"Jeffrey Peyton's interesting editorial on the Covenant School bond issue in the May 10 Observer contained some erroneous interpretations of the Constitution of the United States which cry out for correction."

"Mr. Peyton says that 'The founding fathers did not in any way intend for government to be wholly secular. In fact, most of the original 13 state constitutions required public officeholders to be outspokenly religious.' He then cites, as an example, the religious oath for officeholders in the Delaware constitution of 1776."

"First, we should make a clear distinction between the Founding Fathers - those men who met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to write the Constitution - and other political leaders in various states who had written their state constitutions some years before."

"The Founding Fathers did not use state constitutions as models for the United States Constitution; indeed they deliberately rejected the concepts contained in many of the state constitutions. In particular, on the subject of religious oaths, the Founding Fathers wrote in ARITCLE VI, Section 3 of the Constitution that: 'The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several State legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution; BUT NO RELIGIOUS TEST SHALL EVER BE REQUIRED AS A QUALIFICATION TO ANY OFFICE OR PUBLIC TRUST UNDER THE UNITED STATES.'"

"Once the Constitution was ratified by the states, religious oaths were no longer pemiitted. The Founding Fathers saw how necessary it was in a free nation with great religious diversity to keep government out of religion and religion out of government. Their wisdom has allowed ALL religions to thrive on our soil. This freedom of religion is devoutly to be cherished and protected" (David Repass, The Observer, May 17, 2000).