Harris' comments lack respect for religious diversity of the United States

August 29, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rep. Katherine Harris' ill-informed comments—calling the separation of church and state a lie, bemoaning our nation of secular laws, and suggesting only Christians should be elected to office—show a complete lack of respect for the religious diversity that is a hallmark of our nation.

Americans are a religious people. And, yes, Christianity has influenced our civic values and public policy. The separation of church and state does not require a segregation of religion from politics, God from government or Christians from duties of citizenship. But our civil compact—the Constitution—is a secular document. It never mentions Christianity and refers to religion only once and then to ban a religious test for public office.

America is one of the most religious and religiously diverse nations on earth. Despite our religious passion and pluralism, we have been able to avoid the religious conflicts that have punctuated history and plague much of the world today. This is so precisely because we have not allowed government to take sides in matters of religion.

Baptists, from Rhode Island-founder Roger Williams to Colonial evangelist John Leland in Virginia to former Pres. Jimmy Carter have championed the separation of church and state as an essential corollary to the overall goal of achieving genuine religious liberty for all.

In calling church-state separation a lie, Harris disregards history. In bemoaning our nation of secular laws, she misrepresents the nature of our government. In saying that non-Christians will only "legislate sin," she sets up her own religious test for office and maligns a whole class of public servants.

J. Brent Walker
Executive Director
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty