Religion has a role

J.E. Hill’s April 17 letter, “Keep church, state separate,” deserves a reply. He seems to give the impression this is a one-sided issue and people with religious convictions have no right in the say of our government.

Religion, especially Christianity, has played a part in the forming of our nation from the beginning. As a citizen of the U.S., we have every right to express our preference by ballot. This is not the same as Congress establishing a national religion. An example would be where in Islamic nations such as Iran, the religion is also the government.

Hill, as do so many of similar persuasions, loves to quote the first part of the First Amendment, but ignore the rest, which states, “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press: or the right of people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.”

I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment in its entirety.

Kenneth Varcoe

Spokane