forge a new, more fundamental base for a reconstituted Republican Party or some other party. The Republicans have been covert socialists, bringing to law many, many socialist programs.

Bush is a prime example of this. His faith based programs are a direct threat to the freedom of religion. When the leaders of the churches realize their money comes from Washington and take care of that source rather than their members as the source of their existence, they will lose them. Further, taking the money from the government is an endorsement of theft - the theft that is involved in every socialist program. So, the churches involved in the government's faith-based programs render themselves hypocrites, jettisoning integrity.

I'm an economic conservative and I am so damned tired of linking conservative political values to religion. It is poison and always has me wary of the Republicans. On the other hand, the anti-morality, government-is-the-beginning-and-end-of-human-life position of the Democrats and the left leaves me running for cover. Any politician worth his salt would restate the principle of religious freedom and take the religion issue off the table.

The minute the Conservatives jettison the religious issue, the sooner they will start to connect with people on the valid basis of individual freedom. Politically, the big threat is fascism - the trappings of individualism but the complete control of their activities via the government. This is the real threat - more clearly now than at any time in my lifetime - and I'm sick of it as are the rest of the people I know who stand for individual freedom. If the Tea Party movement connects to Christianity in a primary way, I will not support it. Simple as that.

I'm standing for individual rights and that's it. This is my stand - no more and no less. I want the government to protect my rights, the reason it was originally instituted. The Constitution says this and it is still valid although dismissed by almost everyone with a public voice. No one is arguing principle. Rather they are wrangling in the issues of political power - my gang over your gang. Argue principle and authentic political power will follow.

Sincerely,
Principlex

Following the writing of this letter to Mr. Hannity. I came across this video which makes my point in a larger context - the context of individual rights.