> That doesn't mean that we should approve of governments that endorse religion, but I don't think you can make a very sound appeal to the Founders to make your case.
>
> Stephen

Nonsense. It is a well-known fact that the Founding Fathers would have heartily supported *insert your political agenda here*. After all, the original meaning of *insert hot-button phrase from the Constitution here* was actually *insert plausible but unconventional interpretation of aforementioned hot-button phrase which supports aforementioned political agenda*. If the Founding Fathers could see how we've twisted this principle today, they'd be horrified.

And this is rather easily backed up, because in fact there were quite a few Founding Fathers and they tended to disagree with each other a lot. One of the beauties I think of our Constitution is that it was created, signed, and supported by so many people of widely disparate convictions (all fairly wealthy white males, to be sure, but diverse by that standard). And every generation people think the country is on the verge of collapse and the fascists/communists/socialists/fundamentalists/radicals/hatemongers/evildoers of all types are taking over. And yet we stand, and by and large, we're really doing okay.

Lire"just take a look around"lyn