Dear editor:

There is a continuing debate going on in the United States on the separation of religion and government. As the Christmas season approaches the debate will get hotter. At first glance this is a no-brainer. Who does not believe that the government should not force a religion on anyone?

Our nation's founders believed this so much they had it stated in our Constitution as the First Amendment. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” has been shouted across our nation for over 200 years.

The First Amendment has stood us well. I know of no person that the government has forced a religion on. We have now come to a crossroads in this great nation of ours, possibly passed it. We continually speak and work for individual rights, as we should, but in the process we neglect the rights of the very society that holds us together.

When the United States was established, our society, made up of people with common beliefs, created a government as a tool to govern, sustain and protect us. As such, government is a mirror of our society. Society is like a person. It lives, breathes and can die while feeling love, hate, compassion, hurt, joy and all the other emotions felt by the people that produce it.

Our society nurses us and protects us. When we are born or choose to become a member of this society we become an integral part of this society's team. Society sets the standards and rules we need to follow to maintain our position on the team. Without these standards and rules we would be individuals without controls, each going our own way, which would lead to chaos and be ungovernable.

Society is there to reward us and help us in our pursuit of the goals in our life, and to chastise us when we stray from the standards and rules. Our society is woven together by many threads of our life that makes us who we are. The main two threads that has been the cornerstone of our society from the beginning of our nation and sustained us so well are our belief in the freedom of the individual and belief in our Christian God.

To loose either one would result in the downfall of this society as we know it. I see no danger on our individual freedoms at this time.

But the attacks we are now having on our society's Christian beliefs is putting our society in grave danger. The standards and rules acceptable by our society should be in full view and in our thoughts at all times. They have been proven appropriate, acceptable and correct for us over the passage of time. We all need the guidance society offers, especially the children, in pursuing our goals in life within the boundaries of society.

Our belief in God, individual and as a society, has been the driving force in our attitude and conduct concerning morality, values and our relationship with each other. Displaying Christmas trees or other Christmas symbols, the 10 Commandments, or any other symbols reflecting the beliefs of our society, should be allowed on a Government control facility. On special days I would have no problem with other religious symbols being display on Government facilities.

Government is a function of our society, not the other way around. That does not mean that society is forcing their beliefs on anyone. Congress has made no such laws or a law establishing a religion.. Everyone is free to practice their religious beliefs any way they want as long as they are not contrary to the laws of this Nation for the betterment of society. Society should also be free to practice and show its religious beliefs. Will our future be a nation working together in a harmonious society or a nation in chaos with many diverse societies? It is up to us.



Gene Abbett

Moultrie