Agree or Delete - part one

There are several chain-emails going around with witty sayings, ending with "If you agree, pass this on, if not delete." One recent example of this is 86% of Americans believe in God.

I'm not very good at following directions, so rather than agree or delete, I'm going to reply.

I'm not a religious person, nor am I offended by mentions of God on coins and architecture -- they're part of our culture and history as Americans. I think it is important, however, to remember that this country was founded on the principle of separation of church and state. Why? Because many European settlers came to the Americas to escape religious persecution.

I find it wildly ironic that Thomas Jefferson is quoted in this piece, as he was the author of the phrase "wall of separation between church and state".

I found an older copy of this chain-letter document on a site called faithonfire.org - faith on fire?! Come on...

Christianity in America isn't in any danger, and it's not going away any time soon. To claim there's a grave threat is ridiculous.

As Americans, we have the right to free speech and expression. Is it necessary to tell a small percentage of people who are vocally offended by phrases such as "In God we trust" and "one nation under God" that they should "Sit Down and SHUT UP?" What good is that going to do? We have far greater issues in this country to worry about.