Everybody talks about what the Founding Fathers did. Jefferson was a Deist who did not believe this was a Christian nation. Tom Paine also did not believe this. He was imprisoned for writing "The Age of Reason".

The Founding Fathers for the most part were propertied white land owners who gained office by their wealth, though less than their British counterparts, but let the poor young white men fight the Revolutionary war. Blacks, Indians and women were always second-class citizens. In some respects, things haven't changed. The poor still fight the wars.

None of the Founding Fathers could be said to be really "Christian" in the way the Right-wingnuts claim, but many mouthed a lot of pseudo-religious platitudes. There were times when people were forced to pay taxes to Christian organizations and some were arrested for not going to church despite Tom Jefferson's warning in the First Amendment.

There has always been this conflict between the classes based on religious and patriotic platitudes to defend the wealthy.

Today, The Dominionists are dangerously attempting a "palace coup" and the Christian Nationalists although a minority group are gaining support from members of the GOP.

The moderate Christians who claim immunity from the Dominionists are very much like the moderate Muslims. Neither group is screaming loud enough about the takeover of their religion and its alliance with corporate interests, theocratic or military dictatorships.

Religion as well as patriotism may be "the last refuge of scoundrel".

Frank Hamilton