Just wanted to give some excerpts from the book I'm reading right now, American Gospel:

"From appointing chaplains, opening legislative sessions with prayer, and declaring days of fasting and thanksgiving, the Founders' public piety has fueled a conservative view that the "wall" between church and state was erected only recently, in the more secular twentieth century. There is a distinction, however, between professing conviction(which traditions like legislative prayer do) and using an established church to coerce not only belief but conformity with political and cultural mores. In America a kind of "wall" between church and state-albeit a low one- has always been there, or at least has been since the last state disestablished its church in 1833. Given that a large majority do believe in a transcendent power, and given that the evocations of a transcendent power grew organically from the habits and hearts of the early Americans, it would be as unsound to ban the use of the word "God" from all arenas of public life as it would be to require every American to attend church services every Sunday. There are infinite shades of gray and nuance about when religious expression in public places is appropriate, and we will be forever engaged in sorting out those things. God did not give us easy answers; we should not expect the world he created to provide them."

Speaking of the differing sects of religion in America at the time, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur wrote, "Thus all sects are mixed, as well as all nations; thus religious indifference is imperceptibly disseminated from one end of the continent to the other, which is at present one of the strongest characteristics of the Americans."

I have enjoyed this book so far and am intrigued to see where it goes. It's given me insight into the role religion played in the founding of our nation. I think we can learn from the example set forth by the founding fathers. Despite the all conflict we have here in our country as it relates to religion, race, nationality, gender or all the other differences, our country still works. There is much work to be done to make things better, we are nowhere near where we could be as a nation. I feel that we still hold to our own. We stubbornly hold to things that can be let go. We need to find a way to be proud of who we are and where we're from without it disrupting the common good. I hope that as time goes on, those walls that separate us from each other will be broken down. I'm proud to be an American and for what this country was founded on. I believe we are blessed to live in a country where the transition of power still happens peacefully. A country where people can go to church, mosque, temple or wherever else they choose to worship without forceful coercion. Yes, we have problems, but what country doesn't? James Madison wrote "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." And, "If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary."